(From left) Jin Jiang Hotels (China Region) senior vice-president Zhang Zhong Hao, Jin Jiang International (Group) VP Zhou Wei and chairman Zhao Qi, Ministry of International Trade and Industry secretary general Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob, RIYAZ International & RJJ Hotels Group managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Shaheen Shah Mohd Sidek and board of directors member Datuk Muthukumar Ayarpadde, and Jin Jiang Hotels (China Region) overseas business department general manager He Yijun, at the strategic cooperation conference and signing ceremony on Wednesday. (Photo by Suhaimi Yusuf/The Edge)

 KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 27): RJJ Hotels, the partnership between Malaysia-based hospitality group RIYAZ International and China-based hotelier Jin Jiang International (Group), is looking to sign 60 hotel management agreements in Malaysia in the next five years, according to RIYAZ International group managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Shaheen Shah Mohd Sidek.

 At the sideline of strategic cooperation conference and signing ceremony between Jin Jiang Hotels (China Region) and RJJ Hotels at the  Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, Mohd Shaheen Shah told the press that the target is part of the company’s goal of signing 181 hotel management agreements across the Southeast Asian region in the next five years.

 “So, today we signed 15 hotels; some are existing buildings that need refurbishment, some are new hotels that are under construction. These will be opened gradually over the next two years,” he added. These 15 hotels are located at Penang, Sabah, Langkawi, Pahang and Johor in Malaysia, as well as in Laos and Vietnam. 

Wednesday’s event witnessed the signing of two agreements and 11 memorandums of understanding. 

 The two agreements were a management licence agreement between RJJ Hotels and Jin Jiang Hotels (China Region); as well as a joint-venture and management agreement between Permodalan Satok Bhd and RIYAZ International for Metropolo Sarawak hotel. Under the management licence agreement, RJJ Hotels will manage five brands under the Jin Jiang portfolio. They are four- to five-star city hotel Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels, luxury five-star Ginco Hotel, five-star resort Renjoy Hotel, mid-scale business hotel Lavande, and premium economy hotel Jinjiang Inn.

 The event also introduced the Jin Jiang Global Purchasing Platform in Southeast Asia. Managed by Novac Hospitality, the platform will provide access to furniture, fixtures and equipment, and operating supplies and equipment, supporting hotel rollouts across the region.

 “This collaboration holds strategic importance for Malaysia, China and Southeast Asia. Malaysia, under RMK13 (the 13th Malaysia Plan, or 13MP) is positioning itself as a hub for high-value tourism with over RM600 billion in targeted investments, and the development of special tourism zones,” Mohd Shaheen Shah said in his speech.

 “China remains one of Malaysia’s top inbound markets. And this partnership strengthens our connectivity and appeal to Chinese travellers... By linking Malaysia’s hospitality leadership with China’s outbound market and Southeast Asia’s growth potential, we are creating a new model for regional collaboration,” he added.

 In his keynote address on behalf of the Minister of International Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) secretary general Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob said that both partners are bringing new brands, know-hows and networks into Malaysia and the wider Asean region.

 “As the Chinese outbound level continues, Malaysia can serve as the gateway to Asean. Between January and June this year, Malaysia welcomed more than 2.17 million Chinese investors, and this momentum is expected to accelerate as we approach Visit Malaysia Year 2026,” he said.

 Therefore, he reckoned that a diverse hotel offering connected to global distribution and loyalty platforms will help Malaysia to capture the longest days, as well as higher spend, and replicate it across multiple destinations. 

 “Moreover, well-run possibility ventures create high-ready jobs and expect opportunities for SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) in hospitality, F&B (food and beverage), and retail… When international operators choose Malaysia for management and grand development, it reinforced our role as a national base for cross-border business and tourism. It signals confidence in our infrastructure, role of law and talent. It also complements our efforts to position Malaysia as the services and logistics hub for Asean... and our key gateway acting as contractors between capital markets and people,” he explained.

 Giving an introduction on the Shanghai-based company, its vice-president Zhou Wei shared that Jin Jiang International (Group) is the world’s second largest hotel group with more than 15,000 hotels globally, and that it is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

 “We’re so privileged to get the blessing from the government officials of both countries (for the collaboration), and of course, very importantly [from the] industrial players in Malaysia. Malaysia is more than our first stop, but a hub to reach the rest of Southeast Asia,” she said. 

Jin Jiang Hotels has over 17,300 contracted hotels, with more than 1.64 million guestrooms. The group has presence in 55 countries outside of China. 

 In an interview with The Edge Malaysia at the event, Jin Jiang Hotels overseas business department general manager He Yijun said that the group has decided to go big in the Southeast Asia region, and henceforth the partnership with RIYAZ International. 

“We expanded to the Southeast Asia region before, but not in a big way. With this partnership, we are going to do it in [a] great way. Before deciding on RIYAZ, we have met some other hospitality groups. And then, we decided that we want to find a local partner who knows the local culture and has a strong network,” she said.

She added that of the 181 hotel management agreements target, about 150 will be from Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, and the remaining from the Philippines, Cambodia and Laos. 

Malaysia has been chosen as the headquarters for RJJ Hotels, and He noted that the team is currently looking for an office location here.