Selangor Journal
DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam i-City general manager Gagan Talwar. — Picture by AHMAD ZAKKI JILAN/SELANGORKINI

DoubleTree by Hilton to complete Selangor’s Golden Triangle

By Nasuha Badrul Huzaini

AN accomplished general manager with over 15 years of experience with Hilton, Gagan Talwar has focused on creating a culture of excellence through strong proactive leadership and motivational skills developing effective, culturally diverse, high-performing teams in all areas of hotel management.

He was recently appointed as general manager to oversee the opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton in Shah Alam i-City, following his stint as hotel manager at Malaysia’s leading lifestyle hotel, the Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

Originally from India, Gagan holds a bachelor’s from Emmanuel College, Boston, and a Masters’s in International Business & Management from the Westminster Business School, London.

He has lived and worked in 13 countries, including India, Indonesia, Germany, Ethiopia, UAE, Iran, UK, USA, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

In a recent interview with Selangor Journal, Gagan said that he entered the hotel industry by chance as he did not have any educational background in the field.

“I graduated with a degree in International Management and prior to this worked as an investment banker. I went for an interview with Hilton at a financial career fair in London. I also joined APAC as an elevator Trainee.

“Though being from a different background, I was able to succeed. I’ve had a variety of responsibilities during my time at the Hilton Hotel, including front desk manager, revenue manager, food and beverage manager, commercial director, and operations director. That was something of a diverse experience,” he said.

Global hotel debuts in Shah Alam

With the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton, a 300-bedroom hotel that is stretched across a 43-story structure, the multinational hotel chain makes its debut in Shah Alam. Located in i-City, the Golden Triangle of Selangor, the hotel is slated to be a game-changer and will establish a precedent for luxury hotels in the district.

DoubleTree by Hilton in i-City, Shah Alam. — Picture by DOUBLETREE BY HILTON

It features two signature restaurants, Makan Kitchen and Tosca Trattoria Italiana, and two stylish cafe lounges, The Koffee and Axis Lounge.

The hotel will have adaptable conference rooms along with about 11,000 square feet of function space split across two floors to serve the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) sectors.

For a better guest experience, the hotel will offer guest rooms with upgraded technology and cutting-edge guest room management.

According to Gagan, the presence of DoubleTree by Hilton in i-City completes the components needed in a development area.

“The residential, recreational, business, and retail sections are the existing four components of i-City, and we are about to complete one another as the fifth.

“The fact that this location now has a five-star full-service international hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton will help to build greater awareness as we will be hosting more events here, bringing more people to discover the i-City area,” he said.

Holistic business travel
DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam i-City general manager Gagan Talwar. — Picture by AHMAD ZAKKI JILAN/SELANGORKINI

Based on the strategic location of the upcoming DoubleTree by Hilton, Gagan said that the hotel aims to attract more business travellers.

He said the hotel has the potential to capitalise on the market and establish itself as a reputable brand with the ability to offer first-rate meeting space in the long run, which extends to providing catering for social occasions like weddings and Ramadan buffets in addition to conferences and business activities.

“The justification is fairly straightforward, we are situated not too far from the Kuala Lumpur city centre. We have great connectivity such as the Federal Highway and New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and are surrounded by many manufacturing and storage facilities, like in Port Klang,” he said.

Gagan said for business travellers, particularly those coming from foreign countries like Singapore, Taiwan, or Japan, now have a place to unwind after finishing their meetings and discussions without having to travel far to the city centre.

“We give special attention to the needs of our leisure clients even if our focus is largely on our corporate clients. Having said that, we provide a variety of amenities including the spa, food and beverages, a pool, and a Games Room.

“In addition, once they step out of this hotel, they can straight away go to the Central i-City mall next to us as well as the i-City theme park across the street,” he said.

Exciting offers awaits
The interior of the guest room at the DoubleTree by Hilton in i-City, Shah Alam. — Picture by DOUBLETREE BY HILTON

As the hotel is getting ready to open by the end of this month, Hilton Honors members should take the chance to grab exciting offers and discounts.

In addition to launching deals, online offers for a longer stay, offers for school holidays, and extended weekend offers, Gagan said there will be a variety of other promotions as well.

“Honors members could earn bonus points when they book a room with us. Come and reserve a stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam starting July 27,” he said.

Tourism in Selangor

Apart from being a beautiful state, Selangor is also well-known for being a centre of business activities and has a lot to offer. Gagan, who has extensive experience in the tourism sector, foresees the state’s tourism industry has a bright future.

“Many people have moved out of Kuala Lumpur and settled down somewhere in Selangor, for example in Setia Alam, due to its affordability.

“This has brought some activities into the area which would generate business and tourism could be a part of it,” he said.

Gagan said Selangor is home to numerous multinational company operations, particularly in the Port Klang region and all the way down to Shah Alam, which presents DoubleTree by Hilton with long-term potential.

“There is strong tourism potential in Selangor, especially in i-City, whereby the presence of numerous financial institutions has helped to develop the area,” said Gagan, who said that the moving in of more respectable brands in making their mark would bring bright futures to i-City and Selangor.

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Editor Selangor Journal