OVERVIEW
ABOUT YTL HOSPITALITY REIT
YTL Hospitality REIT has a market capitalisation of approximately RM2.07 billion (as at 30 June 2024) with a wide portfolio of prime hospitality assets across a range of unique locations worldwide.
In Malaysia, these include the JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur, The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur (Hotel and Suite wings), the Pangkor Laut, Tanjong Jara and Cameron Highlands resorts and the AC hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kuantan. New additions to the portfolio during the financial year under review comprise Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur (Autograph Collection) and a hotel in Ipoh formerly known as Syeun Hotel (“Ipoh Hotel”), which is currently vacant and under major renovation.
YTL Hospitality REIT’s international portfolio comprises Hilton Niseko Village and The Green Leaf Niseko Village in Japan and the Sydney Harbour, Brisbane and Melbourne Marriott hotels in Australia. The Trust is also undertaking the development of a hotel under the Moxy brand (“Moxy Niseko”), in Hokkaido, Japan.
YTL Hospitality REIT’s principal objective is to provide unitholders with stable cash distributions through owning and investing in yield accretive real estate assets. This provides potential for sustainable growth in its long term unit value, rewarding unitholders with noticeable returns.
YTL Hospitality REIT was established by a trust deed entered into on 18 November 2005 (as amended and restated) between Pintar Projek Sdn Bhd and Maybank Trustees Berhad, as manager and trustee, respectively, of YTL Hospitality REIT.
KEY MILESTONES
YTL Hospitality REIT was listed on 16 December 2005 on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad under the name Starhill Real Estate Investment Trust, and consisted of prime properties within the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur – the JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Starhill Gallery and parcels in Lot 10 Shopping Centre. Its principal investment strategy was investing in a diversified portfolio of retail, office and hospitality real estate assets, with an added focus on retail and hotel properties. In 2007, the REIT added part of The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur – Suite Wing to its portfolio.
In 2009, the Trust embarked on a rationalisation exercise to reposition itself as a pure play hospitality REIT, focused on building a class of hotel and hospitality-related assets. The first stage of the exercise was completed in June 2010 and involved disposing the REIT’s retail properties (Starhill Gallery and parcels in Lot 10 Shopping Centre) to Starhill Global Real Estate Investment Trust in Singapore.
YTL Hospitality REIT subsequently acquired 9 additional hotel properties in November and December 2011, namely, the Pangkor Laut, Tanjong Jara and Cameron Highlands resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur – Hotel Wing, the remainder of The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur – Suite Wing, the AC hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kuantan, and Hilton Niseko Village in Japan.
The REIT’s international portfolio was further strengthened with the acquisitions of the Sydney Harbour, Brisbane and Melbourne Marriott hotels in Australia in November 2012. This extended the geographical scope of the REIT and significantly enhanced brand outreach, ultimately raising its appeal to existing and new investors.
In November 2017, YTL Hospitality REIT enhanced its asset portfolio with the acquisition of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, the Trust’s tenth property in Malaysia, and, in September 2018, acquired its second hotel in Japan, The Green Leaf Niseko Village.
YTL Hospitality REIT’s Malaysia portfolio was further expanded with the additions of Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur in October 2023 and the Ipoh Hotel, which is currently under renovation in April 2024. In the same month, the Trust also embarked on the development of Moxy Niseko.