Kota Kinabalu: More than four decades after its establishment in Sabah, Golden Land Berhad (GLB) is returning to its roots with a renewed commitment to invest in the State, beginning with a landmark hospitality-led development that will also introduce the MapleSuites brand to Sabah for the first time.
GLB will bring the MapleSuites brand to The Playground @ Kota Kinabalu through an exclusive collaboration with Maple Hospitality Group (MHG), making it the first and only MapleSuites-operated development in Sabah.
The partnership combines GLB’s aspirational development vision with MHG’s proven hospitality management expertise to create an integrated hospitality ecosystem in Kota Kinabalu while enhancing the long-term value proposition of GLB’s Sabah assets.
“The Playground @ Kota Kinabalu reflects our aspiration to create a development that goes beyond conventional real estate by integrating culture, lifestyle, hospitality, and long-term value creation,” said GLB CEO Stewart Yap at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony on Monday.
Describing the initiative as a personal homecoming, he said Sabah’s natural beauty, rich cultural diversity and harmonious communities have always made the state particularly meaningful to him.
“After many years away, we are returning home with a renewed commitment to contribute meaningfully to Sabah’s economic growth and development,” he said.
The Playground @ Kota Kinabalu serves as the cornerstone of this renewed focus. Located in Sembulan and designed as a lifestyle-driven commercial suites development, the project is positioned to benefit from rising tourism arrivals, increasing business travel and growing demand for professionally managed short-stay accommodation.
MHG also plays a key role in the development through MapleSuites, as its boutique hospitality brand caters to modern travellers seeking stylish accommodation with hotel-style service and operational convenience.
Recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records as the country’s “Largest Short-Stay Management Company Chain”, MHG currently manages more than 3,000 rooms nationwide and has facilitated over one million guest bookings.
“By aligning with a strong hospitality operator such as MHG, we are able to enhance the long-term value proposition of our Sabah assets while strengthening our presence in East Malaysia,” Stewart explained.
He said the Sabah debut of MapleSuites is expected to enhance Kota Kinabalu’s growing hospitality landscape by introducing a professionally managed hospitality concept tailored for families, corporate travellers and experiential tourists.
Beyond The Playground @ Kota Kinabalu, GLB has also outlined future projects in Putatan and Likas as part of its expanding Sabah development pipeline, reflecting a long-term commitment to the State’s urban growth and economic development.
The collaboration between BLB and MHG signals growing confidence in Sabah’s tourism and property sectors while supporting the State’s broader economic development ambitions.
For GLB, the project marks a return to its Sabah roots, while for MapleSuites it represents the brand’s first entry into the Sabah market.
