HYATT Christmas Visit to Bukit Harapan

The residents of Bukit Harapan charity home were treated to some Christmas surprise by the staff of Hyatt Regency Kinabalu last week (17 December 2013)! The hotel organized a fun afternoon get together as part of their annual holiday visit at the home that accommodates residents aged 7 to 54 years old – residents were treated with a 5-star catering and also took part in various activities and games. They were also entertained by the hotel’s caroling group and were further surprised with Christmas gifts and goodie bags filled with daily necessities like body lotion and toiletries.

The visit was led by the hotel’s Director of Human Resource, Mary Susan Johnson and Director of Engineering, Paul Lajumin along with 24 staff of Hyatt Regency Kinabalu.

Residents of Bukit Harapan welcomed them warmly and performed Christmas songs and bonded with the hotel staff over games like balloon-popping and musical statues.

“Our annual visit here is something we greatly look forward to every year. Connecting with the community and giving back is one of the pillars of the Hyatt brand and we want to ensure that the people around us are happy too,” said Lajumin in his address during the event.

Bukit Harapan is a self-funded non-governmental organization founded in 1988 by Anne Keyworth, who's also fondly known as ‘Mama Anne’. At present, there are 41 residents in Bukit Harapan, taken care by 14 of its highly dedicated staff. The home welcomes orphans, the mentally-disabled, abused and the homeless and provides speech therapy and physiotherapy in the form of classes to the residents which help to reduce difficulties they face in their daily lives. These classes are conducted from Monday to Friday. Bukit Harapan operates solely on donations from the public. 

“No matter how severely handicapped a body is, as long as the heart beats, we have a duty to respect and preserve their life, and this is the mission and principle of our home, ” said Keyworth.

Hyatt’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, THRIVE, made it its mission is to develop locations where its associates are proud to work, guests want to visit, neighbors want to live and owners want to invest. As part of the hotel's community project, the hotel visits and maintains relationships with several charities initiatives throughout the years.

About Hyatt Regency Kinabalu

Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, a 288-room hotel, is located in the heart of Kota Kinabalu’s business, shopping and entertainment hub, overlooking the beautiful coral islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and the South China Sea.   Hyatt Regency Kinabalu offers newly renovated guestrooms, exceptional service, modern comforts, and a dazzling choice of local and international cuisine.   Reservations for Hyatt Regency Kinabalu can be made by calling +60 88 22 1234 or visiting www.kinabalu.regency.hyatt.com

About Hyatt Regency Hotels

Hyatt Regency offers a full range of services and facilities tailored to serve the needs of meeting planners, business travelers and leisure guests. Properties generally range in size from 200 to over 2,000 rooms and are conveniently located in urban, suburban, airport, convention and resort destinations around the world. Hyatt Regency convention hotels feature spacious meeting and conference facilities designed to provide a productive environment. Hyatt Regency hotels in resort locations cater to couples seeking a getaway, families enjoying vacation together and corporate groups seeking a relaxed atmosphere in which to conduct business and meetings.