With Muslim spending on outbound travel projected to jump considerably during the coming years, one Malaysian hotel is being proactive.
According to CNN Money, Kuala Lumpur's PNB Perdana Hotel is the first in the country to be halal-certified. That means the four-star hotel meets all the requirements under Islamic Sharia law.
The hotel doesn't cater strictly to Muslims though. It also welcomes non-Muslim guests who are permitted to break some of the moral code-for example, eat pork and consume alcohol-from the privacy of their room or suite.
However, those rooms receive a special type of cleaning afterward to ensure they're halal for the next guest.
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While the swimming pool and on-site gym can be used by both men and women, there is a two-hour window from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. reserved for women only. The hotel also employs a Sharia law scholar who trains staff and provides religious talks.
All of the food from the kitchens and restaurants is cooked halal as well.
The hotel doesn't go out of its way to warn guests about the Quran. The balance has led the PNB Perdana to develop a positive reputation among guests. The friendliness of the staff comes up again and again in online reviews, and it ranks 66th out of 340 Kuala Lumpur hotels on TripAdvisor.
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Although currently ahead of the curve, the PNB Perdana is likely to find itself in competition soon as more and more businesses seek halal certification.
Citing the director of an agency that grants halal certifications, Sirajuddin Suhaimee, CNN Money reported the number of applications for the certification has been increasing by as much as 30 percent each year since 2012.
It's no secret why either.
A recent study conducted by Thomson Reuters shows that outbound travel spending by Muslims is expected to increase from $151 billion in 2015 to $243 billion by the year 2021. What's more, more than half of Malaysia's popular is comprised of practicing Muslims.
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