Club Med announced plans to open its first green resort near Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia's Sabah state, on the in the northern part of Borneo island late 2022.

Located at Kuala Penyu Beach -- just 90-minutes' drive from Kota Kinabalu International Airport -- the premium all-inclusive Club Med resort with a 5 Trident Exclusive Collection space will offer a pristine paradise where virgin jungle meets idyllic powdery white sand beaches and crystal clear waters. Club Med is collaborating closely with owners "Golden Sands Beach Resort City Sdn Bhd" (GSBR) to create the brand's first large-scale sustainably-built BREEAM-certified beach resort in Asia-Pacific.

"The Club Med spirit has always been to create new resorts that seamlessly blend into naturally beautiful locations and become discoverable bucket list destinations in their own right," said Henri Giscard d'Estaing, President of Club Med. "Opening in Kuala Penyu allows us to showcase Sabah's beautiful surroundings in a relatively undiscovered part of the world. This will be our second resort in Malaysia in a destination that is seeing increased airlift and interest from travellers across globe including China, Korea, SE Asia and Australia."

GSBRC, the owning company of the future resort, is a Sabah based company which was formed by like-minded investors purposely to bring Club Med to Borneo. The group behind GSBRC has extensive business experience in Malaysia and abroad with specific focus on Hospitality and Property Developments in Sabah & Kuala Lumpur.

Club Med Borneo Kota Kinabalu -- an idyllic paradise surrounded by lush jungles and pristine beaches

With the international and modern millennial family in mind, Club Med Borneo Kota Kinabalu will provide a dynamic and wholesome experience that truly takes advantage of the resort's unparalleled location. Flanked by tropical rainforests and fronted by kilometres of pristine beach with picture-perfect white sand, Club Med Borneo Kota Kinabalu's convenient, yet untouched location is perfect for a destination getaway for families, friends, and couples.

The resort located next to a mangrove reserve will offer a plethora of activities that encourage guests to discover local gems, including island hopping to the beautiful Pulau Tiga, a river ride that showcases Sabah's diverse wildlife and ecosystem as well as an adrenaline-pumping white-water river rafting adventure. Guests can also immerse themselves in Borneo's rich heritage through activities like dance shows, traditional rug and jewellery making, and interactive culinary classes and coffee tastings.

The resort design will be inspired by numerous traditional Borneo ethnic cultures. Seamlessly integrating the structures with the surrounding rainforest. The resort will feature plenty of spaces that is interconnected with nature, using local and sustainably sourced natural materials.

Club Med has been building resorts that blend harmoniously into its exceptional locations, with a focus on minimising the environmental footprint through efficient energy consumption, treating and recycling water, promoting renewable energy sources and waste recycling techniques. Its partnership with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) for Club Med Borneo from the outset will create a benchmark for Club Med to construct new resorts that meet stringent BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) standards.