H World Takes JI Hotel Brand to Malaysia and Cambodia, Strengthening Southeast Asia Presence

SINGAPORE, Sept. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- H World Group Limited (NASDAQ: HTHT; HK: 01179), a leading global hospitality group, announced the signing of three new JI Hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The milestone marks H World's debut in Malaysia and further expands JI Hotel's footprint in Southeast Asia, underscoring its commitment to building a diversified, asset-light portfolio across the region.

"This is an exciting step in our Asia Pacific strategy," said Murphy Zhu, President of H World Asia Pacific. "By introducing JI Hotel to Malaysia and deepening our presence in Cambodia, we are extending the international reach of one of our flagship brands. Beyond introducing a highly recognized Chinese brand, we are also bringing the strength of H World's supply chain, development expertise, and digital capabilities to our partners across Southeast Asia."

The new JI Hotel in Kuala Lumpur's city center, expected to open in Q4 2026, marks H World's first hotel in Malaysia.

Zhu said H World is thrilled to introduce its flagship JI Hotel to Malaysia, as the hospitality leader is expanding presence in Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

Expanding JI Hotels in Key Gateways in Southeast Asia

• JI Hotel Downtown Kuala Lumpur – Developed in partnership with Saadiq Tri Venture, this 101-room hotel is expected to open in Q4 2026 in the Dang Wangi district of Kuala Lumpur. Featuring the latest JI Hotel 5.0 design, the property will blend oriental aesthetics with modern comfort.

  "We highly value the proven success and reputation of the JI Hotel brand and look forward to bringing high-quality, value-driven hospitality to Kuala Lumpur," said Yang Shengwu, Chairman of Saadiq Tri Venture.

• JI Hotel Phnom Penh City Center– Situated in the city's central business and government district, this 130-room property will transform an existing building into a new benchmark for midscale hospitality. It is scheduled to open in Q2 2026.

  "Midscale and upper-midscale business demand in Phnom Penh is growing rapidly. The standardized yet flexible model of JI Hotel will ensure sustainable long-term success," said Liu Guangyu, investor of JI Hotel Phnom Penh Central.

• JI Hotel Phnom Penh Mekong Riverside – A 110-room new-build property overlooking the Mekong River, scheduled to open in Q3 2026. With direct access to Phnom Penh's cultural landmarks, the hotel will combine river-view dining with local cultural experiences.

  "By integrating Khmer cultural elements with JI Hotel's philosophy of oriental aesthetics, we aim to create a distinctive stay experience that reshapes Phnom Penh's hospitality landscape," said Seng Leng, investor of JI Hotel Phnom Penh Mekong Riverside.

"We highly value the proven success and reputation of the JI Hotel brand and look forward to bringing high-quality, value-driven hospitality to Kuala Lumpur," said Yang Shengwu, Chairman of Saadiq Tri Venture.

"Midscale and upper-midscale business demand in Phnom Penh is growing rapidly. The standardized yet flexible model of JI Hotel will ensure sustainable long-term success," said Liu Guangyu, investor of JI Hotel Phnom Penh Central.

"By integrating Khmer cultural elements with JI Hotel's philosophy of oriental aesthetics, we aim to create a distinctive stay experience that reshapes Phnom Penh's hospitality landscape," said Seng Leng, investor of JI Hotel Phnom Penh Mekong Riverside.

Strengthening Regional Presence in Southeast Asia

Murphy Zhu said "Beyond introducing a highly recognized Chinese hotel brand to international markets, we are also bringing the strength of H World's supply chain, development expertise, and cost efficiency to our partners."

The new signings follow H World's recent expansion momentum in Asia Pacific:

• In July 2025, H World International announced the signing of Steigenberger Phnom Penh, the brand's first entry into Cambodia.
• In May 2025, H World entered the Laotian market with four signings in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, introducing IntercityHotel, Orange, and JI Hotel to the country. Notably, the Orange Hotel project marked the brand's global debut outside China.
• H World opened its first hotel in Cambodia—— MAXX Phnom Penh Downtown on December 28, 2024. It was MAXX's first project in the Asia Pacific region.

The announcement coincided with the sixth anniversary of the JI Hotel Orchard Road Singapore, the brand's first overseas property. Since opening, the hotel has demonstrated consistent success, underpinned by H World's mature operational capabilities and its ability to adapt to international markets.

"Looking ahead, H World will continue to scale its presence in Asia Pacific with a standardized yet locally adapted model," added Zhu. "Step by step, we are creating long-term value for both travelers and investors. We are committed to enhancing the global influence and service competitiveness of Chinese hotel brands, and establishing an outstanding benchmark from the East within the international hospitality landscape."

About H World Group Limited

Headquartered in China, H World Group Limited (NASDAQ: HTHT; HK: 01179) is a leading global hospitality company with a diversified portfolio including Steigenberger Icons, Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, MAXX, HanTing, JI Hotel, Crystal Orange Hotel, among others. The Group emphasizes asset-light operations, digital innovation, and strategic brand development to drive sustainable international growth.

For more information, please visit H World's website: https://ir.hworld.com

 

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

H World Takes JI Hotel Brand to Malaysia and Cambodia, Strengthening Southeast Asia Presence

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At CES 2026, Flowtica was not the loudest presence on the show floor. Over the course of the week, however, the Singapore-based AI company became one of the most closely watched, drawing sustained attention from media, investors, and industry observers.

That attention has now translated into availability. Following its appearance as a CES 2026 Innovation Award Honoree, Flowtica has officially opened sales of Flowtica Scribe, its AI recording pen that quietly stood out in a field dominated by phone-dependent and screen-heavy solutions.

Flowtica Scribe did not make its first public appearance at CES. The product launched on Kickstarter several months earlier, where it attracted thousands of users and established early validation. CES marked a different stage for the company. The focus shifted away from introduction and toward closer examination, with many observers asking whether the idea could hold up beyond early enthusiasm.

Throughout the exhibition, Flowtica's booth at Eureka Park became a steady meeting point for investors and journalists. Conversations rarely centered on specifications or feature lists. Instead, discussions focused on a more fundamental question: whether AI recording tools are beginning to converge on forms that genuinely fit into professional life.

Flowtica's answer was visible in its choice of form. By embedding AI into a pen, an object already accepted in boardrooms, consultations, investor meetings, and sales conversations, the company avoided many of the social and practical frictions that continue to limit phone-based recorders. The result was a device that felt less like a new category of gadget and more like a natural extension of existing behavior.

This restraint is deliberate. Flowtica Scribe is designed to remain unobtrusive, with no screen and no demand for user attention during conversations. Recording, organization, and interpretation take place quietly in the background, allowing users to remain focused on the discussion itself. Among on-site observers, this approach positioned Flowtica as one of the more pragmatic entrants in an increasingly crowded AI recording market.

Hardware, however, represents only part of Flowtica's differentiation. The company places equal emphasis on what happens after recording ends. Its AI functions as a continuously evolving insight system that can operate autonomously while remaining responsive to clear user guidance when needed. Over time, it adapts to individual working rhythms and priorities, shifting the emphasis from capturing everything to identifying what truly matters.

Rather than simply storing conversations, Flowtica helps determine which moments should be retained, revisited, and translated into next actions. Key insights are designed to integrate naturally with existing productivity tools, including calendars and task systems, allowing them to fit into established workflows rather than compete with them.

As interest in Flowtica Scribe built during CES, one question surfaced repeatedly. When would the product be available beyond the show floor?

With sales now officially open through Flowtica's website, the company moves from exhibition attention to real-world deployment. For Flowtica, this moment appears less like a conclusion and more like a transition, from being observed to being used.

As the AI recording market continues to mature, competition is shifting away from novelty and early adoption toward durability. The defining question is no longer whether a system can record conversations, but whether it can remain useful over time.

Flowtica enters this next phase with an approach that is measured and quietly confident, placing its bet not on spectacle, but on long-term relevance.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

The AI Recording Pen That Turned Heads at CES Is Finally for Sale