Old and new in Kuala Lumpur – Chinatown and Merdeka 118
The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (or KL for short) located in Malaysia has some amazing skyscrapers including, my favorite, the incredibly beautiful Petronas Towers. In fact, according to Wikipedia there are at least 193 skyscrapers in KL!
Petronas Towers from the rooftop of the Hyatt Centric KL
The tallest building in KL and the second tallest building in the world is Merdeka 118 (Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest)! Merdeka translates to freedom or independence in Malaysian and the building is often referred to as KL’s Freedom Tower. The location is close to KL’s Chinatown area.
Merdeka 118 stands tall behind Chinatown
The exterior of Merdeka 118 was completed in late 2023, and it is stunning to say the least! (Again, my opinion). It will have a mix of office and retail outlets, as well as one or two observation decks Merdeka 118 will also be surrounded by parks.
Notably, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will occupy the top 17 floors of Merdeka 118 (floors 102 to 118), and it will include:
252 spacious guestrooms, including 27 suites. Discover havens of elegant contemporary design graced with elements of Malaysian heritage, offering lavish comfort and panoramic views of the capital.
The hotel will be a category 5 World of Hyatt hotel. The renditions on the website of the hotel, are exquisite to say the least.
Photo: Hyatt Website
The driving question of course, is when will it open? There have been a number of delays, but now, according to the website, reservations are currently being accepted for arrivals from August 23, 2025 and beyond.
I visited Kuala Lumpur in mid-March. I split my stay between the Grand Hyatt and the Hyatt Centric (reviews to follow). I observed Merdeka 118 from many vantage points (including the Grand Club at the Grand Hyatt). It truly is a sight to behold.
Merdeka 118 viewed from Grand Hyatt KL
Merdeka 118 at dusk viewed from the Grand Club at Grand Hyatt KL
Merdeka 118 lit up at night – viewed from Grand Hyatt KL
I spent some time trying to actually get to Merdeka 118, which wasn’t easy! One day, I walked through unfinished streets, and I made my way there. Security would not let me enter the building, but permitted me to take a photo of the lobby.
Lobby of Merdeka 118
The building may be complete, but the surrounding area is still a construction zone.
I was not able to enter the building, and cannot find any photos of the interior except a few taken by author Norm Bour in a December 2024 article on the Matador Travel website entitled What It’s Like Inside Kuala Lumpur’s Merdeka 118. In his article, Mr. Bour was shown to levels 76 and 92 and was able to see the impressive views of the city from there.
So, I cannot find any real photos of the interiors of the new hotel. As such, I cannot ascertain how close to completion and opening the hotel actually is. On LinkedIn, I saw that the hotel has been actively hiring employees, especially in the last month or so. That is a positive move, and encouraging, in my opinion.
Here are some of the photos I took in and around Merdeka 118. You can see all the construction that is ongoing. I can’t wait to see the hotel when it opens. But, will the hotel be ready to open in a few months? I can’t say. What do you think?
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
wow thats 1 good looking buikding and park hyatt inside. Coukd def be worth a trip
It’s so interesting how eclectic KL is with skyscrapers right next to two story buildings. You get a real sense of this from the bridge on the Petronas Towers. Bangkok is kind of similar where they choose some seemingly random site and build some incredible skyscraper there.