For too long now, Kuala Lumpur’s cache of five-star hotels have tended to default towards the cliché of big marble foyers and equally massive flower arrangements. Hats off then to the fledgling locally-based Ormond Group for its chutzpah.
For starters, its debut property, the 113-room The Chow Kit, is named after the nearby street market and red-light district in buzzy Jalan Sultan Ismail, just around the corner from the Shangri-La.
Inspired by the neighbourhood’s colour and somewhat seedy reputation, the Brooklyn-based Studio Tack has created an appropriately moody noir-ish vibe which it layers with thick fabrics, tufted banquettes, and rugs.
The public spaces – dressed with locally commissioned artwork and conceived, much like an Ace hotel lobby, as a neighbourhood hangout – are neatly set off by the rooftop yoga and meditation pavilion, and an in-house restaurant serving up a menu of updated Malaysian standards. All of which is a promising start to next month’s opening next door of the Ormond’s micro-room hotel, MoMo.
ADDRESS
316 Jalan Sultan Ismail
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Dutch Design Awards 2025 honour a new generation of creativesRecognising the use of AI as a design tool, social commentary, and new materials, this year’s Dutch Design Awards go to Vera van der Burg; Willem de Haan; and Marten van Middelkoop and Joost Dingemans of Plasticiet
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The return of Genghis Cohen: LA’s cult Chinese diner lives onThe 1980s Chinese-American landmark returns with red booths, neon nostalgia, and a fresh dose of Hollywood eccentricity
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A monumental exhibition of French design revives the spirit of art deco for contemporary timesThe Galerie des Gobelins hosts the inaugural Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers, a contemporary movement inspired by art deco’s grand traditions
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All aboard the world’s most luxurious train journeysStay on track with our pick of the most luxurious train journeys around the world, whether in 1920s-style opulence or contemporary chic
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2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
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Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
Kerry Hill Architects designs the One & Only group’s first Asia property — Johor, Malaysia -
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland -
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia -
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
