Aria Luxury Residence KLCC is the latest offering by Hap Seng Land. With a total of 598 units in two blocks, this property is built with music in mind, set to offer its occupants life at its imaginative.
Continue Reading ⋅ 29 October 2015
Artist’s impression of Star Residences. Pic taken from the website.
A Sky Full of Star Residences.
Yeah, yeah, that Coldplay song is gonna get stuck in your head for a while. Let it be though since it will set the mood for while you’re reading this review for Star Residences, the residential part of the whole Star Development project that will also include a signature retail half called Star Boulevard. With approximately 1700 units in total spread out between three blocks, the price starts from a whopping RM1, 000, 000 to RM5, 000,000, with sizes ranging from 625 to 2262 square feet.
Project Details.
Address: Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur
Land Title: Residential
Tenure: Freehold
Site GPS Coordinates: 3°9’40″N 101°42’43″E
Website: http://star-residences.com/
Expected Date of Completion: 2019
Property Details
Property Type: High-end Condominium
Total Units: Approximately 1,700
Built Up: 625 – 2262 Sq. Ft.
Listing Price: From RM1, 000, 000 to RM5, 000,000
Price per Sq. Ft.: From RM1, 700 to RM2, 200
Maintenance Fee per Sq. Ft.: From RM0.40
Car Park Bay per Unit: Not included for RT1 ▫ Rentable for RM250 per month
Special Features:
- Malaysia’s first STAR Mini Walk of Fame
- 100,000 Sq. Ft. of Lifestyle Facilities (equivalent to 2 football fields)
Facilities & Amenities: Two dedicated floors for indoor and outdoor facilities: Level 6 & Level 69
H₂O @ Level 6
- Lounge & Reflective Pool • Outdoor Pavilion/BBQ Lounge • Floating Cabana • Hydrotherapy Shower • Gym Area Overlooking Pool • Kids Pool • 50-metre Pool • Pool Deck • Jacuzzi • Hammock Garden • Gourmet Kitchen • Sports Lounge • Yoga/Dance Room • Pre-Function Area • Outdoor Garden • Outdoor Cafe Terrace/BBQ Area • Chill Out Area • Meeting Room • Steam Bath • Grab & Go Bar • VIP KTV • KTV Room • Reading Room • Private Dining Area • Nursery • Playground • Laundry Room • Surau • Management Office • Convenience Store • Banquet Room • Koi Pond • Changing Room • Toilet
O₃ @ Level 69 (Sky Park)
- Entertainment Deck & Sky Bar • Indoor Bar • BBQ Lounge/Party Lawn • Hot Spring Spa Pool • Water Therapy & Steam Bath • Gourmet Kitchen • Jacuzzi • Private Dining • Heated Hydro Massage Pool • Hydro Massage Therapy Room • Pavilion with Kitchen Facilities • Changing Room • Lift Lobby
Unit Type:
- Type A1: 625 Sq. Ft. ▫ 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom
- Type A2: 625 Sq. Ft. ▫ 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom
- Type A3: 711 Sq. Ft. ▫ 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom
- Type B1: 721 Sq. Ft. ▫ 1 + 1 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom
- Type B2: 722 Sq. Ft. ▫ 1 + 1 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom
- Type C1: 1,443 Sq. Ft. ▫ 2 + 1 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms
- Type C2: 1,335 Sq. Ft. ▫ 2 + 1 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms
- Type C3: 1,259 Sq. Ft. ▫ 2 + 1 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms
- Type C4: 1,754 Sq. Ft. ▫ 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms
- Type D: 2,262 Sq. Ft. ▫ 3 + 1 Bedrooms, 4 + 1 Bathrooms
Project Details
Malaysia’s first STAR Mini Walk of Fame will be located here. Pic taken from the website.
Star Residences: Twinkle twinkle exclusive stars.
The whole concept to the development as you might have guessed, is stars – from the sense of gaseous spheres up there in space, to famous celebrities in the mortal world of entertainment. So it’s a good thing that Star Residences has appointed Samsung C&T as the official contractor and has chosen Veritas Design Group as the project’s architect to live up to its notion.
Samsung? As in the Galaxy-smartphone-series Samsung? Yup, one and the same. But more specifically, Samsung C&T is the construction wing to Samsung Group and guess what, the famed world’s tallest skyscraper, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, was built by them.
Then there’s Veritas Design Group that’s so “hot-right-now!” that almost every major developers in Malaysia must have them as their architect. And who can blame these developers? After all, an architectural firm that can dream up designs like One Sentral, Menara Binjai and Crown Regency is just too good to be missed.
Star Residences will be a high-end, high-density condo development consisting of three residential blocks. The first block, Residential Tower 1 (RT1) was launched at the end of 2014 in phase one and so far, more than 80% of its 557 units have been taken up. There are 57 storeys in RT1 and the block itself is connected to Star Boulevard, the development’s signature retails hub. Phase two and three of the project i.e. the launch for RT2 and RT3 are expected by end of this year and early 2016 respectively.
There are a few notable features to the development, one of it being the 200-meter long STAR Mini Walk of Fame, the first of its kind in Malaysia. Similar to Hollywood’s ‘Walk of Fame’, there will be five-pointed stars most likely made of terrazzo and brass embedded along the sidewalk featuring the names of both local and international celebrities. Jimmy Choo, the world-class shoe designer himself was appointed as the ambassador for Star Development and has even purchased a penthouse unit there. So if you were to own a unit at Star Residences, be sure to keep a lookout for the stars and always be prepared to take selfies with them when you step out of your unit.
The signature retails in Star Boulevard is another talking point to the project. Said to cater to rare brands, there’s even a talk of a few high-class restaurants with Michelin Stars awards (one of the greatest honours a restaurant can receive) set to be opened there. Michelin Stars is a restaurant rating from the Michelin Guide started by the Michelin Tyre company, and if it can make Gordon Ramsay actually cried when his New York restaurant ‘Gordon Ramsay at the London’ lost its prestigious two Michelin Stars back in 2013, then bringing a Michelin Stars awarded restaurant to Malaysia is definitely an applaudable feat.
The smaller unit types i.e. Type A1, A2, A3, B1, and B2 are available from level 7 until level 51 totalling twelve units per floor. Type A2 is the most offered unit type with four units per floor, with the rest having only two units each per floor. View wise, there are two options for all unit types with one facing KLCC and the other facing Jalan Yap Kwan Seng.
Type A1’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
Type A2’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
Type A3’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
Type B1’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
Type B2’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
Type C1, C2, C3, C4, and D are the bigger unit types offered with Type C1, C2, and C3 available on the 52nd and 53rd floors with two units each per floor, and Type C4 and D available on level 53A and level 55 also with two units each per floor. Like the smaller unit types, you can choose to own a unit that faces KLCC which will be slightly more expensive than the one facing Jalan Yap Kwan Seng.
Type C1’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
Type C2’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
Type C3’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
Type C4’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
Type D’s Layout. Pic taken from the website.
All units are sold semi-furnished although the details like what furniture and brand, floorings used etc. are yet to be specified. From the artiste impression of what the show unit will be like however, one can expect that they will be minimally furnished to suit the urban living lifestyle.
Artist’s impression for Type A2’s bedroom. Pic taken from the website.
Artist’s impression of Type A2’s Living Room & Kitchen. Pic taken from the website.
Artist’s impression of Type A2’s Bathroom. Pic taken from the website.
Facility wise, owners of Star Residences can be rest assured for a star treatment coming their way. From the moment one steps into the grand, 10-meter high Main Lobby, one will simply be star-struck by the artistic sense of its interior. According to Alpine Return’s COO, Alan Koh, the main inspiration for him in building Star Residences is the The W Hotel, Taipei that uses a lot of wood, metal, and artwork. And as residents proceed to their units for a quality alone time, or to the public facility area located on Level 6 and Level 69 for a lively entertainment, it becomes clear that the facilities in Star Residences are indeed top-notch.
Star Residences’ Grand 10-meter high Main Lobby. Pic taken from the website.
Star Residences’ Artistic Lift. Pic taken from the website.
Artist’s impression of STAR Residences’ Floating Cabana at Lounge Pool. Pic taken from the website.
Artist impression of Star Residences’ facility, Hammock Garden. Pic taken from the website.
Artist’s impression Star Residences’ Facility: Gourmet Kitchen. Pic taken from the website.
Location
Location of Star Residences and boundaries of KLCC. Pic taken from Wikimapia.
A Star Was Born and Named KLCC.
It’s stated that Star Residences is set to dress up the night sky of Kuala Lumpur. It’s claimed that the façade will exude grandeur. It’s insisted that it will emanate magnificent vibes to be appreciated by onlookers. And from the final design, one may agree that the possibilities are there. Moreover since the contemporary metal and colour textures complement the metallic PETRONAS Twin Towers nearby.
That’s right, Star Residences is located in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng and is a mere 400 meters away from Malaysia’s most famous landmark, Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).
A multipurpose development area, KLCC houses from a number of shopping malls such as Suria KLCC and Avenue K, to hotels like Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and Mandarin Oriental, a public park named KLCC Park, and office buildings like ExxonMobil Tower and Menara Maxis. To top it off, the whole 100-acre site is cooled by KLCC District Cooling Plant, a cooling building that provides cool air to the mentioned developments and more, and is located behind KLCC’s public mosque, Masjid As-Syakirin.
To head to KLCC, you will need to turn left once you step out of Star Residences. Wisma HB, Megan Avenue 2 is across the road next to Menara AmBank and as you walk to KLCC that will take you around five to ten minutes, you will see Australian High Commission Malaysia building neighbouring the Menara Public Bank before arriving at a massive four-way intersection for Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Jalan Ampang, and Jalan P. Ramlee.
Wisma HB, Megan Avenue 2 opposite Star Residences’ project site.
Menara AmBank next to Megan Avenue 2.
The four-way intersection in KLCC.
Along Jalan Ampang heading to Jalan Sultan Ismail, there are lots of attractions you can go to like Saloma Theatre Restaurant and the Malaysian Tourism Centre (MaTIC). Or if you’re looking to just chill out with some friends, the well-known mamak bistro, NZ Curry House, is also in the vicinity.
Saloma Theatre Restaurant and MaTIC along Jalan Ampang.
NZ Curry House Restaurant nearby KLCC.
A bit further ahead along Jalan P. Ramlee is the city’s night-life spot. Housing clubs and bars like Modesto’s, Beach Club, and Healy Mac’s, it is the haven for urbanites looking for a good time that is inspired by the city’s infectious energy.
Healy Mac’s, one of the many bars along Jalan P. Ramlee.
Modesto’s Bar along Jalan P. Ramlee.
The traffic can be insanely overwhelming in the KLCC area especially during peak hours, but there’s no denying the fact that the connectivity there is excellent. An underground LRT Train station is located just right below Suria KLCC and is accessible from the shopping complex, Avenue K, leading to Jalan Yap Kwan Seng.
The underground KLCC LRT Station connected to Avenue K.
There’s no denying the fact that KLCC is Malaysia’s centre of attraction just like how a star is meant to be, and it’s going to stay that way for a very long time. So Star Residences being near it speaks of a star-quality location indeed.
Analysis
Make A Quick Star-Buck.
There are undoubtedly a lot of high-end condominiums around KLCC but for the sake of being current, a comparison is made with another residential project currently being built in Jalan Ampang heading to Jalan Sultan Ismail near the four-way KLCC intersection, called Tropicana the Residences.
| Named | Tenure /Land Title | Approximate Price (per Sq. Ft.) | No of Blocks / No of Units | Car Park Bays | Furnishing |
| Star Residences | Freehold/Residential | Starts from RM1,700 | 1 / 353 | None. Rentable at RM250 per month. | Semi Furnished |
| Tropicana the Residences | Freehold/Commercial | Starts from RM2,000 | 3 / 1700 | Info Unavailable | Fully Furnished |
Location of Star Residences and Tropicana the Residences. Pic taken from Wikimapia.
Star Residences wins in terms of scoring a ‘Residential’ land title though loses to the fact that it is of higher density compared to Tropicana the Residences and that it only comes semi-furnished. It is however slightly cheaper, and since both projects will be completed around the same time, it will be interesting to see which development will yield a better return in terms of investment.
Star Development including Star Residences and Star Boulevard will be taken up by Alpine Return Sdn. Bhd, a company the result of a 50:50 joint venture between Symphony Life Bhd and United Malayan Land Bhd.
Symphony Life Bhd. (formerly Bolton Bhd.) is a Malaysian based property developer that has been around for more than 50 years. The same holds true for United Malayan Land Bhd. or better known as UM Land. Both have won awards like “BCI Asia Top Ten Developer Awards” thanks to their extensive portfolios like (from left to right) Suasana Sentral Loft KL, Tijani 2 North, and SixCeylon to name a few.
Suasana Sentral Loft KL, Tijani 2 North, and SixCeylon.
Summary
Star Residences: How many stars?
Star Residences brings with it a fresh concept of how one can be a star by living among the stars. Its location is of course of the utmost prime and price-wise is a bargain compared to other developments in the area. Its drawbacks are of course the traffic jam in KLCC area itself and that car park bays are not included. It may be able to redeem itself in that department comes RT2 and RT3 though, since car park bays will be included with the units though understandably at a higher price.
Those who are into flamboyant lifestyles would have awarded this project with a five-stars but what about those who are more down-to-earth and prefer practicality? We’ll leave it to you to decide.
