Petaling Street’s Most Forgotten Building Just Became Its Most Talked-About

A forgotten eight-storey commercial block on Petaling Street has reopened as Chinatown 1974, a heritage lifestyle destination where guests can eat dim sum, get a massage, sleep in a boutique hotel room, and end the night on a Muslim-friendly rooftop terrace looking directly at Merdeka 118 — all without leaving the building.

Fernando Fong

In Brief

Menara Rezeki, long neglected on Jalan Petaling, reopened as Chinatown 1974, blending heritage aesthetics with modern hospitality across eight floors.
The alcohol-free Twilight Terrace rooftop bar, with direct views of Merdeka 118, has made the venue unexpectedly inclusive and widely talked about.

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For years, the building at Jalan Petaling known as Menara Rezeki collected dust.

Earlier this month (5 Sep), it opened its doors as Chinatown 1974, and the dust was replaced with vintage neon lights, charcoal hotpot smoke, and a rooftop view that no budget motel on Petaling Street can compete with.

The eight-storey development, a collaboration between Menara Rezeki Sdn. Bhd. and government-linked UDA Holdings Berhad, was officiated by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, who noted that ageing urban assets hold untapped economic value.

The building had been underutilised for years before the redevelopment.

The concept, built around a philosophy its creators call “Moving Through Time,” gives each floor a distinct identity.

Chairman Datuk Wira Brian Chow, founder of iME Entertainment Group Asia, positioned the project as a cultural preservation exercise.

The interiors feature mid-century antiques, heritage murals, herringbone flooring, and vintage logos across every level — a structured indoor time tunnel that does not depend on weather, unlike the open-air street murals of nearby Lorong Panggung.

Making the rooftop alcohol-free was a small call that opened the door to a much larger crowd.

Chinatown has historically skewed toward a specific demographic in its nightlife offerings.

A premium, alcohol-free sky terrace with panoramic city views expands the audience without altering the heritage identity — in commercial terms, addition by inclusion.

Built Upward, On Purpose

Ground level houses HUAT n CO Kopitiam, serving soft-boiled eggs and kaya toast. Level 1 carries 31 Mansion Dimsum.

Level 2 operates Xi Ju Charcoal Hot Pot with live seafood.

Level 3 offers Yang He Wellness Spa by Siam Oasis, specialising in foot reflexology and aromatherapy.

Levels 5, 6, and 7 contain the 32-room boutique accommodation wing, operating under the name The Seven Stars Hotel.

The lobby sits on Level 8 — above the guest rooms — accessible by a dedicated elevator, styled with wooden staircases and vintage chandeliers.

The logic is deliberate: arrival feels like ascent.

Above all of that sits Twilight Terrace, an alcohol-free rooftop sky bar serving specialty teas, kombucha, and mocktails.

It faces Merdeka 118 directly.

The world’s second tallest tower did not ask to become someone else’s view. It did anyway.

Old Street, New Altitude

Chinatown 1974 is not a shophouse café.

It is not a budget motel, not a street market stall.

Every category of existing Petaling Street hospitality it declines to be is a category it has positioned itself above — sometimes literally, given the floor plan.

Thirty-two rooms are intimate by design — the building runs narrow and vertical, which is precisely what makes the rooftop feel earned.

The Four Points by Sheraton operates nearby with more rooms — but none of them come with a kopitiam on the ground floor, a wellness spa three floors up, and a rooftop that makes Merdeka 118 look like a neighbour.

Distinguished guests at the opening included Y.A.M. Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Zatashah, Princess of Selangor, UDA Holdings Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini, and Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director-General Samuel Lee.

Since opening, Chinatown 1974 and its boutique wing, The Seven Stars Hotel, have landed well — early reception across local social media, travel logs, and food reviews has been strongly positive and thick with curiosity.

Structured long-term guest reviews are still building, as expected for a property barely three weeks old, but the initial wave already points to several consistent themes.

On the praise side, visitors are consistently drawn to three things: the art-mural staircase that travels visually from old Malaya to the modern KL skyline, the Twilight Terrace’s unobstructed view of Merdeka 118, and the alcohol-free rooftop’s rare ability to make skyline socialising genuinely inclusive — with the one-stop convenience of kopitiam breakfast, charcoal hot pot, spa, and sleep all under one roof rounding out what many are calling a complete urban escape.

The early criticism is measured rather than damning — some locals flag the premium pricing against the famously cheap street food stalls literally outside the front door, while the property’s overnight popularity has made Jalan Petaling itself a congestion point, with the Pasar Seni MRT stop now the strongly recommended arrival method over driving.