KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 16): King’s Park, a 150-acre (60.7-hectare) integrated mixed-use development in Genting Highlands, is set to open Asia’s largest Hard Rock hotel called Hard Rock Genting Highlands in 2027.

King’s Park Development Sdn Bhd in a statement on Saturday said the 45-storey Hard Rock Genting Highlands will feature 371 rooms and 630 suites, bringing the total to 1,001 rooms and suites, 200 sq m of retail space called the "Rock Shop", as well as a heated swimming pool, several dining options, spa as well as a lounge and bar. It is part of the third phase of the King’s Park development.

With a gross development value of RM10 billion, King’s Park will be developed in five phases, comprising residential, commercial and entertainment components. King’s Park Development, which is the master developer of the project, is a partnership between Yuk Tung Group and the Association for the Promotion of Higher Education in Malaysia (Aphem).

Meanwhile, the agreement for the Hard Rock Genting Highlands development was signed on Saturday by Hard Rock International senior vice-president and head of global business development Todd Hricko, and HR Resort & Residences Sdn Bhd chairman Lim Kim Chai. HR Resort & Residences is the builder and owner of Hard Rock Genting Highlands, while Hard Rock International is the operator.

Witnesses of the signing ceremony included Hard Rock International senior vice-president and head of Asia-Pacific hotel business development Edward Chan, as well as King’s Park Development group chief executive officer and co-founder Datuk Jayandren Subramaniam, and executive vice-president Sean Chen.

In the statement, Chen said, "This partnership marks a monumental milestone in the world of hospitality. Our focus is on creating an unforgettable adventure that fuses the best of high-end design with the freewheeling energy of rock 'n' roll. Here at King's Park, the soon-to-be-open Hard Rock Genting Highlands in Malaysia will represent the pinnacle of high-energy fun, luxury, and elegance for solo travellers, groups of friends, and families alike.”

Chen also shared that the upcoming Hard Rock Genting Highlands would generate a large number of jobs in fields such as room division, engineering, food and beverages, and other services, thanks to the Hard Rock brand. This course, he added, will spur economic growth, and significantly improve the quality of life in Pahang and the surrounding states.

Representing Hard Rock International, Hricko said, “We take enormous delight in the fact that King's Park will be home to another iconic property for Hard Rock, holding the distinction of the largest in Asia. This strengthens Hard Rock's position and profile in the area. Our essence lies in developing the exact experiences people seek, and I wholeheartedly believe that King's Park, with its abundant options, would irresistibly lure [people]."

Besides the hotel, King’s Park will also see the development of theme parks, residential properties and medical facilities, among others. The entire development is expected to be completed in about 10 years.


Malaysia’s Genting Highlands is an hour’s drive from Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Perched 1,865m above sea level, Genting Highlands features hotels, casinos, theme parks, shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment venues. According to Resorts World Genting, the number of visitors to Genting Highlands this year is expected to return to the pre-pandemic levels of 30 million annually.

About 5km from Genting Highlands is a new RM10 billion ($2.94 billion) resort development, King's Park. The project sits on a 120-acre (48.6ha) site owned by the Association for the Promotion of Higher Education in Malaysia, a non-profit organisation. The developer of the project is the privately-held King's Park.

The first development phase, King’s Park, is developed by King's Park and comprises 12 blocks with 360 strata-titled, three-storey shop lots for sale.

Executives of King's Park at the official launch of Singapore gallery at Suntec City Convention & Exhibition Centre (from left): Billy Lee, creative director; Lee Meng Tuck, business development director; Thanesh Jayandren, executive director; Jayandren Subramaniam, CEO; Francis Wong, director; and Steve Chan, director of sales and marketing (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)

Each shop has an average size of about 1,733 sq ft. Units on the ground floor have a ceiling height of 6.5m, which allows the owner to build a mezzanine level. These shop lots have dual frontage: one side fronts a pedestrianised boulevard and riverbank, while the other has road access. Prices start from RM2,588,888 ($788,888), or $388 psf.

In Singapore, the King’s Park sales gallery at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre was officially launched on May 13. King's Park has leased the 2,000 sq ft space for three years at a monthly rental rate of $20,000.

King's Park executive director Thanesh Jayandren says King’s Park’s pedestrianised streets will feature a “Truly Asia” themed experience with over 200,000 sq ft of retail space and LED light shows. “It will be the crown jewel of King's Park,” he adds.

A month ago, Accor Group announced it would have a Swissotel Genting Highlands flag in King's Park. The project is a joint venture between Swissotel and Crown Estate Malaysia. It is part of Phase 2 of King's Park, where the developer intends to announce another international hotel brand in the coming months.

Overview of King’s Park (Picture: King's Park)

Strategically located

King's Park is “strategically located” next to Awana Genting Highlands Golf Course and Highlands International Boarding School, says Jayandren. It is also near other upcoming developments midway up Genting Highlands.

For instance, Pavilion Genting Highlands by Pavilion Group is nearby. It is a 230-acre, mixed-use development with high-rise condos and a “global retail village”.

Another neighbouring development is Aset Kayamas’ Antara Genting project, which will have 46-storey high-rise towers with 1,460 residential units when completed.

Tropicana Corp is developing Tropicana WindCity, a 112-acre, freehold mixed-use development featuring residential, commercial, education, wellness, recreation and “silver hair elements”, according to its website.

The closest to the upcoming King's Park is Genting Permai, which comprises Geo38 Residence, Geo Hotel & Resort and the upcoming residences, Geo Antharas by PH Leong, the landowner and major developer of Genting Permai.

OSK Property developed Windmill upon Hills, a serviced apartment project at Genting Permai, while Kerjaya Prospek developed the high-rise apartment project, Vista Residences @ Genting Highlands, in GohTong Jaya.

“All the big boys — Aset Kayamas, OSK, Tropicana and Pavilion — have projects near us,” says Jayandren Subramaniam, CEO of King's Park. “We are at the heart of the whole thing.”

The Muslim retail hub (Picture: King's Park)

Limited supply of shops

GohTong Jaya is a township established by Genting Group in the late 1960s. It has a row of over 60 shophouses with predominantly Chinese restaurants. These shops are also fully taken up, Subramaniam points out.

The Genting Highlands Premium Outlet is also nearby. Developed by Genting Simon — a joint venture between Genting Group’s Genting Plantations and Simon Property Group, an American REIT that invests in shopping malls and is one of the biggest mall owners in the US — the Genting Highlands Premium Outlet opened in 2017.

The Premium Outlet has over 150 shops featuring premium labels like Coach, Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren. There is also Adidas and brands like Disney, Marvel and Lego.

“There’s a very limited supply of shops in Genting Highlands,” says Subramaniam. Hence, he saw the opportunity to create a niche of retail offerings to cater to the 30 million visitors to Resorts World Genting. Subramaniam reckons the figure could cross 50 million visitors in five years.

Assuming a conservative estimate that 10% of visitors to Resorts World Genting would stop by for a meal or to shop at King’s Park, that translates to three million to five million visitors a year. “We will have a captive audience of people stopping over while going up or coming down from Genting Highlands,” he adds.

However, Subramaniam recognises the importance of curating the right mix of retail and F&B tenants. Therefore, he has hired an executive from Tesco to join the firm and head the leasing team.

“We will control the tenant mix rather than leave it to individual owners to find their tenants,” says Subramaniam. “If an investor from Singapore were to purchase a unit, they could appoint us to lease and manage their shop lot on their behalf.”

Artist’s impression of the shop lots of King’s Park that will front a pedestrianised riverfront walk (Picture: King's Park)

Clarke Quay vibe

Lee Meng Tuck, business development director of King's Park, says the retail, F&B and entertainment offerings at King’s Park will be family-oriented. However, he believes the climate is ideal for evening activities by the river. Hence, the developer will rehabilitate the river and waterfalls around and within the development, and install lights to promote al fresco dining at King’s Park.

“We are trying to bring the Clarke Quay vibe to King’s Park, with a temperature of 20 degrees,” says Lee.

According to King's Park’s brochure, the three-storey shop lots at King’s Park could command a monthly rental rate of RM16,000. Based on the purchase price of RM2,588,888, that translates to a gross rental yield of about 7.4% per annum.

The shop lots of King’s Park are targeted for completion sometime in 2H2026.

The second phase of King's Park will be a mix of international hotel towers (including Swissotel Genting Highlands) and luxury villas, while the third phase will have two high-rise towers dedicated to wellness, says Lee.

King’s Park also benefits from its proximity to attractions such as the Awana Genting Highlands Golf Court and an upcoming attraction featuring mountain bike trails.


Signing ceremony on April 19, (seated, from left): Sean Chen, COO of Crowne Estate Malaysia and Garth Simmons, CEO of Accor for South, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and India.

Leading international hospitality group Accor has partnered with investment firm Crowne Estate Malaysia to bring the Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts brand to Malaysia for the first time.

"It is a huge step forward for King's Park and Crowne Estate Malaysia in their goal to make the King's Park in Genting Highlands into an eco-friendly tourist and destination hub for people all over the world," says Sean Chen, COO of Crowne Estate, in his opening speech at the signing ceremony on April 19.

Accor's flrst hotel in Malaysia, the Swissôtel Genting Highlands, will be located within King's Park, described as "the largest sustainable eco-development". Positioned as a township with a wellness and nature focus, King's Park is located 5km below Genting Highlands' peak, a 30-45-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

The current phase under development is King's Park, poised to be "the longest street mall in Malaysia", according to the group's website. Situated at an altitude of 3,000 ft, King's Park will feature "state-of-the-art pedestrian street shops spanning over 2,000 m" and is part of an ambitious plan to develop "an outstanding resort" spanning 150 acres. "Visitors from all over the world will be able to enjoy a [wide] variety of events, shows, cultural arts, and delectable cuisine at this development because of its focus on entertainment, international attractions, and eco-tourism," comments Thanesh Jayandren, executive director of King's Park.

The upcoming 300-room Swissôtel Genting Highlands will be a cornerstone of King's Park, the current phase under development at King's Park (Picture: Crowne Estate Malaysia/Accor)

King's Park is a partnership between Crowne Estate Malaysia and established Malaysian real estate developer Yuk Tung Group and Crowne Estate Malaysia.

A cornerstone of King's Park, the 300-room Swissôtel Genting Highlands is designed as "a posh retreat" against a natural setting. Standing 30 storeys tall, the hotel provides views of the surrounding mountains. The Genting Highlands summit is just a 15-minute drive away.

Targeted to open in 3Q2028, Swissôtel Genting Highlands will offer hospitality services, conference facilities and a grand ballroom for events. There will also be all-day dining options, executive lounges, and bars. Other amenities include a swimming pool, fitness centre, spa, jogging tracks, and a kids' club.

"Genting Highlands is one of the most popular destinations in the country for locals and tourists alike, further strengthening Accor's leading position in Malaysia's hospitality industry," says Garth Simmons, CEO of Accor for South, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and India.