Menara Bukit Ceylon

Menara Bukit Ceylon is located strategically at the junction of Changkat Bukit Bintang and Jalan Ceylon. This is a choice location for expatriates as Bukit Ceylon is close to their work places, shopping, food and the fast expanding playground called Changkat Bukit Bintang.

Menara Bukit Ceylon is one of the oldest condominiums here. Apparently it was developed by Tan&Tan some 15 years back. Units here are extremely popular for those going for a RM3500 to RM5000/month budget. As these units are old, expect the furnishings to be out-of-date and hence the low rental. However, some owners have taken to refurbishing their entire unit to collect higher rental. Nevertheless, the lower end of this budget is obviously the most popular choice for these 2 bedroom and approximately 1500sf units. Every unit has a small study, hence the oft-advertised reference to 2+1 room. The kitchen is also separated into the wet and dry parts.

Whether it is my (extremely bad) luck or otherwise, I bumped into many French tenants in this building. No offence to French people but I do find those I bump into extremely rude people.

Basically, Menara Bukit Ceylon is perched on a high point (not the highest) of Bukit Ceylon. Hence, even the lowest floor has a commanding view of Kuala Lumpur. Each floor has 6 units served by 3 very slow lifts. There are 3 variants, for argument sake, I will call them Type 1 for the biggest unit and Type 3, the smallest unit. Type 2, overlooking Jalan Alor and Times Square, does not have my favourite view. So, let's just focus on Type 1 and 3 for now.

Type 3 occupies the 2 "wings" of the building. I am extremely fond of the East wing as it has 3 views - of KLCC, KL Tower and Times Square depending on which part of the unit you are looking out from. The balcony faces KL Tower and KLCC, however in the near future it will also be facing the Vida Soho construction site which is likely to block this nice view. The West wing is worse off as it will be facing the Bolton construction site in the future. Type 3 is the smallest unit. This will not work to any advantage as the management charges a flat rate of RM350 for the monthly maintenance. While this may seem unfair to Type 3, this is nevertheless one of the cheapest rate in KL @ 23 sen psf.

Type 1 is nice and bright. It has a nice almost perfect square shape to it hence it looks significantly larger than the others. The dry kitchen is also large compared to the almost claustrophobic Type 3's kitchen. Both unit's balcony offers a nice view of KL Tower although the lower units may suffer being blocked by Vida Soho. The West unit will also have a double whammy in Bolton's site.

I think Menara is very nicely located. It does not have the ugly frontage that Somerset Seri Bukit Ceylon is suffering from. Menara Bukit Ceylon is directly opposite some of the most exclusive eateries in KL, Bijan and the ever popular Nero Viva. It also boast the only squash court in Bukit Ceylon and the largest swimming pool. The gym however is spartan and falling apart. The lawn is nicely tendered at the entrance of the building and security is tight. This is not a bad investment as some units been advertised at around RM550k. I have also seen some ambitious owners asking for RM660k and RM750k respectively but I am not certain if they have been sold at this high price. But for sure, sub-sale units are quite hard to come by.