A tin miner, public official and proprietor of a department store more than a century ago, Loke Chow Kit is a local historical figure who has lent his name to many things in the Malaysian capital, but perhaps none are as enduring as the neighborhood of Chow Kit. This district – northwest of the Petronas Twin Towers – is a dizzying mix of old and new, where residences and office buildings sit cheek by jowl with low-rise homes and independent businesses, lending it an urban, gritty atmosphere that’s fast disappearing in Kuala Lumpur.
Recently the area welcomed The Chow Kit, a 113-room property by Ormond Hotels. The hotel was designed by New York City-based firm Studio Tack, its inspiration courtesy of the late-night revelry that coursed through this former red-light district’s alleys and lanes in the ’70s and ’80s, as evidenced by the lodging’s intimate Wong Kar-Wai-esque aesthetics.