Duta Vista in Kuala Lumpur
For some locals, Duta Vista in Kuala Lumpur might be a familiar name. Plenty of sources say the former deluxe hotel resort was once well-loved by guests. However, this was not always the case.
Complications, hauntings, and various tragedies damaged Duta Vista’s reputation, leading to its decline and eventual dilapidated state in the prominent Bukit Tunku.
Read on to unravel the stories behind the infamous Duta Vista.
Built in the ‘90s as a 3-star resort
Image credit: Kualalumpurhotels.com
Built in 1991, Duta Vista was once a well-established apartment complex that catered to both local vacationers and foreign tourists, offering short-term and long-term stays at its 65 executive suites.
Image adapted from: Kualalumpurhotels.com, Kualalumpurhotels.com
Many consider it a hotel resort due to its spacious luxury lodgings and indoor facilities, including a tennis court and an infinity pool. Many visitors might recall spotting penguins that used to inhabit the pool.
Video credit: LETZUPLOADIT via YouTube
Additionally, it’s conveniently located near KL’s city centre and accessible via major highways such as the Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE) and North-South Expressway (NSE), making it easy for locals to spot it when commuting or driving through these routes. You might be able to spot it while on the MRT Kajang Line too.
Duta Vista was also a popular choice for visitors during its peak, being close to key landmarks such as the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) and Petronas Twin Towers.
The crumbling remains of the resort
Image credit: Land
Unfortunately, Duta Vista closed less than a decade ago due to numerous negative reviews from guests in the past.
Most complaints mentioned poor maintenance, with constant electrical issues and water interruptions being the main issues faced.
Screenshots from: naemJD, naemJD via YouTube
Some guests even claimed to have had paranormal experiences, such as hearing footsteps and eerie laughter in the hall. Specifically, a guest wrote on Tripadvisor that a family member felt they were being watched when no one was there.
This led many to believe that Duta Vista’s haunted reputation might have had something to do with its closure.
The site of multiple tragedies
Aside from the haunted rumours, several tragedies occurred at the now-abandoned site, adding to its mystery.
In 2015, news reports cited the deaths of married couple Paul William Nunis and Mary Nunis, both aged 71, from a tragic car accident in Duta Vista’s car park.
Image credit: New Straits Times via website
Prior to the incident, it was said that Paul had driven to Duta Vista to pick up Mary from a social gathering. As they were leaving, Paul lost control of the car, causing it to plunge from the fifth floor and be impaled by a fence pole.
Unfortunately, the couple didn’t survive and were pronounced dead on the spot.
Another story claims that a landslide damaged the building’s structure further. It was also accounted that a film crew member accidentally killed himself during production. He was reported dead on arrival. Even more so, a story that also circulated online about a girl who committed suicide at the abandoned location. The reason remains unknown.
The abandoned Duta Vista in KL
Today, Duta Vista remains well-known for two things – its dark tourism, which attracts paranormal investigators, and the pleasant memories that’ll be forever cherished by its former residents.
If there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that Duta Vista will always be remembered as a once-loved complex that also bears a tragic and mysterious history.
For more reads like this, learn more about these haunted roads in Malaysia and haunted places in Malaysia.
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Cover image adapted from: Land, LETZUPLOADIT via YouTube