Construction of The Westin Residences on Gurney Drive has moved into its upper stages, with facade work under way on the 69-storey tower that is expected to become the tallest residential building in Penang, Penang Property Talk reported in its 9 November site update.
The development by VST Group stands on reclaimed land opposite Gurney Plaza and faces Gurney Bay. It pairs a 69-storey residential tower of 498 units and a 10-level parking podium with a separate 28-storey hotel that holds 217 rooms and suites above a seven-level podium.
The project has also drawn outside attention. Judges at the EdgeProp Singapore Excellence Awards 2026 gave it the Top Development (Northern Malaysia) title in the high-rise category, EdgeProp noted in its 6 November report. The same report noted that it is the first Westin-branded residence in Malaysia.
The 498 homes break down into 165 two-bedroom units, 271 three-bedroom units, 57 four-bedroom units and five units with five bedrooms or more.
Penang firm Arkitek Permata Sdn Bhd designed the tower with SAA Architects Pte Ltd of Singapore. The building is set to look out on the Straits of Malacca, the park by the sea at Gurney Bay and the shape of Penang Hill, and its podium is planned as an extension of the neighbouring park. A covered arrival court framed by V-shaped columns forms a “W” that marks the entrance from the waterfront.
On the environmental side, the project is targeting GreenRE Silver AA provisional certification from the Real Estate and Housing Developers Association. High-performance glazing and a double-roof design are meant to cut solar heat gain, and the developer expects operational carbon performance to improve by about 12.9%. Water-saving fittings are projected to reduce residents’ water use by about 40%, and electric-vehicle charging provision covers about 53% of parking bays. About a third of the living spaces are designed for natural cross-ventilation.
The residential tower sits on Gurney Drive’s seafront stretch, a corridor that has taken in new high-rises as Gurney Bay opened to the public. The Westin Residences adds a hotel component to that stretch, with the 28-storey hotel tower rising beside the residences on the same reclaimed plot.
Progress photographs released with the November update show tower cranes over the site, the concrete podium taking shape and glass panels going onto the tower’s lower floors.
Neither the developer nor the project team has announced a completion date for the residences or the hotel.
