Skypark Kepler Review: JB’s First Banyan-Managed Branded Residence At Lido Waterfront Boulevard

For decades, the relative affordability of properties in Johor Bahru (JB) compared to Singapore was pitched to many Singaporean investors and buyers. Some projects in the Malaysian state that were marketed to Singaporeans came with the lure of larger sized homes at cheaper prices, and a more affordable cost of living if you moved over there.

But Skypark Kepler, the first branded residence in JB, has a different product positioning compared to the usual residential projects we’ve seen sprout up across the causeway. Stacked attended a showcase of the project on May 16 to find out more about this landmark development.

The 1,596-unit branded residence is developed by Bursa-listed Malaysian property developer Tropicana Corporation Berhad, in collaboration with Singapore-based hospitality group Banyan Group. Here’s a look at this upcoming project, which positions itself very differently from past Johor launches.

What is Skypark Kepler at Lido Waterfront?

Skypark Kepler is a freehold project within Tropicana’s master planned Lido Waterfront Boulevard. The branded residence consists of two 54-storey towers with a total of 1,596 serviced apartment units. This includes 16 retail units at the podium level.

The 163-acre Lido Waterfront Boulevard is close to the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS), which is set to be operational in January 2027, and buildings in the new mixed-use township will front some of the best waterfront views in JB.

From what we learnt of the unit mix at Skypark Kepler, the unit configurations are relatively compact and cater to buyers who prefer an urban-inspired cross-border lifestyle. The available layouts include:

• One-Bedroom units of 463 sq ft
• Two-Bedroom units of 667 sq ft
• Three-Bedroom units of 807 sq ft

This is the first branded residence in JB that will be managed by Banyan Group. While we have seen properties that were previously marketed as branded residences in JB before, there’s a big difference in the lifestyle experience when it is backed by hotel-grade management standards and lifestyle curation.

Banyan Group has built its reputation and brand identity around resort-style environments, with landmark developments that are focused on privacy, service consistency, and luxury experience.

Some of its brands include the flagship Banyan Tree, Angsana, and Laguna. Their properties are well known for a sense of retreat and quiet, rather than the usual corporate or stuffy gold-and-marble lobbies.

This is an important distinction that it brings to Lido Waterfront, since most of the surrounding buildings will comprise Grade A offices. Thus, the plan is to conceptualise and develop Skypark Kepler as the leading residential experience there.

The ownership of units at Skypark Kepler will come with access to the Banyan Sanctuary Club, and the benefits include special room rates in other Banyan-managed properties, resort and spa discounts, and golf privileges. This is another way in which Skypark Kepler’s “branded” status carries weight.

The wider story is the master planned Lido Waterfront Boulevard

Lido Waterfront Boulevard is a new township that Tropicana is developing. The 163-acre freehold waterfront masterplan stretches roughly 2.5 km along Johor Bahru’s coastline, and most of the developments will face Singapore.

Development of the new waterfront township is expected to unfold progressively over roughly 15 years, in four planned phases. From what we’ve learnt, the developer appears to be very conscious of avoiding the typical issues faced by mega-projects like this, where every phase is simply a repeat of the previous except with more buildings.

Thus, each development phase of Lido Waterfront will feature its own focus.

The development of the first zone is where Skypark Kepler is located, and this Zone 1 will focus heavily on destination-style activation with waterfront dining, retail villages, floating pavilions, and the upcoming branded residence.

This will be followed by the development of Zone 2, where the buildings will lean toward ESG designed, Grade A offices, additional lifestyle spaces, and community-oriented hubs.

The development of Zone 3 will be themed around wellness-oriented concepts, and the developer is in discussions with partners to introduce a new hospital and clinic integration as part of the master plan.

Finally, a luxury residential enclave will cap off the township in Zone 4.

A centrepiece of the Lido Waterfront Boulevard is a new 32-acre Harbour Park, which will be accessible to the public and feature waterfront promenades, event areas, floating stages, and landscaped areas.

From what the developer has shared so far, it is clear that the overall master plan aims to go beyond the usual expectation of mall clusters and gated residences. If it is successful, it will deliver a significant waterfront mixed-use district that also emphasises greenery and active outdoor spaces.

Its location also carries quite a bit of prestige. The project sits near the Royal Palace precinct which is very different from the older Stulang-style waterfront, and this locale is characterised for its prestigious waterfront lifestyle.

Tropicana is also mindful of the residential density at Lido Waterfront Boulevard. While the total number of residential units is still being considered, initial indications suggest that the entire township could see less than 10,000 residences across the 163-acre master plan.

So who exactly is Skypark Kepler for?

Traditionally, most new residential projects in JB that are marketed to Singaporeans tend to promote the relatively spacious size of the units available. The pitch was usually: “Look how huge this apartment is compared to Singapore”.

Skypark Kepler doesn’t really do that. The layouts are relatively compact in the context of some luxury apartment sizes in Johor, and honestly much closer to what you’d expect from newer Singapore city-fringe developments.

Here are some of the unit configurations:

Keen eyed buyers and investors may notice some similar layout efficiencies and design features that we’ve seen in recent Singapore projects. For example, these layouts avoid the use of long corridor spaces by having the various rooms connect via the living / dining area. 

The design approach here seems to revolve around a plug-and-play lifestyle. Which is why a noteworthy choice that buyers will have are either fully furnished units in Tower B or partially furnished units in Tower A. This is an option we hardly see available in most new JB projects.

Samsung appliances and smart-home systems are integrated into the units, allowing residents to control elements like lighting, temperature, and security systems more seamlessly. Kohler fittings and sanitary wares are also part of the package, reinforcing the more hospitality-oriented positioning.

In our view, this project feels geared toward cross-border professionals, hybrid Singapore-JB lifestyles, and perhaps retirees / semi-retirees who want JB’s slower pace of life. 

Next, this is the indicative pricing of the various units:

During the property showcase that we attended, a Malaysian realtor raised an interesting point about the resale market in JB. Government regulations there place a minimum price threshold of RM1 million in order to sell your unit to a foreign buyer.

This means that if you purchase a unit that is substantially priced below RM1 million, you could potentially lose liquidity as it must appreciate to RM1 million before you can sell to another foreigner.

However, if you buy a unit that is close to RM1 million, price appreciation can take it to the minimum threshold in a few short years, thus providing flexibility. This sheds some light on the developer’s overall pricing strategy at Skypark Kepler, where the majority of units (the two-bedders) are priced at or just under RM1 million.

 One key point to note is that some of the more inexpensive units have city-facing views – these don’t have a waterfront view, and may be better suited to pure investors / landlords, who want to maximise savings and yield. Our suggestion is to check for the unit’s orientation before you consider a purchase.

When we attended the showcase on the 16th, the developer was also offering an additional 6% rebate for selected Tower A units if buyers picked up a unit during the showcase event. This applied specifically to units without sea views. We do not know if the offer will be ongoing, or for how long.

Simply being “cheaper than Singapore” is no longer enough by itself. Too many JB projects already compete on that basis.

Based on what we’ve learnt about Skypark Kepler, the branded residence looks set to offer an attractive luxury waterfront development, and Lido Waterfront Boulevard feels considerably more coherent compared to some Johor mega-projects we’ve seen in the past.

As the master plan develops, it could end up being the more sustainable direction for JB projects going forward. Once the RTS improves cross-border connectivity and opens the door wider for more Singaporeans to consider living in JB, there will be a greater need for better differentiated projects like Skypark Kepler.