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First Hotel to Operate in the Metaverse Aims to Shape the Future of Hospitality

Earlier this month, Millennium Hotels and Resorts debuted M Social Decentraland, the world’s first hotel to operate in the metaverse. But why trade sun and sand for avatars and AI? Find out here.

The First Hotel in the Metaverse
Millennium Hotels and Resorts debuted M Social Decentraland earlier this month. The property in the metaverse was modeled after the brand's IRL hotels located around the world.
Photo: Courtesy of Millennium Hotels and Resorts

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Over the course of the past month alone, we’ve seen product launches, sports stadium openings, and an inaugural Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) all take place in the metaverse. Not sure how to join the party? Why not book a stay at Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ newest property in the hypothetical universe—M Social Decentraland?

After Millennium Hotels and Resorts debuted M Social on May 5 in the browser-based Meta platform Decentraland, the brand became the first hospitality group in the world to operate a hotel in the metaverse.

Saurabh Prakash, the group senior vice president, commercial, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, told BizBash that M Social hotel was opened as “a new channel to acquire customers and acquaint them with Millennium Hotels and Resorts, particularly the M Social brand." He noted that being the first hotel to buy into Decentraland “gives us an opportunity to create early connections with the customers of tomorrow.”

Fittingly, the virtual property was modeled after Millennium’s existing portfolio of M Social hotels, with locations in Times Square, New York; in Singapore along the Singapore River; in Paris, France; and in Auckland, New Zealand.

“The M Social panel on the sides of the hotel is inspired by the entrance signage of our M Social Times Square New York,” Prakash explained. And “the lights inside the lobby of M Social Decentraland are inspired by the metal facade in M Social Singapore.” The First Hotel in the MetaversePrakash said that the branded panels on the sides of M Social Decentraland were modeled after the real-life entrance of M Social Times Square (pictured).Photo: Courtesy of Millennium Hotels and Resorts

Yet however alike the properties appear, “M Social Decentraland is not the usual hotel,” Prakash emphasized, pointing out that the hotel transcends conventional guest rooms with locks in favor of futuristic, floating beds and staircases. Prakash said that in the metaverse, the hotel “offers imagination beyond the confines of a traditional hotel. Guests can escape into another world and connect with other like-minded individuals.”

When asked about the appeal of the virtual M Social that would make a guest choose the metaverse as a travel destination over visiting the global hotspots the brand’s IRL hotels are located in, Prakash said: “[In Decentraland,] The journey of exploration across locations from New York to Auckland provides an immersive experience.” 

Virtually, guests can traverse key elements of the brand’s worldwide properties in one space with the M Social Decentraland avatar, dubbed "The Beast"—”inspired by our signature restaurant concept, Beasts & Butterflies,” Prakash said. “Guests interact with The Beast and follow the butterflies in their journey to explore.” The First Hotel in the MetaverseM Social Decentraland's avatar, The Beast (pictured), was created to help guide guests throughout the space. The Beast was inspired by M Social's on-site dining destination, Beasts & Butterflies.Photo: Courtesy of Millennium Hotels and ResortsThe First Hotel in the Metaverse"M Social Decentraland is beyond the confines of a traditional hotel with rooms and locks. Instead, it offers floating beds and staircases. Future development will enable guests to buy or rent specified immersive spaces inside the hotel," Prakash told BizBash.Photo: Courtesy of Millennium Hotels and ResortsThe First Hotel in the MetaverseIn the near future, M Social Decentraland will allow guests to rent or buy space inside the hotel, including creative space in the lobby area (pictured) for product launches and other events.Photo: Courtesy of Millennium Hotels and Resorts

The objective of M Social Decentraland? “To create social connections and attract new customers as opposed to selling virtual rooms." And although there’s no traditional event space in the metaverse, Prakash divulged that there’s plenty of creative space to foster connections, with “plans to do product launches and other collaborations in our lobby area as part of future developments.” To do so, Prakash added that guests will soon be able to “buy or rent specified immersive spaces inside the hotel.”

Also to come: the “launch of the new M Social brand website and connecting it to M Social Decentraland,” Prakash explained. “This will enable connections from the virtual world to the real world,” he added, predicting that further expansion will happen organically as the brand “starts to engage a new channel of customers (and) provide virtual experiences.”

Designed for what Prakash referred to as “the customers of tomorrow,” he hopes that this new segment of travelers will “enjoy the virtual land as much as the real world.”

“As the world moves into a space where the lines between real and virtual become more and more blurred, we believe we have placed ourselves in the right space at the right time, making a lead in the future of hospitality and the future of customer experiences.”The First Hotel in the MetaverseA view from a floating bed at the top of the hotel.Photo: Courtesy of Millennium Hotels and ResortsThe First Hotel in the MetaverseSaurabh Prakash, the group senior vice president, commercial, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, pictured speaking at the launch event for M Social Decentraland.Photo: Courtesy of Millennium Hotels and Resorts

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