Metaverse Hotel: Millennium Hotels and Resorts has opened the first ‘Virtual Hotel’ on Decentraland and became the first-ever hospitality group to join the Metaverse in a way like this.
The M Social Decentraland opened its VR doors in May. As the company explained, the aim of the VR hotel, which encapsulates M Social’s brand essence of being a trendsetting lifestyle, is to be a place for all to gather and discover the world of Decentraland.
“M Social is about being different, being one of a kind. As we look towards the future, we need to look past the traditional hospitality model and engage our guests through new immersive experiences,” said Mr. Kwek Leng Beng, Executive Chairman of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Limited. “We hope to redefine hospitality through M Social Decentraland by creating online adventures that integrate with real-life events.”
The first hotel in the Metaverse sits on prime digital land and it is located near Genesis Plaza, at the heart of Decentraland. The virtual hotel flaunts a giant “M” on its four sides, with glass exteriors and neon pink accents creating a sleek interior look.
Following Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ brand essence, M Social Decentraland is positioned as a hub for explorers keen to discover new experiences and connect with like-minded individuals. In the hotel’s lobby, an avatar welcomes the guests who step inside M Social Decentraland and guides them on their journey through the hotel. The guest can spend some quality time moving around and exploring the whole VR hotel. Guests who reach the top of Decentraland will stand a chance to win real-world hotel surprises, such as coupons and special discount offers.
“The hospitality landscape is rapidly evolving. We are embracing different technologies to engage customers and enhance guest experiences. The metaverse is one such avenue that presents a myriad of opportunities for us to create unique social connections with our guests,” said Mr. Saurabh Prakash, Group Senior Vice President, Commercial for Millennium Hotels and Resorts. “M Social Decentraland will enable us to reach out to new and existing customers in both the physical and virtual world with online connection to offline engagement.”
This is Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ first step in the Metaverse since the company plans to start discussions with like-minded partners in the upcoming months to prepare for its future collaboration. Future integration for the hotel will include linkage to the M Social website and special events to mark special occasions like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Day. The company has also announced its plans to offer more special “treasures and surprises” to the guest who visits M Social Decentraland.
M Social Decentraland marks the first virtual location and other physical outposts in Paris, New York, Singapore, and Auckland. The M Social brand was first introduced in Singapore back in 2016 and right now, Millennium Hotels and Resorts is planning to grow the brand in more physical and digital locations.
Metaverse is the “next big thing” for VR industries and right now, many hospitality brands have already invested in this new digital world or are planning to enter the Metaverse soon. A few months ago, Marriot Bonvoy, one of the top hospitality firms in the world, launched its first NFT art project in collaboration with three token creators. MGM Resorts has also employed VR tools to tackle onboarding targets for new hires, and it is now giving job applicants the chance to try out roles using virtual reality in the hope it will reduce employee attrition. Recently, DAMAC Properties has also revealed its plans to develop its Metaverse platform, with NFTs and virtual land, for some of the most luxurious hotels in the industry.
