Singaporean billionaire Kwek Leng Beng’s Millennium Hotels and
Resorts properties are not only sitting on coveted addresses in the real
world, they are now starting to occupy prime digital land.
M Social is about being different, being one of a kind. As we look towards the future, we need to look past the traditional model of hospitality and engage our guests through new immersive experiences,– Kwek Leng Beng, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels
Enter M Social Decentraland, which cemented Millennium Hotels and
Resorts’ position as the world’s first hospitality group to operate a
hotel in the metaverse.
Decentraland is a virtual world where businesses and individuals are
able to buy land and real estate in the metaverse and built whatever
their hearts’ desires for other metaverse users to visit and engage
with.
The purpose of this virtual hotel is to serve as a digital hub where
users can discover M Social’s brand essence as a lifestyle hospitality
provider while playing and interacting with the many features located
within the virtual building. Users will also be able to see and interact
with other players exploring the space in real-time.
The ‘beast’ is a virtual character in M Social Decentraland that welcomes guests in the lobby. Photo Credit: M Social
In Decentraland, M Social takes the form of a cuboid hotel, designed
with a giant ‘M’ affixed to each side of its glass façade. When users
enter the hotel via meta.msocial.com
in their personalised avatar, they will be welcomed by a ‘beast’ (a
virtual character) at the reception who will deliver a secret message by
means of a speech bubble to “follow the butterflies” in the hotel to
uncover a surprise.
This message hints at users to navigate a series of floating platforms, each platform arranged one step higher than the other.
Users who successfully manage to jump up onto these platforms
one-by-one to reach the top will be asked to take a screenshot next to
the 'beast' and post it on social media with the hashtag
#MSocialDecentraland. M Social's staff will then reach out via social
media with a digital voucher which players can use to redeem products at
M Social’s physical brick-and-mortar hotel in the real world.
Players who successfully reach the top of M Social Decentraland by jumping onto a series of platforms stand the chance of winning real-world hotel gifts. Photo Credit: Travel Weekly Asia
This virtual obstacle course is only the beginning of M Social
Decentraland’s ambition to “reach out to new and existing customers in
both the physical and virtual world with online connection to offline
engagement,” according to Saurabh Prakash, group senior vice president,
commercial of Millennium Hotels and Resorts.
Over the next subsequent months, M Social Decentraland will launch
more interactive features including a NFT space where users can purchase
M Social’s digital collectibles, and more gamified content that convert
their digital gameplay into real world experiences.
“M Social Decentraland will also serve as a platform where we can
reveal new product launches, such as upcoming M Social hotels in the
real world,” Prakash disclosed. “It’ll become a common place where both
our customers and travel partners can come, hang out and know what’s
coming up in a fun and engaging manner.”
Prakash added that M Social entering the metaverse is meant to cater
to “the customers of tomorrow”, and a means of reaching out to the
millennial traveller while also tapping into an untouched market of
travellers who are unaware of the hotel.