M101 Holdings Sdn Bhd (M101), together with Hasbro, the American multinational play and entertainment company which owns the board game licence, today announced that the world’s first Monopoly hotel — the Monopoly Mansion by Sirocco — would be located in Kuala Lumpur and is scheduled to open in 2019.
The five-star, 225-room hotel is set to resonate with the distinctive character of the Monopoly game and 1920s Gatsby feel, harkening back to Monopoly’s origin.
It will be housed at M101 Bukit Bintang.
The licensing agreement signing ceremony between M101 and Hasbro held at RED by Sirocco Hotel here, was witnessed by Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Aziz and Hasbro’s managing director for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Jenny Chew Yean Nee.
M101 was represented by its chief executive officer, Seth Yap, while signing on behalf of Hasbro was its consumer product senior vice-president, Claire Gilchrist.
Nazri, in his speech, said M101’s strategic partnership with Hasbro would create a new lifestyle experience to help boost the industry.
“Nowadays, choosing a hotel is not only about a good night’s sleep. Millennials are looking for a memorable experience influenced by ambience, architecture, panoramic views or objects.
“Other generations too are placing increasing value on distant experiences and actively seeking them when travelling,” he said.
The minister noted that the average tourist in 2016 stayed a little longer, with average length of stay up by 0.4 nights, from 5.5 nights to 5.9 nights compared with 2015.
“Hotels such as the Monopoly Mansion, which offers thematic amenities and not to mention its strategic location, would encourage visitors to Malaysia to not only lengthen their stay, but to return to visit us again,” he said.
5-Star boutique hotel
Chew said the board game Monopoly, in its 80-year history, had been played by more than one billion people in 114 countries around the world.
“Drawing upon this widespread popularity, we have delivered Monopoly experiences to fit every lifestyle, including promotions, digital gaming, fashion and now a 5-star boutique hotel.
“We are proud to work with M101 to open the Monopoly Mansion by Sirocco in Kuala Lumpur and we are excited for Monopoly fans in Malaysia and all over the world to experience the brand in this new way,” she said.
Meanwhile, Yap said to date, M101 had launched three projects — the M101 Dang Wangi, which houses the Red by Sirocco Hotel, M101 Skywheel and M101 Bukit Bintang — with a total gross development value of RM2.6 billion.
After two years of discussions, he said, both M101 and Hasbro had finally joined hands to create the Monopoly brand hotel, a collaboration that was a result of both companies having a similar brand philosophy.
“The Bukit Bintang area has long since been Kuala Lumpur’s most prominent retail and entertainment belt.
“Very much like Monopoly, it has gone through various transformations to keep the attractions current. And like ‘Mr Monopoly’, Bukit Bintang never fails to remain charming and energetic,” he said.
Upon completion, the Monopoly Mansion will be managed and operated by M101’s Sirocco Group.
The same group will also be managing the first in Asia Planet Hollywood Suites upon the completion of M101 Skywheel, the company’s third development.
In line with its tourism property strategy, M101 said it aimed to grow the Sirocco brand to the next phase by expanding its regional presence in Bintan and Bali, Indonesia.