Malaysia's First World Hotel: The World's Largest Hotel by Room Count

Kuala Lumpur. Located in the Pahang region of Malaysia, the First World Hotel and Plaza may not be the world's finest hotel in terms of architecture and amenities. The design of this three-star rated hotel is quite simple. However, when it comes to accommodation capacity, no other resort in the world comes close. Situated in Genting Highlands, about 50 kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur, this hotel has successfully maintained its reign as the hotel with the most rooms in the world.

When it opened in 2006, the hotel had 6,118 rooms. But in 2008, after the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas expanded to 7,128 rooms, First World lost the title of the world's largest hotel. 

This decline did not last long. With the completion of the second tower in 2015, the Malaysian resort reclaimed the world record by bringing its total room count to 7,351, a figure that remains unsurpassed to this day.

Built by the Genting Group, this hotel is known as a major tourist hub in Southeast Asia. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, its average occupancy rate was 90 percent, and the hotel remains largely full even today. 

Although not as world-famous as the Venetian in Las Vegas, its commercial success is enviable. The key to its success is its strategic location. 
Located at the heart of Resorts World Genting, the hotel is directly connected to a theme park, a shopping center, and Malaysia's only legal casino area. Since Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country where gambling is prohibited elsewhere, the casino here attracts a large number of tourists.

Another strength of this hotel, designed to cater to all classes of tourists, is its competitive pricing and modern technology. By focusing not only on the wealthy but also on middle-class tourists, it remains consistently busy. 

To manage the influx of guests, the hotel has implemented an automated check-in system. Currently, the hotel features 3,164 standard rooms, 2,922 luxury rooms, 649 luxury triple rooms, 480 superior luxury rooms, and 136 World Club rooms. Due to its massive capacity and accessible pricing rather than luxury and amenities, the First World Hotel and Plaza has become an undefeated name in the global tourism market.