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The Singapore hotel started out as a brainchild of property-hotel veteran Mr Kwek Leng Beng as a hip, fashionable brand of his company, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc. M&C is the London listed subsidiary of property group City Developments Limited.
SINGAPORE – M Social, the homegrown hotel brand that debuted here just last year, has now successfully been transplanted abroad. A second M Social opened its doors in Auckland last month and has started making waves in New Zealand’s hotel sector. It has received rave reviews on international travel portal TripAdvisor, with 78% of guests giving it a 5-star rating.
With the Singapore brand successfully establishing itself as a hotel of choice in Auckland, there are now plans to open more M Social hotels in other markets such as Seoul, South Korea and in Silicon Valley in California.
The Singapore hotel started out as a brainchild of property-hotel veteran Mr Kwek Leng Beng as a hip, fashionable brand of his company, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc. M&C is the London listed subsidiary of property group City Developments Limited.
The first M Social opened in May 2016 in Rodyk Road in the upscale Robertson Quay precinct. Designed by famous French designer Phillipe Starck, the technology-driven 293-room hotel generated a lot of excitement from the start, injecting new life to the popular dining district fronting the Singapore River. Its all-day dining restaurant Beast and Butterflies was recently ranked among the world’s top 10 restaurants by HOTELS Magazine. M Social continues to be at the forefront of hospitality technology, having just launched the world’s first autonomous service chef robot prototype that serves up eggs.
“I wanted a standout lifestyle concept that embraces technology and allows people to socialise and interact with one another. I conceptualised M Social as a trendsetter place that offers travellers a place to rest and play,” said Mr Kwek who is Chairman of M&C and Executive Chairman of M&C’s parent company, Hong Leong Group Singapore.
Similarly, the 190-room M Social Auckland is located near the waterfront and commands breath-taking views of Auckland Harbour. The hotel is centred around the design experience and offers contemporary form and function in a casual setting, featuring spaces that are designed to be accessible and flexible to guests’ needs. Each floor of the hotel has its own theme based around elements of local culture, such as fauna, marine life and literature. Technology is a focus point of the hotel, with self-check-in kiosks in addition to a traditional reception desk, smart TVs in every guest room and a media wall that displays local information such as transportation timetables, weather forecasts and details of activities.
M Social Auckland will mark its official opening in the first quarter of 2018. The brand joins the umbrella of M&C hotel brands such as Grand Millennium, Millennium and Copthorne.
TripAdvisor is an independent on-line hospitality platform that collates and displays reviews of guests and travellers. “M Social Auckland is establishing itself as a hotel of choice in the New Zealand which is quite remarkable considering it opened for business just a month ago. I am sure the figure will continue to go up because of the great and efficient way the New Zealand team has been working,” said Franck Kermarrec, Chief Marketing Officer of M&C.
“M Social Auckland has resonated with business and leisure guests. It provides a modern space for those who live, work and play in the neighbourhood, as well as a social base for travellers,” added Mr Kermarrec.
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
