Staying at the World's Largest Hotel: First World Hotel, Malaysia

A Travel Video by Sophia (and Tyler)

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Introduction

The Title Quest

Background Story

• 2004: Taipei 101 became the world's tallest building, stealing the title from Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (which had held it since 1998)
• 2015: Malaysia opened the world's largest hotel - First World Hotel in Genting Highlands - presumably as payback

How This Adventure Started

The Vegas Bachelor/Bachelorette Trip (2019)

• Tyler mentioned the Palazzo Mega Resort in Vegas was probably the largest hotel in the world
• Quick Google search proved him wrong - it actually placed second
• First World Hotel in Malaysia held the #1 spot
• Standing in giant Vegas casinos, the question arose: "How can there possibly be a bigger hotel than this?"
• New bucket list item created

The Mission

• Stay at every weird hotel in existence
• Document the experience at the world's largest hotel
• Give viewers the full scoop on this unique destination

What Makes It Unique

The Visual

• Multi-colored behemoth sticking out of the side of a mountain
• Reached via gondola
• Complete with:
  • Giant mall
  • Casino
  • Indoor theme park (Skytropolis)
  • Outdoor theme park (Sky Worlds)

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Getting to Genting Highlands

The Journey from Kuala Lumpur

Distance and Drive

• About an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur (KL)
• Despite photos online making it look super close
• Ears popping on the drive up

Climate Change

• Much more temperate than tropical July KL heat
• Not exactly chilly, but noticeably cooler
• Malaysians were wearing full jackets

Awana Skyway Station

The Outlet Mall Base Station

• Outlet mall/gondola station combination
• Hotel hype train already starting strong
• "It's time to whoop it up!" (Real Housewives of Orange County vibes)
• Featuring a cute mini 7-Eleven

Getting Ready for the Gondola

• Headed to top floor where gondolas launch
• Scanned tickets
• Hopped into awaiting "sky chariot"

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The Gondola Ride

Glass-Bottom Experience

The Fancy Option

• Opted for glass-bottom gondola vs. normal ones
• Reality check: Doesn't actually add much to the view - just makes it more terrifying
• The great view is through the regular windows
• The glass bottom is just scary

The Views

What You Can See:

• On a clear day: entire mountainside
• All the way back to what appears to be Kuala Lumpur's city center
• Picturesque Chin Swee Temple on the way up (recommended pit stop if you have time)

The Commentary "You know what this mountain needs? A casino." "I was just thinking that."

First Glimpse

Approaching the Summit

• Started seeing buildings on the horizon
• Problem: There are like eight hotels up there
• Passed a couple "red herring" tiny hotels
• Rounded the bend and caught first glimpse of the striped destination
• Spotted rainbow colors and theme park sounds
• After years of anticipation: "It's a lot of rooms, baby"
• Giant theme park flanking it to the right

The Moment "We wanted to come here like forever... for like five years. This is it, this is just a moment."

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Understanding Genting Highlands

The Overall Complex

Not Just a Hotel

• Giant resort campus with multiple buildings
• Most under the Resorts World umbrella
• Yes, same Resorts World as:
  • Vegas Strip location
  • Sentosa Island in Singapore

History and Context

Timeline

• Genting Highlands has been a resort area since early 1970s
• General idea: Refreshing mountain resort for Malaysians and tourists alike
• Eight total hotels in the general area (including First World Hotel)

Other Hotels

• Some newer and nicer than First World Hotel
• Some older properties
• One apparently super haunted hotel
• (People also say First World Hotel is haunted - "not my favorite fact ever")

First World Hotel Specifics

The Three Towers

• Made up of three towers total
• Tower 2A (opened 2014) - the most recent
• This tower snatched the World's Largest Hotel title back from the Palazzo in Las Vegas
• The two had been going back and forth before then

The Title World's largest hotel by number of rooms

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Sky Avenue: The Giant Mall

First Impressions

The Screen Situation

• Covered in a giant continuous LED screen
• Spans almost every available surface
• "The entire mall is a TV screen? It's a whole thing."
• Makes it a pretty over-stimulating experience
• "Like you are a tiny baby with a giant iPad"

The Loop

• Screen plays same 5-6 ads on repeat
• Gets burned into your brain quickly
• Most memorable: "It's Durianfest 2024" (like the Malaysian Wing Bowl)
• "Until the day I die, I will never forget: Durianfest 2024"

Mall Features

Shopping

• Pretty good mall overall
• Very solid store selection
• Fun Genting-themed souvenir shops
• Tote bags with catchphrase: "What happens in Genting stays in Genting... always happening in Genting"

Free Samples

• Durian chocolate samples available
• "Durian brainwashed mind could not resist"
• Smell wasn't as bad as it sounds
• "Savory, creamy"
• Chocolate tempers the initial durian kick
• Pretty strong aftertaste that lingers

The Vegas-Style Attractions

Comparison Genting Highlands has a "Vegas vibe" with many touristy staples similar to Vegas, Pigeon Forge, or Myrtle Beach

Ripley's Adventureland (Top Floor)

• Never heard of it before
• "A place where you believe things and you don't believe things"
• Ended up being more like Dave & Busters than a museum
• Features:
  • Arcade
  • Go-karts
  • Treasure hunt
  • Dinosaurs
  • Fish catching station
  • Fish pedicure station ("I am not putting my foot in there")

Dining Options

• Many restaurants throughout
• Celebrity chef restaurants
• Din Tai Fung - one of their favorites (also has Vegas location)

Sky Casino

The Serious Casino

• Major draw for many visitors
• Much more serious than Vegas casinos
• Filming prohibited - signs every five feet
• Would be prosecuted for filming
• "Not in foreign countries. If you want to see what Sky Casino looks like, you have to come yourself"

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Checking Into First World Hotel

The Check-In Experience

The Lobby Scene

• Pretty crazy and packed
• Many self-check-in kiosks for those who have it figured out
• Nice long line for those needing assistance
• "I need some help. How do we do anything?"

Decompression Station

• Hotel seems self-aware about how overwhelming it is
• Serene corner area with:
  • Real clouds (not a wall or screen)
  • Stunning views of cloud-covered rolling mountainside
  • Manual-powered elliptical machines to "sweat off the check-in blues"

Journey to the Room

The Long Walk

• Very long corridor toward elevator bank
• Lined with enticing-looking cafes
• Enticing views out windows
• Got better after riding elevator to 27th floor
• Some wandering: "Wonder if one of those are the haunted ones"
• Fixer's response to questions: "They're all haunted"

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The Hotel Room Review

First Impressions: "We Don't Have to Sugarcoat It"

Overall Assessment

• "It's not great"
• "It's sort of interesting"
• Pretty small
• Doesn't smell the freshest

What They Liked

Decor Elements

• Abstract textured wall
• Vibrant yellow bathroom
• Nice bonus bidet next to toilet

The Two-Sink Situation

• Hand washing sink next to toilet
• Skin care sink with more space
• "Two sinks, baby? Not so bad, huh? His and hers."

What They Didn't Like

The View

• Just the side of another tower about five feet away
• At least it's colorful
• "Not a great view"

The Bed

• Did a bed drop test (two bed drops)
• "It's pretty hard"
• "No lot of plush action"
• No spots or stains visible
• "Not a great room, but we'll live"

Climate Control Reality

No AC

• Room has no actual air conditioning
• Only has fans
• Fan is "seriously generating some wind"
• "If there is no actual AC, then the fan's doing well"

The Vegas Hotel Theory

Crash Pad Concept Like some Vegas hotels, the room might just be a place to sleep, with the expectation you'll spend most of your time outside doing activities.

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Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park

First Impressions

The Vibe

• "Really not too shabby"
• "Actually pretty nice and new and sizable"
• Calmer than the LED panels outside
• "The atrium is way more distracting than the theme park"
• "Actually a little relaxing here"

Attractions

Carnival-Esque Rides

• Large Ferris wheel
• "Vomit machine" style rides
• Carnival games with enticing prizes (giant Sophia-sized bananas)
• Occasional zipliners flying through

Superglider Roller Coaster

• The "pretty legit" coaster
• Lying down coaster (face-forward position)
• "Kind of intense and very fast"

The Experience:

• "The most painful roller coaster I've ever experienced"
• "That was great!"
• Because you're facing forward, not much dropping sensation
• Majority of weight goes on your chin due to strapping
• "My chin kind of hurts... was getting jostled the most"
• Head cage can be uncomfortable

Warning: Be prepared for jaw/chin discomfort

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Dining: Madam Kwan's Restaurant

About Madam Kwan

Celebrity Chef Status

• Malaysian celebrity chef
• Well-known successful restaurateur
• Queen of Nasi Lemak
• Famous for her hats
• Serves Malaysian fare with modern twist

The Meal

Ambiance Note "Could my shrimp be vibrating because of the bass of that singer? Karaoke'll do it to you, man."

Highlights

1. Nasi Bojari (Madame recommended)

   • Tricolored rice
   • Prawns
   • Beef rendang
   • Boiled egg (which reviewer "vultured")
   • Fried chicken drumstick
   • "Oh damn, it's good. This is so marinated"
   • "Accidental chromatic tomb. This is an awesome meal"

2. Fruit Rojak

   • Crunchy peanut and sesame covered fruit and veggie salad
   • With soft shell crab
   • "The soft shell crab is just like fried substance. It's very good"

3. Durian Chendol (Dessert)

   • Shaved ice dish
   • Crowned with Musang King durian on top
   • "So is this just a pile of durian? It's not ice cream. It's just durian and durian"
   • Durian overpowered most other flavors except red bean
   • Red bean "really held its own"
   • Together had a "starchy, sweet, chestnut-type flavor"

Background Entertainment "I love that some lady's just belching it in the background. This is how the evening is unfolding at Resorts World."

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The High Line: Nightlife Area

Location and Vibe

Setting

• Open-air nightlife area
• Part of the roof of the mall
• "This part's like partially outside. It's kind of nice. Nice weather"

Features

• Fair few bars and clubs
• All emanating "the sweet, sweet sounds of karaoke"
• "Rockin' hats, happy birthday, baby"

Harry Ramsden's Discovery

The Confusion

• Saw signs everywhere
• Ignorantly thought it was a knockoff Gordon Ramsay restaurant (because of "Rams" prefix)
• Turns out: Actually one of the OG fish and chips dudes
• "Sorry Harry Ramsden, I was not familiar with your game"

The Decision "I'm kind of thinking I could manage the fish and chips, but I don't think so." "Very full."

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Night and Morning at the Hotel

The Night

Sleep Experience

• Room was fine
• Fan was nice
• Bed was firm
• Thankfully, no hauntings experienced

Morning Showers

Water Pressure

• ✅ "Quite good. Very good"

The Towels

• ❌ "Very sad"
• "Barely towels"
• "Thin cloths with no body"
• "Advanced paper towels"
• "I don't know how to express to you how much I don't like these towels on camera"

Final Words "After saying goodbye forever to the cursed towels..."

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Breakfast Buffet Adventure

Finding Breakfast

The Search

• Got very lost on the way
• "Turns out the hotel is huge"
• Walked around for 30 minutes in different towers
• "We can't find breakfast"
• Finally spotted: "Food Factory - that could be good"
• Finally found it

The Spread

Variety

• Extensive buffet
• Sweet, savory, Eastern, Western, Southeastern options
• Eggs available
• "Can I have him on Friday? Just one? Yes, please"

Assessment

• Thought the spread was quite good
• Led to "pretty hodgepodge plates"
• Very pleased with selections
• "That's my kind of breakfast - crunchy, heavy on the eggs"
• "I got banana cakes because I love banana and I love cakes"

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Genting Sky Worlds Outdoor Theme Park

Park Background

History and Transformation

• Pretty new park
• Specializes in niche IPs (they advertise this as a specific draw)
• Originally supposed to be 20th Century Fox World
• When Disney bought Fox in 2019, they said "no way"
• Now called Genting Sky Worlds, but most IP is still Fox

First Impressions

Quality Assessment

• "This is pretty legit. Very legit"
• Impressed by scale and detail
• "Feels like Universal Studios in here"
• "This is a far cry from the LED screen blast"
• "Actually super nice, and it's not that crowded right now"

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Theme Park Areas and Attractions

American-Themed Front Section

Pittsburgh/San Francisco Area

• United Steel Corporation
• Golden Gate Garage
• Pittsburgh/San Francisco hybrid area

New York Area

• Central Park garden

Fire Damage Note

• Part of Central Park area burned down
• "That thing was definitely a fire"
• Believed to be where Night at the Museum ride was
• Theory: Fire came from stray cigarette butt (unconfirmed)

American West Area

• Motorcycle/Carsland-looking area
• "I love seeing what other countries deem to be America-core"
• Very cute with interesting merch
• Genting-themed park merchandise available

Weather Drama

The Fog Rolls In "Oh my God. The fog rolled in and the Ice Age Mountain disappeared." "We're gonna hit this Rio thing before it starts raining."

Rio Land

The IP

• Movie from 2011
• Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway as parrots
• Reviewer had never heard of it
• Turns out it was actually pretty successful
• "Maybe I'm on the outs here"

Details

• Dedication to IP is impressive
• Details in all lands are "pretty impeccable"
• Note: Giant bananas return

Epic Land

The Movie

• Also a movie reviewer doesn't know
• From trailer: Has Thumbelina vibe
• Tucked in the back
• Would swing by later

Ice Age Land

Marquee Land of the Park

• "Pretty much the marquee land" (even beyond IP recognition)
• Pretty big area
• Mountain is very tall and visible from all areas
• Matterhorn vibes

Weather Urgency

• Clouds starting to descend
• Plan became urgent
• "100% chance of rain at 2 o'clock"
• Had to do rides before rain set in

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Major Attractions

Scrat's Acorn Adventure (Ice Age Roller Coaster)

The Character

• Squirrel who endlessly pursues but never gets an acorn
• "Ended up being the breakout star of Ice Age franchise"

The Ride

• One of the more major coasters at park
• "Not totally a baby ride"
• Goes pretty fast
• "I don't know if my back's... I'm back from that one"
• "That's fun"
• According to YouTube videos: Scrat finally gets the nut at the end
• "I couldn't follow the story at all. It was a whiplash"
• "Good roller coaster"

Andromeda Base Area

Features

• Futuristic area
• Space bananas
• Acts as transition between lands

Robots Land

Why They Stopped

• Another IP reviewer knows
• Robots movie with Amanda Bynes
• "Maybe the kiddie area? Looks kind of like Toontown"

Big Weld Zeppelins

• Main ride was closed
• Did the baby ride instead
• "Stop steering us. I'm just going straight up"
• Basically like Dumbo ride at Disneyland
• "Nice 45 seconds"

Rio's Samba Gliders

Last-Minute Ride

• Squeezed in before rain
• "Both of us were wet"

Rain Decision Decided it was rainy enough but hoped it would be a passing shower "We should probably keep them on in case... for the next 20 minutes"

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Theme Park Food Adventure

The Plan

From Viral Videos Knew Sky Worlds had interesting-looking dishes they wanted to try

Harry Ramsden's Disappointment

• Planned to go for fish and chips
• Unfortunately in the burned-down section
• Had to pivot

The Fuel Injector (18-Inch Chili Dog)

Location: Golden Gate Garage (San Francisco/Pittsburgh area)

Description

• "What better way to honor the world's largest hotel than by getting what I can only guess is the largest hot dog in Malaysia"
• 18-inch chili dog
• Chili packed below the wiener
• Hefty serving on top
• "18 inches of pure... it's a little suitcase"

The Experience

Initial Impressions:

• Pretty formidable up close
• No utensils except two knives
• Dog protrudes out sides of bun because "it's just that damn big"
• "Looks like a meatball sub"

Actual Eating:

• Fear factor ends once in mouth
• "Really not that intense flavor-wise"
• "Really good, just kind of tomato saucy and warm"
• "Not completely unlike a meatball sub"
• Lighter and less greasy than expected
• Made with chicken chili and chicken sausage
• "18 inches of hot dog for two people's not crazy"
• "I think we can make it dead"

Weather During Meal "Whoa! Oh my God, the gondolas are completely gone"

• Promised rain arrived in dramatic fashion
• Thankfully under awning
• Had to venture back out for more items

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The Rain Adventure

Poncho Activation

Sports Mode Engaged "We flipped our ponchos into sports mode and set off into the rain"

• Traveled thousands of miles
• Scaled thousands of feet
• Weren't about to be undone by torrential downpour

Rain Pattern "I think when you're bragging how the rain stopped once we put on our ponchos"

• Being so high up means literally in the cloud as it passes through
• Very cold in there
• Thunder and lightning going on
• Felt extra close to it

Ice Kachang Mission

Destination: Crash and Eddie's Frozen Treats Hut (Ice Age Land)

The Journey "Three, two, one, go, go, go. Don't flip, don't slip, don't slip. Go, go, go" "We did it. I don't know if my camera did, but we did"

What They Got

• Signature ice kachang (shaved ice dish)
• Hot latte (because hands were frozen)

Ice Kachang Components:

• "Tastes like Fruit Loops"
• Lychee jelly (probably)
• Dragon fruit (probably)
• Crushed peanuts on top (definitely)

The Review:

• "Actually very good"
• Would have been great on hot, sunny day
• On cold, wet day: "A little cold"
• "Was it worth risking our lives for? It wasn't that dangerous, so yeah"
• "This taste test is essential for the overall narrative of this video"

Tyler's Emergency Layer

The Problem Despite coffee, losing feeling in fingers

The Solution Bought another layer in Ice Age gift shop

• "Double hood. Nice"
• New camera carrying strategy

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Final Food Item: Epic Land

Mob and Grub's Big Bites

The Item Bubble waffle with ice cream on top

The Timing

• Semi-unfortunately also a cold item
• BUT storm had just broken
• "All right, we're back in business, baby"
• Camera still dry-ish
• "Riding the good vibes here, man"

IP Connection "I don't know this IP at all, but the fact that we received this item and it stopped raining makes me look... positive association"

The Weird Moment Entered completely deserted room for taste test Told very sternly not to sit there

The Review:

• Pretty good
• Waffle a bit plain by itself
• On hotter day, ice cream would melt into waffle making it more moist
• "Actually like a really good bread bowl, almost"
• Liked the pandan kaya syrup
• Tyler figured out how to smoosh it into giant taco
• "I think that is maybe how you're supposed to eat it"
• Worked well flavor-wise

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Final Review and Thoughts

The Weather Metaphor

Mixed Experience Like the Day

• Little bit of sun, little bit of rain
• Little bit of good, little bit of bad
• Same for entire Genting Highlands experience

What Was Good

✅ The mall
✅ The restaurants
✅ Breakfast buffet (liked a lot)
✅ Theme parks
✅ Overall experience and atmosphere

What Wasn't Great

❌ Hotel rooms
❌ Towels in hotel rooms
❌ Potential hauntings

The Verdict

Mission Accomplished "We have been wanting to come here for like, just to see what it's like, and I am very happy that we finally made it here"

The Key Insight

"At the world's largest hotel, the hotel is the worst part. Everything else is pretty good."

Heading Back Down

The Descent "It's about time to head back down the mountain"

Final Moment Drinking detoxifying herbs to help with "Genting hangover" "Oh my God. That is bitter"

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Key Takeaways

Is It Worth Visiting?

Yes, if you:

• Want to experience unique theme parks
• Enjoy exploring giant mall complexes
• Like trying interesting food
• Want to say you stayed at the world's largest hotel
• Enjoy quirky travel experiences

Manage expectations on:

• Hotel room quality
• Towel situation
• Potential weather challenges
• Over-stimulating LED screen environment

The Ironies

1. Largest hotel = worst part of the experience
2. Everything around the hotel is better than the hotel itself
3. The massive scale that makes it record-breaking also makes it impersonal
4. Vegas comparisons throughout, but more intense in different ways

Best Parts

• Theme park quality (surprisingly good)
• Food variety and quality
• The overall adventure and experience
• Views from the mountain
• Indoor and outdoor attractions
• The story of finally achieving a 5-year bucket list goal

Worst Parts

• Hard beds
• Terrible towels
• Small rooms
• No AC (only fans)
• Close-up view of another tower

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Practical Information Referenced

Getting There:

• Hour drive from Kuala Lumpur
• Gondola ride from Awana Skyway station
• Glass-bottom gondola available (not really worth it)

Weather:

• More temperate than KL
• Can get cold and rainy
• Bring layers
• Check forecast

What to Do:

• Sky Avenue mall
• Skytropolis indoor theme park
• Sky Worlds outdoor theme park
• Sky Casino (if that's your thing)
• Multiple restaurants and dining options
• Ripley's Adventureland

Tips:

• Don't expect luxury hotel accommodations
• Spend time outside the room
• Try the interesting food items
• Visit Chin Swee Temple on the way up
• Bring ponchos for rain
• Use eSIM for connectivity (like Saily)