What Is the World’s Largest Hotel? Room Counts & Records

The First World Hotel in Genting Highlands, Malaysia, holds the Guinness World Records title for the world’s largest hotel by number of rooms — 7,351 operational rooms as of its 2015 verification. But the definition of “largest hotel” involves a complex set of metrics, from room counts to building footprints, and a handful of competitors across Asia and Las Vegas challenge that top spot. This article breaks down the official record, the planned mega-projects still under construction, and why different sources report different numbers.

Last checked: 2026-05-24

Current titleholder: First World Hotel, Pahang, Malaysia · Total rooms: 7,351 · Record source: Guinness World Records (largest hotel by number of rooms) · District: Genting Highlands, Malaysia

Which is the largest hotel in the world?

The Guinness World Records title for the largest hotel by number of rooms belongs to the First World Hotel in Genting Highlands, Malaysia. As of June 2015, the hotel had 7,351 operational rooms spread across two main towers, with a third building that brings the total to 6,119 rooms according to some list sources. The discrepancy arises because Guinness counts only operational rooms, while other tallies include all rooms in the complex regardless of status.

The hotel is part of the Resorts World Genting integrated resort, about 50 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur. It offers direct access to shopping, theme parks, and Malaysia’s only legal casino area, as described in a Vice travel feature that documented a stay there (Vice).

Current titleholder: First World Hotel

The First World Hotel previously held the largest-hotel record, then lost it, then regained it in 2015 after completing a Tower 2 Annex that added more than 1,200 rooms. The expansion brought its operational count from 6,118 to 7,351. Travel media such as Oyster.com and LoveExploring consistently cite the 7,351 figure (Oyster.com; LoveExploring).

How the room count is determined

The official record defines “largest hotel” by the number of “operational rooms” — rooms that are available for paying guests. This definition excludes rooms under renovation or out of service. The metric is straightforward, but it means that a hotel complex with multiple buildings or brands under one ownership, such as The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas (7,264 rooms), is not necessarily considered a single hotel if it operates under different brand names or separate reservations.

The bottom line: The First World Hotel holds the official Guinness record with 7,351 operational rooms, but the ranking can shift depending on whether you count complexes or single buildings.

Which hotel has 10,000 rooms?

No existing hotel has reached 10,000 rooms. The most frequently cited project aiming for that number is the Abraj Kudai in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, often described as a “mega-hotel” with a planned 10,000 rooms. However, as of April 2026, the project has not been completed, and its construction timeline remains uncertain. Multiple YouTube listicles present Abraj Kudai as the number-one largest hotel on Earth, but they acknowledge that it is not yet open (YouTube).

The planned Abraj Kudai in Saudi Arabia

Descriptions from 2020 onward noted the Abraj Kudai as a 45-storey, 12-tower hotel complex that would also include bus terminals, shopping centres, and conference facilities. If completed, it would surpass the First World Hotel by nearly 2,650 rooms. But no official opening date has been confirmed, and no third-party verification of the room count exists.

Why no existing hotel has 10,000 rooms

The logistical challenges of operating a single hotel with 10,000 rooms — staffing, housekeeping, fire safety, and guest flow — are immense. Most large hotels in the 5,000–7,000 range already function as mini cities, with internal transit, multiple check-in desks, and dedicated service teams. A 10,000-room property would require even more complex infrastructure, which may explain why no developer has yet delivered such a project.

What to watch: The Abraj Kudai remains a planned project; until a ribbon is cut, the Guinness record stays with the First World Hotel.

What are the top 10 biggest hotels?

Room-count rankings vary by source. The list below is drawn from Wikipedia’s “List of largest hotels” (as of 2020) and verified against Guinness and travel media. Nine properties globally exceed 5,000 rooms each.

1. First World Hotel (Malaysia) — 7,351 rooms (Guinness record)
2. The Venetian Resort Las Vegas (USA) — 7,264 rooms
3. The Londoner Macao (Macau) — ~6,000 rooms
4. Izmailovo Hotel (Russia) — 5,000 rooms
5. MGM Grand Las Vegas (USA) — 5,044 rooms (single building)
6. Wynn Las Vegas & Encore (USA) — 4,748 rooms
7. Ambassador City Jomtien (Thailand) — 4,219 rooms
8. Galaxy Macau (Macau) — >3,000 rooms
9. Sands Cotai Central (Macau) — >3,000 rooms

Note that the ranking changes if you combine separate hotels within a complex (e.g., The Venetian and the Palazzo in Las Vegas are often counted together, yielding a higher number). Oyster.com’s list of six biggest hotels includes that combined figure (Oyster.com).

Top 9 largest by room count

Travel blogger Pierre Blake also identifies the same nine, with First World Hotel first, confirming that full guest capacity at the Malaysia property exceeds 15,000 people (PierreBlake.com).

Note on differing sources

List sources show two numbers for First World Hotel: 6,119 rooms (in some texts) and 7,351 (in tables). The discrepancy highlights the importance of checking whether a count includes all rooms in a multi-building complex or only those considered part of the main hotel. Guinness and most travel outlets converge on 7,351 as the official operational count.

The pattern: No matter which list you consult, the top three spots are always held by Asian and Las Vegas properties, with Malaysia’s First World Hotel at number one.

What is the 2nd largest hotel in the world?

The second-largest hotel complex by room count is The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, with 7,264 rooms. However, the label “second-largest” depends on whether you count the entire complex as a single hotel. If you consider only single-building hotels, the runner-up is MGM Grand Las Vegas (5,044 rooms).

Ranking just below First World Hotel

The Venetian Resort consists of the Venetian and Palazzo towers, which operate as a combined property under one brand. Its room count trails First World Hotel by only 87 rooms, making the race for the top spot remarkably close. Las Vegas as a whole contains three of the world’s largest hotel complexes (The Venetian, MGM Grand, and Wynn Las Vegas), underscoring the city’s dominance in the mega-hotel sector alongside Southeast Asia and Macau.

The trade-off: The Venetian is a multi-building complex; MGM Grand is a single building. Which you call “second” depends on how you define “single hotel.”

What does room 420 mean?

Room 420 is often associated with cannabis culture — April 20 (4/20) is a date celebrated in marijuana communities. Many hotels in the United States and elsewhere deliberately omit room 420 from their floor plans to avoid the association, similar to the way they may skip floor 13 due to superstition.

Cultural reference

The number 420 has been used in hotel policies for years; some properties even avoid placing room 420 near elevators or main corridors. This practice is reportedly followed across hospitality industry discussions but is not specific to any single hotel or chain.

Hotel floor numbering traditions

Hotels also commonly skip floor 13 (numbering floors 12, 14) and room numbers ending in 13 or 420. The trend is not universal, but it is prevalent enough to be noted in booking advisories and travel forums. For guests booking the largest hotels in the world, this tradition means you are unlikely to find a room 420 at a major resort.

Why this matters: If you are searching for room 420 in a mega-hotel, you may be out of luck — but the cultural reason has nothing to do with the hotel’s size.