Habbo Is Born

2001 · EXPANSION The biggest change came in 2001, when the Finnish experiment finally crossed international borders. A public beta of Habbo UK began in January, followed by the official launch in February. This was the moment when the name Habbo Hotel entered the world. The UK hotel introduced many of the features that would become fundamental to the Habbo experience. Players could create their own private rooms, decorate them with furniture and invite other Habbos inside. In June, Secure Trading was introduced, giving players a safer way to exchange furniture — an enormous step for what would eventually become Habbo's famous trading culture. The hotel continued expanding throughout the year. Posters appeared in August, the Lido and diving arrived in October, teleporters were introduced in November and seasonal furniture began appearing in the catalogue. The first Halloween furniture was particularly unusual: items purchased during the 2001 Habboween campaign were actually deleted after the event, making those original pieces some of the earliest genuinely lost furniture in Habbo history. By the end of the year, Habbo was no longer just a Finnish experiment. Switzerland became the second international hotel, and the community was beginning to develop its own economy, traditions and culture.