CITY of Dreams Manila, the newest integrated casino resort in the country, opened without fanfare at 3 p.m. on Sunday, but promises local and international gamers, as well as foodies and tourists, a new and exciting leisure and entertainment destination for Christmas and New Year.
The $1.3-billion (P58-billion) resort sits on a 6.2-hectare property at the gateway to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.’s Entertainment City along Manila Bay. The resort is being developed by listed Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp. (MCP), a unit of Macau’s gaming and resort developer Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd., in partnership with the SM Group’s Belle Corp.
In an e-mail, Charisse Chuidian, vice president for public relations of City of Dreams Manila, told the BusinessMirror the soft opening gives the public a “sneak peek of the resort, which combines electrifying entertainment, an amazing array of accommodations, regional and international dining, together with designer brand shopping, as well as a spacious and contemporary casino.” The resort will hold its grand opening “before the Chinese New Year,” on February 19, 2015.
Currently open to the public are “mass-gaming areas on the ground and mezzanine levels; CenterPlay, an entertainment bar featuring live performances by foreign and local artists, on the gaming floor; Nobu restaurant for dinner and Nobu tea lounge; Red Ginger, a Southeast Asian-inspired bistro and Noodle8 adjacent to gaming floor; Hyatt Hotel and Hyatt Café, an all-day dining buffet restaurant; as well as some shops and food outlets at The Shops at the Boulevard,” she added.
In an earlier interview with veteran hotelier Bill Barnett, managing director of consulting firm C9 Hotelworks, he advised local gaming firms to tie up with more established casino giants with an existing client base to entice foreign gamers to come to the country. He particularly cited City of Dreams Manila, which “has the existing network—[it’s] building tourism generators [and it has] a client base,” because of its gaming resort in Macau.
Most gamers who go to City of Dreams Macau are from Hong Kong and mainland China, who will expectedly make the trip to the Manila property, as well. Chuidian said the Manila property will “definitely” be hiring staff who are fluent in Mandarin to cater to the expected influx of high rollers from China. Earlier it was announced that some 5,000 jobs would be created in City of Dreams Manila.
Upon its grand opening, City of Dreams Manila will cater to the diverse needs of a wide array of visitors—from family, to business, to luxury travelers. During this sneak peek, guests will be able to experience Hyatt City of Dreams Manila. “The 365-room hotel offers modern, restful rooms in a comfortable and approachable setting, with all the contemporary niceties and amenities,” said a news statement from the resort.
Other hotels set to fully open in 2015 are the 260-room Crown Towers—a luxurious premium hotel brand of Australia’s Crown Resorts Group and Macau’s Melco Entertainment, and the 321-room Nobu Hotel, a New York-based hotel brand co-founded by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro, and film producer Meir Teper. Nobu Hotel Manila is the first property of Nobu Hospitality Llc. in Asia.
Manila’s sophisticated diners have been eagerly awaiting the opening of Nobu restaurant, which features menus inspired by renowned Chef Nobu’s unique style of fusion artistry. His cuisine can also be sampled at the Nobu Tea Lounge, located at the Nobu lobby, which serves tea, coffee and Nobu-inspired pastries.
Now open at The Shops at the Boulevard are luxury shoemaker Stuart Weitzman; Italian sportswear brand Paul & Shark, clothing retailer BCBG; Assembly, a luxury shoe store; and Art of Scent, which specializes in fragrances. The Shops at the Boulevard aims to entice Manila’s shopping elite with its array of high-end fashion brands, premium beauty brands, and exquisite jewelry and timepieces.
When fully opened, the resort complex will operate approximately 365 gaming tables, 1,680 slot machines and 1,680 electronic table games for both the VIP and mass market.
The accommodations offered by Hyatt, Nobu and Crown Tower hotels have a combined total of 950 VIP and five-star luxury rooms, high-end boutique rooms, suites and villas – from “celebrity-inspired lifestyle for trendsetting leisure and business travelers, a luxurious casino hotel experience for VIPs, to unparalleled services and facilities for MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibits) and premium business guests,” said the news statement.
The integrated resort will also feature exciting entertainment options like DreamPlay by DreamWorks, an interactive play space for the family, and said to be the first of its kind in the world; as well as Pangaea, a luxury ultra lounge and Chaos, a night club.
City of Dreams Manila is solely operated and managed by MCE Leisure (Philippines) Corp., the subsidiary of MCP, a company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. MCP closed at P13.28 per share on Friday, Dec. 12, unchanged from its year-ago close. It reached a high of P18 per share on Jan. 4. 2013.
MCP was formerly Manchester International Holdings Unlimited Corp., an inactive firm manufacturing, processing and packaging drugs, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and veterinary products. The backdoor listing was finalized in December 2012.
Special to the BusinessMirror
Image credits: Nonie Reyes