Macau (MNA) – The President of Sands China Ltd, Wilfred Wong, said this Wednesday that extensive research and survey with Chinese and Hong Kong tourists to the Macau SAR led to the choice of re-developing the Sands Cotai Central into a London-themed resort.
“We’ve commenced the design work earlier this year, and for the next few months we’ll go over all the iterations of design, public space design, hotel design, and casino design,” said Mr. Wong. “I was thinking that we should maybe have a James Bond casino, a Casino Royale.”
According Mr. Wong’s comments during a presentation he made today at a luncheon hosted by the British Business Association of Macao (BBAM), Sands China delved into how to further upgrade Sands Cotai Central, after it “exhausted its land allocated by the government.”
Last year, Las Vegas Sands (LVS) revealed it would invest US$1.1 billion (MOP8.89 billion) into the ‘expansion, renovation, and rebranding’ of Sands Cotai Central and the Four Seasons, expected to begin later this year and be finished by 2020.
“All together, we have an inventory of 13,000 hotel rooms,” said Mr. Wong. “When we look at what we can do to enhance our property, the most immediate and easiest solution would be to upgrade the Sands Cotai Central.”
The Sands Cotai Central’s four towers include hotel brands St. Regis, Sheraton Grand, Conrad and Holiday Inn. It opened in two phases in 2012.
According to Mr. Wong, the group considered whether to turn Sands Cotai Central into a high-end shopping mall – similar to the IFC in Hong Kong – or into a themed resort similar to The Venetian or The Parisian, stating that the group’s founder Sheldon Adelson “always believed that if you’re one among a cluster of buildings you need some identity. That’s why he chose to use themed properties.”
Wong explained that the company has done a lot of research, both quantitative and qualitative.
“We spoke to our clients. We also did market research, online surveys, street level interviews. We found out that most people believed a themed property is a better one, because most visitors before they visit Macau will have to make up their mind which hotel to stay in and it is easier for you to remember a theme hotel,” he stated.
The surveys mainly focused on Hong Kong and Chinese tourists coming to the city, with travel agencies from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan also being inquired.
The Sands China President stated further that respondents named London as their preferred ideal European destination after Venice or Paris, which led to the choice of the UK capital as the theme for the project.
“The three most visited sites in Macau are first the Saint Paul’s Ruins, then The Venetian and The Parisian, which has only been opened for a year. This is every encouraging,” he added.
Getting that London mood
Wong also said the estimated US$1.1 billion investment was “really not fixed yet” since it “depends on what material we use, how far we go, what new gimmicks or technology we bring in”.
The expansion will add another 1.7 million square metres of space with 600,000 square metres at The Shoppes at Cotai Central being destined for gross leasable area, according to statements made before by LVS Chairman, Sheldon Adelson.
“In the next two years, we’re going to modernise the shopping arcade, have a facade that will give you immediate recognition of London. We’ll convert the Holiday Inn Hotel into The Londoner Hotel […]. At St. Regis Hotel we have a stack of apartments at the back, about 300 super luxury apartments that we can built that will become The Londoner apartments. They will be used for high-end customers, we’re not going to sell them […] The facilities will look to appeal to families and high-end customers,” he detailed.
The group’s survey showed that 58 per cent of respondents would like to see themed music shows/buskers with 48 per cent willing to see parades, and 47 per cent willing to meet and greet famous characters.
The project will see replicas of London landmarks such as the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the Tower Bridge, with British brands to be invited to the space as well as themed street level performers.
However, Mr. Wong noted the look and design of The Londoner is still undefined, with the group currently having teams of designers, entertainment, marketing and branding experts still studying its development.
[Edited by Sheyla Zandonai]
