Solaire also growing
City of Dreams opened in December as the second resort in Manila’s Entertainment City casino district.
A partnership of Macau’s Melco Crown Entertainment and the Philippines’ SM Group, the property celebrated a December 14 soft opening with just the casino floor and a few restaurants in operation, reported Forbes. By the Chinese New Year on February 19, City of Dreams may open other amenities, including an indoor DreamWorks theme park, a shopping mall, and its Nobu and Crown Towers hotels.
Solaire, which opened in 2013, also continues to expand. The resort controlled by Philippine billionaire Enrique Razon Jr. opened its Sky Tower in November with more suites, more VIP gaming rooms, additional meeting space, new food and beverage outlets and a 1,760-seat theater. A 100,000-square-foot shopping mall, nightclub, karaoke bar and spa are all set to open in 2015.
While the resorts will certainly compete with each other, Forbes noted, they will also support each other, providing critical mass and variety that will attract high-roller and mass-market players. Over time, blocks of vacant lots between City of Dreams and Solaire are expected to be populated with new restaurants, clubs, hotels and other businesses.
A third competitor is less than five miles away: Resorts World Manila, owned by Travellers International Hotel Group, a joint venture of Genting Hong Kong and Philippine billionaire Andrew Tan’s Alliance Global.
