Casino component still unclear
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has announced it will manage the Hilton Saigon, which will open in downtown Ho Chi Minh City in the fourth quarter of 2019.
According to GGRAsia, the hotel is part of a reported casino hotel project under development by Vietnamese firm Saigon Cuu Long Corp. and an unidentified local partner. They plan to invest around US$100 million in the resort.
“We have chosen to partner with Hilton Worldwide because of its sterling reputation and deep hotel management expertise,” said Nguyen Van Kham, chairman of Saigon Cuu Long, in the statement. “And given the strength of the Hilton brand, we are confident that Hilton Saigon will be the hotel of choice for Ho Chi Minh City’s growing numbers of visitors.”
Media reports differ on whether the property will include a casino. The hotel will include up to 350 rooms, 1,488 square meters (16,000 square feet) of meeting space, a spa and gym, and food and beverage outlets.
“Ho Chi Minh City, the economic center of Vietnam, is a gateway destination for leisure and business travelers, and we are thrilled to partner with Saigon Cuu Long to develop Hilton Saigon,” said Guy Phillips, Hilton Worldwide’s senior vice president of development for Asia and Australasia, in a statement. The downtown development will be located about four miles from the capital city’s sprawling Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
The company has noted that the area is home to many city administrative offices and foreign consulates, plus major tourist attractions like the Saigon Opera House and the Reunification Palace.
Vietnam has eight foreigners-only casinos, but is considering an end to the prohibition that keeps locals from gambling, reported the Vietnam Investment Review. Opening the doors to locals is likely to bring more foreign investment to the country’s gaming industry, according to analysts.
