NEWS & NOTES

Grand Suites tower containing 289 luxury units offering amenities that include walk-in kitchenettes, curated wine cellars, private fitness rooms and saunas and gourmet meals prepared by the hotel’s chefs. The largest units, which top out at 4,900 square feet, also feature plunge pools overlooking the Cotai Strip from the tower’s top floors. Sands China President Wilfred Wong said Grand Suites “sets bold new benchmarks for guest experience and luxury.” • Hong Kong-based Success Universe will lend HK$58.8 million (US$7.6 million) to its 49 percent-owned Ponte 16 casino hotel in Macau to assist the property with ongoing operations while it recovers from the Covid-19 crisis. Macau casino concessionaire SJM, which owns the other 51 percent and provides Ponte 16’s gaming license, plans to extend a loan for a similar amount. Success Universe has totaled the loss on its investment in the property at around HK$64 million ($8.3 million). • The Belgian Consultation Committee has decreed that casinos in Belgium may now hold a maximum of 40 people. They must also remain closed between 11:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. When they arrive, patrons must register their information for contact tracing. Food and beverage sales are banned and patrons must wear masks. The country’s casinos began reopening in June after the March lockdown.