Two years after an arson fire that killed 38 people, Resorts World Manila is preparing to reopen its second-level gaming floor. Travellers International Hotel Group, owner and operator of the resort, says it is targeting double-digit growth in 2019 with the reopening of the section.
Travellers President and CEO Kingson Sian says the partial opening of the Grand Wing in 2018 added gaming spaces to the existing Garden Wing and Holiday Inn Express casinos, allowing the company to further improve its premium and VIP segments. The partial opening brought the total number of gaming tables in the casino up from 233 to 300 with the number of EGMs increasing from 1,321 to 1,830. The complete opening of the second floor will bring an extra 100 gaming tables and 600 slot machines to the casino.
“For the past two years, our efforts have been focused on rebuilding and expansion,” Sian said. “That focus is reflected in our performance last year. We’ve been receiving very positive comments after the soft opening of the Grand Wing last year. This will bring an entire new floor of gaming space.
“As we expand the gaming space, we are attracting not only locals but also foreign players to come and we can develop new junket relationships,” he continued. “We are confident that we can deliver sustainable top-line and EBITDA growth moving forward. With the opening of Hotel Okura Manila in the second half of this year, total room count at the Resorts World Manila complex will be approximately 3,500, supporting the continued growth of the Philippine tourism industry.”
In 2018, Travellers showed positive results for both gaming and non-gaming segments with total gross revenues of PHP 24.7 billion (US$480 million). EBITDA and net income for the year amounted to PHP 3.9 billion (US$76 million) and PHP 1.4 billion (US$27.2 million) respectively.
