Expanding beyond junket ops
Macau junket operator Suncity Group Holdings Ltd. has taken over the Beijing Imperial Palace Hotel with plans to rebrand the hotel, cut the inventory of rooms, and focus more on individual, higher-value clients instead of package tours, reports the Macau News Agency.
Andrew Lo, the group’s executive director, told the Hong Kong news outlet Ming Pao that the number of rooms will be reduced from about 500 to 300, with the size of rooms to be increased for bigger-spending guests.
In 2017, the hotel’s former license holder, Macau Hotel Developers Ltd., returned its license to the government because it could not complete renovations by an officially mandated deadline. The company also failed to repay a loan from Victory Success Holdings Ltd., which is owned by Alvin Chau Cheok Wa, the owner of Suncity.
MNA said that ownership of the hotel was transferred to Victory Success as repayment for the loan.
Lo said his company will apply for a new license from the Macao Government Tourism Organization.
According to Union Gaming Asia Securities, Suncity “is positioning itself to be a major contender for any new gaming license” in Macau. “Assuming they become a third party casino operator within the next few years, that, along with what would likely then be a >20 percent share of Macau GGR, and as a casino owner in Vietnam that is taking share (and therefore tax dollars) away from Macau, they can make a compelling argument for licensing in Macau.”
Renovations at the Imperial Palace, which could take up to two years, would make the property “more suited to VIP clientele,” Union reported.
Adelaide Casino Expansion to Start in June
The AU$330 million (US$248 million) expansion of SkyCity Entertainment’s Adelaide Casino will begin in June, the company has announced. The project will add a new luxury hotel and spa.
Four new VIP rooms
SkyCity Entertainment will launch a AU$330 million (US$248 million) expansion of its Adelaide Casino in June, the company has announced. Under Australian construction firm Hansen Yuncken, appointed as project manager, the expansion will add a 123-room luxury hotel and spa; new VIP gaming facilities; three new bars and three additional signature restaurants, reports Adelaide Now.
The casino floor will be expanded by 30 percent with four VIP gaming salons and room to grow in the future if demand warrants.
“The expansion of Adelaide Casino will create a significant drawcard for South Australia, helping to boost tourism and economic development across the state, and we are thrilled to be working with Hansen Yuncken, a company that shares our commitment to South Australian jobs and development,” Adelaide Casino General Manager Luke Walker said.
Construction will begin in June and be complete in 2020. The project is expected to create 1,000 jobs during the construction phase.
