Wilfred Wong, President of Sands China, has announced that the company is in the process of obtaining approval from Macau’s government for a plan to construct a hotel that would be exclusively designed for the MICE industry.
Sands China has pledged to invest MOP30 billion ($3.72 billion) over the next ten years, with over 90 percent of investment towards non-gaming projects.
According to local media Macao Daily, Wong mentions that Sands China will expand its MICE arm by introducing a new project. The new facility will have 18,000 square meters, which will be constructed next to Cotai Expo (Phase 2 of Venetian’s MICE facilities). The same plot will also include a 50,000-square-metre garden featuring a conservatory.
Wong said that the project is in the preliminary design phase, and he stressed that the hotel will serve MICE as the current hotel inventory won’t be enough.
Wong stated in March this year that Macau will need to increase its hotel room supply in order to fully leverage its MICE capabilities and work towards a non-gaming mix similar to that of Las Vegas.
He noted that the hotel room inventory was “our biggest challenge” in shifting to the non-gaming-centric model, despite the operator currently having the largest supply of hotel rooms in the city, spread across its Venetian, Parisian, Londoner and Four Seasons properties on the Cotai Strip and Sands on Macau’s peninsula.
Wong also revealed that Macau’s Sands properties received 1.1 million visitors over the Labor Day holiday period.
Sands Cotai Central has transformed into the Londoner Macao, with its rebranding costing nearly $2 billion.
Wong said that the two (self-operated) hotels under the Londoner complex recorded an occupancy rate of over 90 percent since authorities lifted COVID-linked travel restrictions early this year.
The newly rebranded Londoner will have a Grand Opening on Thursday, May 25th, with its worldwide ambassador, UK footballer David Beckham, attending.
The Londoner Macao features two new all-suite hotels – The Londoner Hotel and Londoner Court – alongside Conrad Macao, St. Regis Macao and Sheraton Grand Macao.
