By Richmond S. Mercurio (The
Philippine Star) | Updated September 17, 2014 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines – Travellers
International Hotel Group Inc. will start within the year the initial
construction phase of its $1.1-billion Resorts World Bayshore along Manila Bay.
Travellers Group president Kingson U.
Sian said the first phase of the development would start within the next 190
days and would be set for completion by 2018. This will cover “less than a
third” of the area of the 31-hectare development.
The project was earlier targeted to be
operational starting 2016 but has been moved to a later date.
“The land has just been turned over to
us recently,” Sian said when asked about the delay in the project’s
construction.
Resorts World Bayshore will be the
last integrated resort complex to start operations in Entertainment City. The project is being undertaken by Travellers
International, a joint venture between property tycoon Andrew Tan’s listed
investment holding firm Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI) and Genting Hong Kong
Ltd.
The three other casino license holders
are Bloomberry Resorts Corp. of port magnate Enrique Razon, taipan Henry Sy’s
Belle Corp. in partnership with Macau’s Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd., and
Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada.
Sian said Travellers does not foresee
any problems in terms of market acceptance despite Resorts World Bayshore being
the last to start operations in Entertainment City.
“The good thing about it is that
you’ve already seen what they did. So what we can do is bring in something new,
something which they still don’t have,” Sian said.
He said Phase 1 of the Resorts World
Bayshore development will include at least three hotels, a casino, a theater,
and retail shops. He said the development may also include a “themed area.”
Of the three hotels to be built in
Resorts World Bayshore under Phase 1, Sian said AGI will likely be bringing in
one of its high-end hotel brands. The two, he said, would be global hotel
brands Westin and Okura.
The three hotels are expected to have
at least 800 rooms. AGI is eyeing about 2,800 rooms to be built in Resorts
World Bayshore City once the entire development is completed.
“Tourism sector is one of the primary
focuses of the group. We’re confident in the tourism sector in the country,”
Sian said.
Resorts World Bayshore is expected to
be about three times the size of the existing Resorts World Manila, a resort
complex which has the largest gaming facility opened in 2009.
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