The Londoner Macao Set to Open Ahead of the Chinese New Year

Sands China is planning on opening its newly-rebranded The Londoner Macao property, GGRAsia reported, noting the availability of bookings for stays at the resort starting from January 22.

Phase 1 Celebration

According to the press release issued by the Chinese subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands (LVS) on Tuesday, the company is scheduling an official ceremony for early February 2021 to celebrate completion of phase 1 of its renovation project for the resort.

“The Londoner Macao will offer our guests another new and exciting experience while further illustrating our commitment to Macao and the expansion of its tourism offerings.”

Robert Goldstein, President and Chief Operating Officer, Las Vegas Sands

The president of the Las Vegas-based gaming group hinted at the uncertainty related to the retender process for the Macau’s 5 casino operators as their gaming rights are set to expire in June 2022. Analysts including those from Morgan Stanley firmly believe the Macau Government will extend the concession through 2025.

Another Themed Property

The British-themed property The Londoner Macao will further expand on the “successful track record” of Sands China with regards to themed properties, adding to The Venetian Macao and The Parisian Macao to complement the Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China as a top destination for leisure and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) markets.

Previously known as Sands Cotai Central, The Londoner Macao will feature 3 British-themed food outlets, The Mews, Churchill’s Table and Gordon Ramsey Pub & Grill, yet it is unknown which one of them, if any, will be operational by the time the property intends on opening.

An accommodation facility at the property, The Residence, will resemble a private-member club in London and is inspired by the former Prime Minister Winston Churchill who led the country during the Second World War. The tower of the property which once was a Holiday Inn, will now feature an all-in suite facility with 600 rooms for guests.

Gaming Industry Materially Impacted

The Londoner Macao and the recently opened Four Seasons Suites across the road are part of the $2.2 billion capital investment Macao allocation for LVS during turbulent times for the region and the industry. In October, LVS reported 82% drop in third quarter revenue year-over-year.

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) official data release showed gross gaming revenue (GGR) in October was up 228% on a sequential basis, making October the best month since January, generating merely a third of the amount at the beginning of 2020.

Yet, the aggregate for the 10 months ending October 31 2020 was down 81.4% compared to the same 10-month period in 2019, showing the extent of the gaming industry slide in Macau due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. In December, Macau Government announced it would collect in 2020 71.1% less in gaming taxes year-over-year.

The opening of The Londoner Macao is set to mark a major event for the SAR ahead of the Chinese New Year, February 12, with China’s State Council having already designated the holiday period to run from February 11 to February 17, providing a whole week for the celebrations and giving plenty of time for mainland residents to visit Macao.