Macau’s 147 hotels had 6 million guests check in during the first five months of the year. That was down 2.1% despite continued increases in visitation as the day-tripper market continues to increase. With fewer rooms as casino resorts combine more rooms into suites, average guest room occupancy in the first five months was 89.2%, up 5 percentage points year-on-year. The number of guest rooms at the end of May was down 3.7% to 45,000.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the opening of Mumian Shaoxing Hotel in Shaoxing City, China, the latest addition to The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand. Hyatt announced the hotel within the renovated former Shaoxing 871 Chip Factory, located at the foot of Fushan Mountain, alongside Shenzhen Yuen Kai Hotel Management Co., Ltd. The hotel spans the second and third floors of the building and includes 90 guest rooms ranging from 484 to 2,206 square feet. There are three food and beverage outlets, including the street-fronted Xiaonanyang Restaurant.
The former Russian Consulate in Hakodate, Hokkaido, in Japan, will reopen as a luxury hotel in July. It has been vacant for nearly 30 years but will be reborn as Hotel Biaclyn Hakodate, a six-suite wellness retreat featuring a blend of Western architecture and Japanese design. Sovereign Corp purchased the property in 2021, starting renovations two years later. The hotel will open on July 12 with two suites in the consulate wing and four in a newly added wellness wing, all equipped with private saunas. The main dining restaurant launched in May.
Robinsons Land Corporation, through its hospitality arm Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, is expanding its presence in Luzon, Philippines, with the launch of Grand Summit Pangasinan, which will open in 2027. The four-star hotel will have 100 rooms, including four junior suites and three executive suites ranging from 38 to 116 square meters in size. Amenities will include an all-day restaurant, lobby lounge, pool bar and outdoor dining area, ballroom, meeting rooms, gym, spa, and an outdoor swimming pool. The seven-story hotel will break ground on July 7, located so it will be seamlessly integrated into RLC’s Robinsons Pangasinan Mall complex.
Absolute Hotel Services announced the successful signing ceremony for the U Khao Chi Chan Pattaya, a hospitality development in Chonburi Province, in Thailand. The hotel will be located in the Khao Chi Chan area and will feature 161 rooms, extensive event spaces, and a range of upscale amenities. The development will open in phases, with lakeside accommodations and event facilities launching in late 2025, followed by the mountainside hotel in 2029. The U Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel will be part of a larger mixed-use complex branded as One Chi Chan. Absolute will manage the hotel.
DoubleDragon Corporation said its Hotel101 Global Holdings Corporation has been approved to become the first Filipino corporation to be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in the United States. Hotel101 will begin trading under the symbol HBNB on July 1, following the completion of its business combination with JVSPAC Acquisition Corp.
The Bhumjaithai group dominates the Senate in Thailand. The Senate is calling for the ruling party to completely withdraw the draft legislation for the Entertainment Casino Complexes Bill. There is little chance that bill sees the light of day in the upcoming session given the PM has moved it from the first spot to the last but the Senate committee that has been studying the bill has decided it could be in breach of the constitution, saying labeling it entertainment complexes and not putting casino front and center, breaches multiple sections of the 2017 Constitution. They also poured cold water on the ruling party’s claims of economic benefits from the casino resorts.
Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has approved the Van Don integrated resort and casino project in Quang Ninh province. This approves the potential $2 billion development for the 70-year license, proposed to be developed in three stages over nine years. We have no idea why anyone would think this complex, to be situated on more than 244 hectares in Van Yen commune within the Van Don Economic Zone, will be successful when the others in the country have not been, but we said the same thing about most of the other developments that have yet to bear fruit. The plans call for 182 hectares to be designated for core functions, including a casino, hotels, luxury villas, tourism services, parks, and water features. The Ministry of Finance resubmitted a proposal seeking to allow locals to gamble there under the existing pilot program. Developers project $326 million in annual revenue, with Vietnam making over $9.6 billion during the 70-year operation.
Australia’s Star Entertainment may need to find more money soon. Just after getting some breathing room with the approval of the Bally’s/Mathieson family investment, Hong Kong’s Far East Consortium International and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises said they will not move forward with the purchase of Star’s 50% stake in its Queen’s Wharf project in Brisbane and Star has to pay them back the $10 million they fronted them within 30 days of the termination.
Sri Lanka will see the opening of the City of Dreams Sri Lanka integrated casino resort development on August 2nd. The US$1.2 billion integrated resort is a joint venture between John Keells Holdings and Melco Resorts & Entertainment.
The long-delayed LET X development by Suntrust Resorts Holdings in Manila’s Entertainment City is going to be delayed a lot longer. LET Group is the majority owner of Suntrust and has been selling everything it can, borrowing from anyone who will lend it, to try to build the US$1.25 billion integrated casino resort. It is now said to be delayed yet another nine months, but we wouldn’t book your trips there in 2026. They waited until now to decide it won’t open in 4Q25. Originally, this was supposed to be developed and opened in mid-2024.
