Macau is going through one of the biggest transformational periods it has seen since being transferred from Portugal to China. Casinos have ruled the city for the past five decades, but this is no longer going to be the case. While gambling will continue to be a major part of the economy, leaders in China and Macau want the SAR to be more diversified and attract more types of tourism. While that objective will be reinforced this year, the growth of the city’s casino industry isn’t slowing down. 8,000 new hotel rooms are coming, most of which are tied to casino resorts.
Macau Hotel Market Growing
According to the latest data available from Macau’s Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau, Macau had 15 hotels under construction at the end of the fourth quarter. They would total 6,207 new hotel rooms. Completion dates for the upgrades weren’t included.
Another 19 projects were also recorded as in the planning phase. According to data, they would add up to 1,867 additional rooms to the market. Sixteen of the 19 rooms would be located on Macau Peninsula and account for 1,025 fresh-to-market room spaces in that tranche.
According to separate statistics from Macau’s Statistics and Census Service, Macau had 37,700 hotel rooms operating at the end December. This was slightly higher than the 37,300 available hotel rooms on the market on December 31, 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Casino Resorts Expanding
Cotai casinos resorts are the most prominent source of new hotel products. Some properties are brand new; others are in expansion.
Galaxy Entertainment Group is among the operators that have created new hotel space in Phases 3 and 4 of Galaxy Macau’s expansion in Cotai.
The company announced in November that it would open a new hotel, a tower with 450 units and all-suites. This will be part of Galaxy Macau Phase 3. The firm stated that the Andaz Macau would follow. According to corporate materials, Andaz Macau is described as a “luxury” hotel and will feature more than 700 rooms.
Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd, a majority-owned casino resort in Studio City, is moving on to Phase 2. It will include Macau’s first W Hotel, a Marriott International brand, and is expected to open in December 2022.
The total number of rooms in Phase 2 is expected to be 900, with the luxury towers being split between them. W Macau – Studio City will have 557 guest bedrooms, including 127 suites.
The latest government data shows that four Macau hotel projects were completed in 2021. This provided 2,919 new rooms to the market. There were two schemes on Cotai with a total of 2,774 rooms. The Macau peninsula hotel was listed, while Coloane was the other.