MANILA With the opening of the Solaire Resort & Casino on Manila Bay, the Philippines is hoping to challenge Macau and Singapore as Asia’s premier gambling destination. Built for a cost of US$1.2-billion, the integrated resort opened last week and is the first of four such casino and hotels to be opened at the site which has been named Entertainment City.
Although the Philippines already has a number of casinos, the scale of this new development puts it in league with other Asian gambling destinations. The new casino is 18,000 sqm and has nearly 300 gaming tables. Alongside gaming the resort is also suitable for large-scale conferencing and events. A total of 1860 sqm of meeting space is available, with the single largest space being a ballroom capable of seating 1,200 for dinner functions.
The five-star hotel has 500 guest rooms, suites and villas. Catering is provided by 15 different restaurants with a wide range of western and asian cuisines available. For high end incentive groups the hotel can provide a 24 private butler, private chefs and in-suite spa facilities.
The country’s first integrated casino resort, Resorts World Manila, opened in 2010 and the Solaire is being positioned as a direct competitor. Solaire's owners, Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels Incorporated, reportedly expect to take 30 per cent of the Resorts World Manila's business.
For more information: www.solaireresort.com
Graeme Park
