Manila’s LaVie Resort & Casino is aiming to complete the transformation of its assets into a fully-fledged integrated resort by the end of this year – part of a US$1 billion pledge it previously made to regulator PAGCOR under a deal to take over control of its own casino.
LaVie’s Chief Business Officer for Non-Gaming, Aurelio Tablante Jr, this week provided Inside Asian Gaming with an update on the renovation process, which last week saw three floors of revamped hotel rooms at the property’s New Coast Hotel Manila opened to the public, with three more scheduled for launch next month.
“We’re right now in the process of improving the property, the casino, the hotel rooms, F&B facilities and even the amenities like the open deck pool,” Tablante Jr explained.
“We’re renovating [the pool] as well as adding new facilities that we feel will further enhance the overall guest experience.
“But this will happen in phases. The hotel rooms, we rolled out three new floors this month and hopefully we’ll be rolling out three more floors next month. That will continue on a phased schedule.
“Amenities like the pool will finish a little later, maybe the middle of the year, and we hope to finish everything – hopefully – by the end of the year.”
LaVie’s parent company, Hong Kong-listed International Entertainment Corp (IEC), recently revealed that works on the casino’s ground floor were completed in January, although IAG noted ahead of this week’s Manila After Dark event, held in the LaVie Grand Lobby, that large areas of the second-floor casino space are now boarded up due to ongoing upgrades. Still, IEC noted that it has already increased the number of gaming tables on its main floor from 99 to 116 and increased the number of slot machines and electronic gaming machines from 517 to 664.
While the property’s location in Malate, around 20 minutes north of Manila’s Entertainment City precinct, presents a challenge, Tablante Jr said the goal was to provide a more appealing venue for domestic Filipino guests while also attracting more foreigners.
“As you know, we’re located in a very distinct area as compared to the other IRs, so our market is different,” he explained. “That means providing excellent service is a key avenue that we want to excel at to try to beat our competition.
“Demographically, our customer base is mostly Japanese and Korean from the Asian market, and Filipinos as well. We have a lot of staycation guests and that goes for both the hotel and the casino.
“The market around here is potentially quite big, especially the Filipino-Chinese community in the area, so that’s the market we’re targeting.”
Tablante Jr also provided some insight into the recently implemented rebranding of the property as LaVie Resort & Casino, which he said is aimed at portraying the younger, fresher atmosphere it is looking to build.
“LaVie is life, so our theme is to be dynamic, hip and vibrant,” he stated. “That’s why when we were discussing the name for the property, the name LaVie popped out, because it’s living the life. Ergo, it’s named LaVie right now.”
As recently reported by Inside Asian Gaming, IEC is in the process of selling a controlling stake in the company to Philippines gaming giant DigiPlus Interactive Corp via a HK$1.6 billion (US$205 million) subscription agreement. The company recently issued DigiPlus the first tranche of Subscription Notes, with the second and final tranche due imminently. Assuming full conversion, DigiPlus will hold a 53.89% stake in IEC.
The move is seen by IEC as an opportunity to boost its liquidity and financial position, while DigiPlus is looking to strengthen its entertainment ecosystem by adding a strategic land-based platform that connects with its digital network.
IEC is in the process of transforming LaVie into a fully-fledged integrated resort as per a provisional license issued by PAGCOR in 2023. The company has pledged to spend at least US$1 billion to do so, having in May 2024 taken over full operational control of its previously PAGCOR-run casino from the regulator.
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