Sands China executives have revealed they expect to complete the renovation of almost all suites at The Londoner Macao, plus gaming and new restaurant fit-outs, by the end of this year.
However the external transformation of Sands Cotai Central into the newly themed resort won’t take place until 2021 due to some construction delays brought about by COVID-19.
An update on the project’s progress was provided during parent company Las Vegas Sands’ 2Q20 earnings call overnight, with President and Chief Operating Officer Rob Goldstein stating, “We are moving quickly on getting it completed.
“We’re going as fast as we can with the constraints of COVID. We’ve not pulled back in terms of trying to get it done, we’re not holding back, we just have some constraints construction wise.”
As previously revealed by Sands China, the external transformation of The Londoner Macao will see the property’s main façade recreate the architecture of the Houses of Parliament, including a replica of the Big Ben clock.
Internally, the property will feature a new 6,000-seat arena, rebranded Shoppes at The Londoner retail mall, street shows, a VR experience plus a new Dongbei and Sichuan cuisine restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a British styled restaurant named Churchill’s Table and a gastropub by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
The project also broadens the current MICE capabilities and intends to bring West End shows to the theater. A Piccadilly Circus Eros statue, double-decker buses, pubs, telephone booths, pop culture, the Changing of the Guards and many of the icons that make London famous will all be part of The Londoner Macao.
After Sands China President Dr Wilfred Wong stated recently that the first phase of The Londoner Macao transformation will be ready by September, LVS Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Patrick Dumont, confirmed overnight that the Grand Suites at The Four Seasons Macao as well as 580 suites at The Londoner Macao, excluding some high-end suites, were now complete.
He added, “Now and between the end of the year we’re going to complete The Londoner’s core which is 368 suites together with gaming and restaurants. The Londoner casino will be done at the main gaming floor level, Paiza gaming will be done, we’ll finish the rest of the high-end suites for the Londoner, and we’re going to add the Crystal Palace space which is the ‘wow’ space entrance, and then 10 new restaurants.”
Remaining CapEx – exactly half of the project’s US$2.2 billion budget has currently been spent – will be largely injected next year into completing external works, including a replica of London’s famous Big Ben, plus retail areas and other public spaces.
“There are a couple of [delays] here, some of them related to permitting,” Dumont said.
“From a customer standpoint, apart from exterior works, the project continues to be on the schedule we expect.”
