It’s a Wynn Wynn in Macau (groan) as Wynn Macau gets the green light for a new Casino on Cotai strip- the world’s largest casino enclave. So now there’ll be 2 Wynns in Macau: the company already runs one gambling palace in the former Portuguese territory in China (now an S.A.R of China) which means Special Administrative Region or “Sicbo And Roulette” to most of the people who flock there.
The competition, which includes the Las Vegas Sands and Galaxy Entertainment, have already opened new casino and hotel complexes on the strip.
Macau is the world’s largest gambling market: gambling revenues in the city state were up an eye watering 42% last year to $33 bn almost 6 times that of Las Vegas and are expected to inflate further.
The current Wynn Macau
Stevie Boy said: “The official transfer of real estate in Cotai makes possible the commencement of the construction phase, of what will be the single most important project in the history of Wynn Resorts.”
Roughly translated, that means “We’ve got the land, so we can start building. It’s going to be big”.
Anyone who is anyone in the gambling world has been piling in to The Cotai strip, an area of reclaimed swamp in Macau, (it used to be 3 sleepy islands connected by bridges with a great restaraurant at the end called Fernados (which still survives)- and has become the area-of-choice for casino operators).
There are new projects on the go that will add to the already impressive mix of shopping, entertainment and gambling. Just last month Las Vegas Sands cut the ribbon on a $5bn resort there.
And Galaxy Entertainment has plans to invest more than $2bn to increase the size of its resort in Cotai. The new phase should be open by mid-2015.
The new Wynn Macau will have a casino (surprise suprise), around 2,000 hotel suites, a convention hall, lots of shopping for the ladies (and the gents), entertainment and lots of swanky restaurants (plus a liberal sprinkling of noodle bars for those that are to busy gambling to eat leisurely).
OK- so if you are off to Macau to sample the bright lights, here’s our top tip for the day. Where’s the best place to stay?
The Best Hotel in Macau.
Well, if you are going there for the casinos, you are going to think we are mad. But trust me, this place is off the radar and beats the glitz hands down. Its the Westin Macau Resort which is a short cab ride (15 mins?) from the action, but this place could be a world away. It’s set on a peaceful bay overlooking the South China Sea- and it’s at the other end of the beach from that fab restaurant we were telling you about above: Fernandos, ie on the last island (back when they were islands) called Coloane.
Go for the garlic deep fired prawns washed down with an ice cold San Miguel (the Philippines imported stuff, not the Hong Kong stuff). Mmmmmmmm. I am drooling.
Stay at the Westin, and you’ll be on the tables in no time, but you’ll also be able to wind down and get some sand in between your toes, without the constant noise of the slot machines (ding, ding, ding, ding).
