Two New Casino Resorts Planned for Manila

In Sri Lanka, the State-Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit announced only one bidder submitted an offer for the divestiture of shares held by the government in Hotel Developers (Lanka) Ltd., the owning company of the Colombo Hilton. The SOERU said Melwa Hotels & Resorts (Pvt) was the only bidder that submitted an offer. It will be evaluated by the Special Project Committee and Special Cabinet-Appointed Negotiating Committee against the terms and conditions set out in the RFP. Melwa Hotels & Resorts was one of two companies that were pre-qualified to put forward an offer after a total of nine responses were received. Colliers International Consultancy & Valuation (Singapore) Pte Ltd. is the transaction advisor alongside the platinum advisors for this divestiture.

ONYX Hospitality Group announced the successful completion of the key handover ceremony for its new property in Sri Lanka, Amari Colombo. The milestone marks the official transition of the property to ONYX Hospitality Group. The Amari Colombo is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of this year, strategically located in Colombo’s vibrant cityscape. The hotel has 167 rooms and will focus on authentic dining and state of the art facilities. The restaurants include Prego, a ONYX Hospitality brand that began in Koh Samui over 20 year ago. Prego will be introduced to Sri Lanka. There will also be several bars and lounges.

Minor Hotels has acquired The Jazz Corner Hotel in Melbourne, Australia. The hotel will continue to operate under its current name, renowned for its unique music offering with live performances almost every night in its Bird’s Basement live jazz venue. The hotel is located in Melbourne’s historic legal district, opposite Flagstaff Gardens. Themed suites include city skyline or parkland views with pay homage to jazz legends including even the Frank Sinatra King Business Suite. Additional on-site amenities include a café and the Mezzanine restaurant & bar as well as a fully equipped gym.

Thailand’s Deputy Tourism Minister said legislation for the advancement of Thai integrated resorts could be finalized in the last quarter of 2024 with a government commission to be established in early 2025. While we have been hearing the approval is right around the corner for some time, the Minister said the Thai cabinet is listening to agencies involved and opinions and then the legislation will be submitted again to the House of Representatives. If there are no more questions, it could be passed by the end of the year.

Tycoon Manuel Villar Jr., said to be the Philippines’ richest man, is getting ready to open his first casino next year. Villar said his Villar Group is on track to open the first of two planned integrated casino resorts into the already crowded Manila market as early as the mid to latter part of 2025 with a planned investment of US$1 billion. The first casino will be located on the redeveloped 18,000 square meter Vista Mall Global South situated along C5 Extension in Las Pinas. The mall is closed to the former four star Mella Hotel Manila, now called Brittany Hotel Global South, owned by the Villar Group. Villar believes the location, closer to the Ninoy Aquino International Terminal 1, will give them an advantage as it will provide easier access for visiting casino junket players. The second integrated casino resort he plans to open will be at the heart of his most ambitious property development to date, Villar City. That 3,500 hectare mixed-use estate will span 15 cities in Metro Manila and Cavite, featuring various anchor developments including an amusement park, arena, schools, cultural centers, museums, hospitals, universities, churches and nature parks.

Hann Resorts, another owner/operator of an integrated casino-resort in the Philippines, said they are planning an initial public offering of 15 billion to 20 billion pesos (US$256.6 million to $342.2 million. Hann Resorts is led by Korean Dae Sik Han. They plan to list on the Philippine bourse early next year.

The Westin Resort Guam in Tumon unveiled six newly renovated private villas on July 10th. This follows renovations after the resort was damaged during Typhoon Mawar. The villas reopened with all new, modernized interiors. The villas have two bedrooms, two full baths, spacious living rooms, a kitchenette, a private terrace and the latest furniture and amenities.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s expansion into India is being done through a strategic partnership with The MRS Group of Hotels. The collaboration is resulting in the entrance of the independent hotel group in India. The MRS Group of Hotels includes properties such as Suryagarh in Jaisalmer, Narendra Bhawan in Bikaner and Mary Budden Estate in Binsar.

Indian Hotel Company Limited’s premium homestay collection, ama Stays & Trails portfolio now encompasses 203 bungalows with an additional 97 under development. The collection includes British colonial villas, Portuguese cottages and homes with traditional Indian architecture. The properties are located in more than 15 states across India, including Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and more.

The Fern Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of its newest property, The Fern Residency in Vadgaon-Talegaon, Pune. Fern has a total of 35 properties in Maharashtra, including four operational hotels in Pune. The Fern Residency, Vadgaon-Talegaon includes 110 well-appointed rooms and suites, including the Winter Green Room and the Fern Club Suite. The hotel facilities includes a gym, swimming pool, children’s play area, games room, airport and local transfers along with five banquet and meeting rooms designed for both social and corporate events. There are a variety of food and beverage options available to guests.