Adding a feather to its cap, Starwood has begun work on its next project on the Cotai Strip – the St. Regis Macao. Set to launch in August 2015, the luxury property will be well positioned to cater to all segments of travellers, with the added benefit of a 24 hour butler service. This information was provided by Ruth Boston, General Manager, Sales & Marketing, Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central and St. Regis Macao, Cotai Strip during the sneak peek of the property at a media briefing held in Mumbai.
The property will feature 400 rooms and suites as well as a ballroom that accommodate small meetings of up to 350 guests. Starwood will also build a connection from the St. Regis ballroom to the Sheraton Macao ballroom so as to facilitate meetings across the properties. According to Boston this will be helpful to companies who prefer to host their VIP guests in a different hotel.
Speaking about the India market in particular, Boston opined that there is a growing luxury segment out of India and the property will look forward to hosting FIT and meetings groups alike, as well as maybe some Indian weddings.
The Sheraton Macao, she said, has been receiving increased numbers from India across all segments, with the largest group strength being 500 rooms a night. The property has notched a growth of 54 per cent in the first six months of 2014 alone. “Earlier, agents would sell Macau as a one-night add-on to Hong Kong, i.e. two nights in Hong Kong and one night in Macau. Now we see them selling two nights in Macau and one night in Hong Kong, as well as a few mono visits to Macau as well, which is very encouraging,” Boston remarked.
She further opined that an upcoming series of developments in Macau, such as the Taipa ferry terminal, light rail transit system, Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macau bridge, as well as new properties and attractions including The Parisian, MGM and City of Dreams, will strengthen Macau’s positioning on the tourism map.
