Travellers Int’l sets $650-M Resorts World expansion

MANILA, Philippines - Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. is set to unveil annually over the next three years the outcome of its massive $650-million expansion program for Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.

In an interview yesterday, Travellers president Kingson Sian said the company is on track to finish by 2017 Resorts World Manila’s expansion which will double the size of the integrated resort’s gaming, hotel and retail facilities.

“Every year we will be finishing something. So next year is Mariott Grand Ballroom, the following year is the Mariott extension, the new wing, and then after that is the Phase 3,” Sian said.

Phase 2 involves the expansion of the existing Marriott Hotel Manila with the construction of a grand ballroom that can sit about 2,000 people as well as the addition of 227 rooms.

The Marriott West Wing was earlier eyed to open to the public by the end of 2015 but will now be moved to 2016.

Marriott Grand Ballroom, meanwhile, is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of next year.

Phase 3 would include construction of two new hotels, namely Hilton Manila and the Sheraton Hotel Manila as well as an extension of Maxims Hotels.

“There’s a new competitor which is open, but again, we just focus on continuing to build out our new phases, Phase 2 and Phase 3. Phase 2 will be finished next year, and part of it is the Mariott Grand Ballroom,” Sian said.

Resorts World Manila is the first integrated gaming, entertainment, leisure and hospitality resort in the country, situated on an 11.5-hectare property across the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3  in Pasay City.

Travellers, a joint venture of property tycoon Andrew Tan’s Alliance Global Group Inc. and Genting Hong Kong Ltd., is the owner and operator of the integrated resort and the upcoming Bayshore City Resorts World.

Resorts World Bayshore will be three times the size of Resorts World Manila and will be the last integrated resort complex scheduled to start operations in Entertainment City.