I only have two comments:

1) What happened to the Destination Macau guy? He was Destination Macau in my opinion. Nothing against this lady, but there’s no comparison.

3) Im glad there is a video for the Mall at Studio City, but what about the actual Macao Studio City resort??? What in the world is the status of that thing?

Here is an odd press release.  Its from Taubman touting their Mall at Macao Studio City. But Isnt Macao Studio City delayed you ask?  Why yes, I think it is!  Thats what makes this press release so odd.

Taubman Asia, a subsidiary of U.S. mall REIT Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE: TCO), today revealed a glimpse of what is destined to become Asia’s most luxurious shopping center, featuring an unparalleled line-up of flagship stores including A. Lange & Sohne, Alfred Dunhill, Berluti, Bulgari, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Cartier, Chopard, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Ermenegildo Zegna, Fendi, Franck Muller, Gucci, Miu Miu, Montblanc, Omega, Piaget, Prada, Roger Vivier, Tod’s, Van Cleef and Arpels, and Versace. Additional major fashion brands have committed and are expected to be announced in the coming months. Read more

If you read this blog, my DailyDoseOfVegas blog, or GlobalCasinoBoom blog, I keep repeating one phrase over, and over, and over - “global credit crisis”.  Well, the credit markets have taken another victim for the time being - Macao Studio City

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Playboy Club Mansion Hotel Casino Cotai Macao

For those as excited for Macao Studio City’s Playboy Club Mansion as I am, I thought a sneak peak would be in order. Here is the website for the Playboy Hugh Hefner Villa at the Palms casino in Las Vegas. Although it sounds like the Playboy Club in Cotai will be bigger than its sister club in Las Vegas, I am assuming there will be a lot of similarities, so hopefully this provides enough tidbits to get your juices flowing. My only comment is that for $40,000 per night, Read more

I am probably more excited for the opening of Macao Studio City then any of the other up and coming openings. It seems like they have been doing everything right so far. This complex has enough exciting and entertaining components that it could really move the center of gravity in the Cotai away from the Venetian on the Cotai Strip®.

We still need to be cautious with our expectations though. Just because everything sounds exciting on paper, doesnt mean the finished project will come together to deliver that “wow” factor.

Anyway, here is part of the press release about Taubman’s investment in the Macao Studio City shopping Read more

“warm, witty and worldly”

Chalk up another win for Cotai Macao Studio City casino complex. Starwood’s W Hotels announced a pact with Macao Studio City to open a 563 room hotel at the property. Here are the highlights from the press release.

“W continues to extend beyond the boundaries of everyday travel, offering a magical mix of sexy destinations and sublime design.”

“W Macao marks our fourth property in China and promises to offer extraordinary experiences at every turn through the brand’s key lifestyle elements of provocative spaces, delightful indulgences and experiential surprises.”

“W brings to life its own unique positioning, delivering a differentiated travel experience for travelers and will be an irresistible destination for visitors to Macao. Macao provides guests with a wealth of entertainment options, including world-class shopping and proximity to Macao and China’s most popular attractions, making it a perfect fit for the W brand.”

“Our vision is to create a must-see, must-stay and must-return destination for leisure and business travelers around the world. Along with other hotel partners – not to mention the arrival of the Playboy Mansion Macao – I firmly believe that Macao Studio City will be an experience that visitors will want to return again and again.”

“W will captivate an in-crowd of lifestyle-oriented travelers by offering its special blend of warm, witty and worldly experiences. The brand fits in very well with the overall design and direction of Macao Studio City and its positioning as the coolest place to be in Macao. Macao Studio City will be the place where the stars and celebrities will hang out,” said David Friedman, co-chairman and co-chief executive officer of Macao Studio City.”

“The Cotai area is seeing great momentum, and the addition of W Macao Studio City is certainly going to attract stylish and trendy customers who seek innovative design, comfort and cultural influences, to the ‘new Macao’.”

“Macao Studio City is developing at a rapid pace; our recent announcements have brought other world-class brands in entertainment, retail and hospitality to the complex. We are confident that W Macao Studio City, as well as the Macao Studio City complex itself, will be a tremendous success when it opens in mid-2009.”

“W Macao Studio City will feature 563 rooms and suites, all outfitted with the W signature bed, plasma television and wireless Internet access. The W brand’s signature Living Room will offer a lounge-like atmosphere perfect for reading the paper, sipping a cappuccino or enjoying a cocktail with friends. Other facilities will include a signature restaurant, W Café, a Sweat workout facility, approximately 11,000 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor heated pool, and the W Whatever/Whenever service, the hotel’s 24-hour concierge that provides whatever guests want - from a pair of running shoes to private jet service - whenever they want.”

Looks like Macao Studio City is where all the cool kids will be hanging out on Cotai!

I think I already said that I can’t wait, so I’ll just let the video speak for itself…

How big is this for Macao Studio City? Combine Playboy with the TV and film studios, and this place should draw a lot of free publiciity and huge tourist traffic to Cotai.

Book me at the Heff!

Back in February, I wrote about the rumor that Playboy would launch a club in the Cotai area as part of the Macao Studio City hotel and casino complex. Well, the company finally confirmed the rumors yesterday in a press release.

The new club, called Playboy Mansion Macao, will feature approximately 40,000 square-foot of numerous nightlife and entertainment options, dining, specialty retail elements and a Hugh M. Hefner Villa.”

The gaming section of the club will be an extention to Macao Studio City’s casino floor, and will offer the “ambiance of a luxurious private residence.” When you’re done losing at the baccarat tables and giving the bunny dealer way too much in tips, there will be a contemporary intertpretation of the famous Playboy pool and grotto if you need to take a dip and cool off. If you hit it big at the tables, or enjoying the ambiance of Heff’s house is not enough, you may want to splurge on the ultimate overnight accomodation, the Hugh Heffner Villa.

This will get alot of attention when Macao Studio City finally opens in Cotai, but if Macau is anything like Vegas, there will be alot more half-naked women running around the Hard Rock at The City of Dreams.

(2 of 2 postings today)

After the $1.2 billion loan New Cotai secured for Macao Studio City, Marriott put out a press release for its new Cotai hotel it will manage as part of Macao Studio City
“An astonishing 968-room Marriott-branded hotel will be part of the monumental Macao Studio City with entertainment, retail, gaming and studios complex taking shape in Macao, China. This hotel will open under a management agreement reached with East Asia-Televisao Por Satellite Limitada as reported by Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) today.

Scheduled to open in 2009, the Macao Studio City Marriott Hotel will be situated in a 30-story tower block as part of the 4-million-square-foot, mixed-use development known as Macao Studio City. The complex is located on … the main thoroughfare of Cotai, Macao, with a direct link to the new Lotus Bridge immigration checkpoint. Close by is the Orient Golf Course.

In addition to the Macao Studio City Marriott Hotel, phase one of the complex will include three more components; a 2,300-seat theater; a 200,000-square-foot casino, a 55,000-square-foot exhibition center; 1 million square feet of retail space; and a stand-alone, state-of-the-art television and film production facility.

“We are thrilled to be part of this exciting development which is bringing Las Vegas-style entertainment and tourism to Macao,” said Ed Fuller, president & managing director, international lodging for Marriott International. “The range and scope of facilities the Macao Studio City complex will offer, coupled with our stellar reputation in the global MICE market, give the Macao Studio City Marriott Hotel enormous potential for success. We have no doubt that Macao will be the next hot destination for incentive and leisure travelers.”

David Friedman, co-chairman and co-chief executive officer of Macao Studio City, said, “Macao Studio City is delighted to welcome one of the world’s most celebrated hotel brands to our complex. The Marriott brand is a deluxe, upscale performance-oriented brand that focuses on enabling the success of its guests.”

Ambrose Cheung, co-chief executive officer of Macao Studio City, said, “The Marriott hotel will be a key member of Macao Studio City. It complements our vision of having only world-class operators to provide truly unique and memorable experiences for visitors in Macao.”

Accommodations at the Macao Studio City Marriott Hotel will feature over-sized guestrooms offering bathrooms with separate shower and tub; state-of-the-art, in-room technology; and Marriott’s signature bed and bath linens.

Among other amenities, the hotel will have a private executive level lounge; access to a destination spa; a resort-style swimming pool; a 300-square meter health and fitness center; a kids’ club and game room. Additionally, the Macao Studio City Marriott Hotel will offer the services of a business center, retail shopping and shuttle service to the Macao ferry terminal and airport.

For dining and entertainment, the hotel will have an all-day casual restaurant, a specialty restaurant, a lobby lounge and bar and a pool bar.

The Macao Studio City Marriott Hotel will have 3,750-square meters of conference space for meetings and social events. Included will be a 2,200-square meter grand ballroom that will be divisible into 10 sections; a 600-square meter junior ballroom that will be divisible into five sections; six additional meeting rooms each capable of being divided into two or three sections; and two 75-square meter boardrooms.

Currently, there are no Marriott International-branded hotels in Macao.”

(1 of 2 postings today)

Here is a glimpse of Macao Studio City.  Click on the “see video” on bottom left hand side of screen.

And looking for more.

MarketWatch is reporting that eSun’s Macao Studio City secured a USD $1.2 billion loan to help fund construction of its Macao Studio City casino on Cotai. Construction has already started and the company hopes to have the first phase of the Cotai project completed by 2009. (*more below*)

The Co-chairman of the company said he hopes to borrow another $500 million from the two banks sometime in the future.

The gross floor area of the Cotai resort’s first phase will be 3.7 million square feet, including 1 million square feet of retail and studio space, 2,000 hotel rooms, and a 200,000-square-foot casino

Half-naked women, film studios, and hotel rooms. No, its not porn - its Macau Studio City!

Macau Business has an indepth article on the story behind eSun, New Cotai, and Capitaland’s Macau Studio City casino resort. It is too long and complicated to summarize here, so I suggest reading through it. (**more below**)

The new stuff is that Macau Business is claiming to have broken Macau Studio City’s secret that a Playboy Club will be included in their Cotai project. Based on the article’s sources, it sounds like a good bet that Playboy is coming to Macau. Playboy recently opened its first Playboy Club in a long, long time at the Palms in Las Vegas, so it makes sense that they would look to a Macau club as a launching pad into China.

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