Seasons Greetings in Macau

One year after debuting the massive Venetian Macao Hotel Casino on the Cotai Strip, Las Vegas Sands executives gathered to launch the
Four Seasons Macao, adjacent to the Venetian.
The second property on the Cotai Strip (of almost a dozen hotels), the Four Seasons brings another level of luxury and will reportedly help the Venetian compete in the brutal VIP market, although LV Sands expects it to increase tourist traffic.

“The key to building a successful tourist destination is being able to assemble the critical mass of attractions needed to make the location more unique and compelling than its rival destinations,” said Sheldon G. Adelson, chairman and chief
executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. “That is why we continue to add more and more important components, like luxury retail and world-class entertainment, to our Cotai Strip development.”

The new Four Seasons Hotel Macao, which is owned by LV Sands but operated and managed by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, features 360 upscale guestrooms and suites. It also includes several food-and-beverage offerings, an exquisite pool and garden area, and a variety of conference, banquet and business services and facilities.

An upscale retail area, the Shoppes at Four Seasons, is a 211,000-square-foot mall connected to the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Macao and the Four Seasons Hotel Macao. It features approximately 180 luxury brands, including more than 60 brands not previously offered in Macau.

Next year, LV Sands plans to introduce the St. Regis and Shangri-La hotel brands on the Cotai Strip.

Meanwhile, the Venetian also debuted a new Cirque du Soleil show, ZAIA, the company’s first permanent production to open in Asia.

Adelson also said the Cotai Strip will avoid the effect of an economic downturn because it will appeal to more than just the VIP market. He says his properties are not as dependent upon Chinese visitors-who now face stiff visa restrictions from the Chinese government-as other properties.

“The Cotai Strip is not just a series of integrated resorts for Chinese people only,” he said. “It’s for all Asians.”