TALL ORDER: Street performers entertain guests at the official opening of the Venetian Macau, which boasts an artificial sky in the retail area to give visitors the impression of walking through the streets of Venice at dusk. -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
MACAU - THE Venetian Macau, the sister development to Singapore's upcoming Marina Bay Sands, opened its doors to the public with great fanfare last night.
The extent of the transformation of what was once a virtual wasteland gives some idea of what Singaporeans can expect in 2009, when its own Marina Bay development is completed.
The US$2.4 billion (S$3.7 billion), 3,000 all-suite resort is the biggest integrated resort (IR) in Asia to date. An artificial sky in the retail area gives the impression of walking through the streets of Venice at dusk.
The 3,000-long guest list at the official opening included celebrities such as Diana Ross and Taiwan pop sensation Zhang Hui Mei.
Among the invited guests at the 7pm opening was Singapore Tourism Board chief Lim Neo Chian, who was impressed at this sneak peek of what could be on offer at the Singapore development.
The Venetian Macau is the first of six resort hotel developments Las Vegas Sands has planned for the the Cotai Strip, which consists of 80ha of reclaimed land connecting the islands of Taipa and Coloane.
Las Vegas Sands chief executive officer Sheldon Adelson believes that the Venetian Macau represents the beginning of the transformation of the ex-Portuguese enclave, now a Special Administrative Region of China, into 'Asia's Las Vegas'.
By offering a wide range of entertainment and services in addition to gambling at the Venetian Macau, Las Vegas Sands hopes to increase the current average stay of visitors from 1.1 days to a more leisurely 3.5 days.
The Venetian Macau boasts the world's largest gaming space at 546,000 sq ft. This is about half the size of Singapore's VivoCity.
But it represents merely 5 per cent of the total gross floor area of the resort, which includes a 15,000-seat performance arena, over a million sq ft of convention and meeting facilities and a 1,800-seat theatre for Cirque du Soleil shows.
Among the first people to enter the resort after it was declared open was 60-year-old Hong Kong housewife Madam Ko. She came on a special day tour to witness the opening and immediately hit the gaming floor to try her luck at the jackpot machines.
She said in Cantonese: 'I hope that this new place will bring me some luck.'
A third of the 360 retail shops were also open until midnight.
Mr Lim said: 'By the time the Marina Bay Sands IR opens in Singapore, Las Vegas Sands will have invaluable experience and insight into the Asian market, enabling the company to make Marina Bay Sands an even better proposition.
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