Resorts World Expects Strong Hotels Demand

Source : The Business Times, April 22, 2009

RESORTS World at Sentosa (RWS) is expecting strong demand for its hotels from potential corporate clients, based on the positive response to sneak peaks of its designer hotel rooms.

'We fully anticipate over-demand,' RWS vice-president of rooms, Andrew Hickey, told BT. Hotel bookings will open in the second half of 2009. Meanwhile, RWS is also seeing enquiries for its MICE facilities.

Four of the six hotels - Maxims Tower, Hotel Michael, Festive Hotel and the Hard Rock Hotel Singapore - will be launched in the first quarter of next year when the $6.59 billion integrated resort opens its doors. The remaining two hotels, Equarius Hotel and Spa Villas, will be launched during the latter half of 2010.

The different hotels will 'provide a variety of guest experiences', said Patrick Burke, principal architect for Michael Graves & Associates.

For instance, the premier, 120-room Maxims Tower is mostly by invitation only and boasts 24-hour butler service while the 390-room Festive Hotel caters to families.

The six hotels will collectively add 1,800 rooms to the local hotel industry.

RWS, which expects to employ 10,000 staff in all, has over 500 on its payroll at present, of which 80 per cent are Singaporean.

Thirty per cent of the 10,000 staff will be employed in the casino while another 30 per cent will be stationed at the Universal Studios theme park. The remaining 40 per cent will be engaged by the hotels and corporate services.