Studio City Phase 2 high-limit gambling area experiences increase in business

Senior Vice President and Property General Manager of Macau’s Studio City, Kevin Benning, said in a recent interview that the property’s Phase 2 Epic Tower hotel complex has a high-limit gaming area and is now seeing a spike in activity.

Renamed the “Qi Long High Limit Area,” this premium mass gaming area is situated on the second level of the Epic Tower hotel and opened for business in December. There are sixteen gambling tables there. Benning remarked on the property’s advantageous effects on the company as a whole and conveyed contentment with the reception it has had since its modest debut in April.

Phase 2 development of the Epic Tower and the W Macau hotel added 900 rooms to Studio City, which is mostly owned by Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd. Benning underlined Epic Tower’s strategic significance, pointing to its eight 2-story villas and over 300 rooms as reasons for attracting an increase in high-end mass gaming business.

Benning said that although there are no plans to build any more Phase 2 gaming facilities, the priority at this time is to improve the Phase 1 and Phase 2 gaming areas that are presently operational before looking into future choices.

The discussion also included the attraction of the W Macau brand, which is owned by Marriott International Inc. and has seen significant demand from a clientele that is both younger and more female-dominated. Studio City Phase 2 has developed a “hybrid” approach to provide both high-end hotel alternatives for gaming fanatics and mass-market family-trip clients.

Benning disclosed plans for a multi-screen movie theater in Phase 2, which is expected to open in the second or early third quarter, and a Don Don Donki site in the first quarter. The goal of these upgrades is to increase foot traffic to the theater complex, which boasts special amenities including reclining seats and a “4D experience.”

Despite market constraints, W Macau and Epic Tower both had excellent occupancy rates throughout the Christmas season; since November, W Macau’s occupancy has been in the low nineties. Studio City hopes that these additional services will enhance its attractiveness in the future and provide extraordinary experiences to its VIP clients.

Original story by: GGRAsia