SINGAPORE: The much-awaited integrated resort-cum-casino Resort World Sentosa (RWS) opened its doors to the public yesterday, with the soft-opening of four of its hotels and shop outlets on Sentosa Island here.Genting Group and RWS chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay and RWS chief executive officer Tan Hee Teck jointly cut a large red ribbon to mark the opening of the Crockfords Tower, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Hotel Michael and Festive Hotel at the nearly-completed US$4.4 billion resort.
With the opening, RWS is ahead of another integrated resort, also with a Las Vegas-styled casino, Marina Bay Sands Singapore, only scheduled to open in April due to construction problems.
Lim told a media conference the resort would operate the four hotels, with a total of 1,350 rooms and 10 restaurants, before it opened Southeast Asia’s biggest Universal Studios theme park and the casino in stages, respectively.
He said the resort was working closely with the US Universal Studios and the Singapore authorities before getting the go-ahead and licences needed to operate the theme park and the casino.
“There is no fixed date yet for opening of the theme park and the casino,” Lim said, clarifying his comments in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday that the Universal Studios would open next week.
Lim however said it was right to say that RWS officials were making every effort to get the theme park opened as early as possible.
Lim also said he did not regard RWS was in a race with Marina Bay Sands Singapore to get visitors as RWS was targeting a wider family-based audience, relying on its strengths on the Universal Studios and its upcoming marine park and corporate business.
He also said the RWS and Genting Malaysia, which owned the family-themed resort-cum-casino on the peak of Genting Highlands near Kuala Lumpur, would complement each other and conduct joint marketing to serve better and give a complete experience to their guests.
Meanwhile, Tan, saying the resort would bring the tourism industry in the city-state to greater heights, said the RWS expected 60 per cent of its visitors to be foreigners, of whom 20 to 25 per cent would be from China.
He said the response to RWS’ MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) business had also been very positive, with 33 conferences booked so far this year, using its various halls including its biggest 6,300-seat ballroom.
The 49-hectare resort, which needs 10,000 people to run its full operations now, has about 6,400 staff working in all parts of the resort.
Among the high-end shop outlets located at the shopping stretch connecting the hotels are Victoria Secrets, Jimmy Choo, Vertu, Bvlgari and Michael Graves. — Bernama