Bloomberry Resorts Corp has completed the conversion of its Manila sports venue into a hospital.
The company made a decision to turn the Rizal Memorial Sport Complex into a medical facility to fight the coronavirus and has constructed an emergency treatment area for those suffering from COVID-19.
Bloomberry Cultural Foundation initially turned Ninoy Aquino Stadium into a 116-bed unit that can house patients, has nurse stations and provides temporary furniture.
The makeshift hospital is now finished and, with its completion, the company has requested new permits to expand its efforts.
Bloomberry then moved on to create an additional 108-bed unit; construction is expected to be finished by the end of next week.
The second phase started on 8 April, after the announcement that the Philippine government extended the lockdown of the country’s main island Luzon until 30 April.
Bloomberry Resorts Corp stated it is happy to help in the fight against the pandemic.
Many of Bloomberry’s casinos and facilities will remain closed for the foreseeable future, both in the Philippines and outside.
Solaire Resort, a large complex in Manila, closed its doors mid-March, while Jeju Sun Hotel and Casino in South Korea is also temporarily closed until further notice.
Crown Resorts has announced the appointment of Alan McGregor as its new CFO, subject to the receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals.
McGregor has been with Crown Resorts for 15 years, holding a number of senior financial positions.
In 2014, he was appointed CFO of the operator’s Australian resorts.
The move comes amid a public inquiry into allegations that Crown Resorts is linked to organised crime.
The investigation, which centres around the operator’s use of paid-for trips to attract high-spending gamblers, is assessing whether junkets might have been used for money laundering purposes.
Ken Barton, Crown Resorts CEO, said: “I am delighted that Alan McGregor has agreed to take on the role of Chief Financial Officer of Crown.
“His deep technical experience along with his experience in the hospitality, gaming and entertainment industries strongly align with this role.
“Alan will play a key role in supporting the board and me in implementing Crown’s strategy and I look forward to working with him.”
In January, Crown Resorts announced John Alexander would be stepping down as the company’s Executive Chairman, with former CFO Ken Barton promoted to the role of CEO.
Crown Resorts revenue was AU$1.46bn (US$977.8m) for the six months ending 31 Dec 2019, down 5% year-on-year.
In an eventful week, Resorts World Las Vegas, the $4.3 billion resort currently under construction on the Las Vegas Strip, announced a major partnership with Hilton.
Under the terms of the deal, the hospitality giant would bring three of its premium brands to the luxury integrated resort.
The recently signed partnership is the largest multi-brand deal in Hilton’s history. It includes the company’s Hilton Hotels & Resorts, LXR, and Conrad. Resorts World Las Vegas with its planned 3,500 rooms will also be part of Hilton’s guest-loyalty program Hilton Honors.
The program, which spreads across the hospitality group’s 18 brands, provides its members with direct access to a number of benefits for guests of Hilton properties, including flexible payment options, exclusive discounts, and Digital Key, among other things.
That earlier partnership will see Resorts World Las Vegas utilize Konami’s SYNKROS gaming technology system that will enable the property to “streamline, manage, and optimize” its gaming operations by “converting meaningful data into actionable information.”
Resorts World Las Vegas is currently under development in the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip. The property is set to open doors in the summer of 2021.
Returning to the Strip
With the multi-brand deal, Resorts World Las Vegas and Hilton will mark the return of the Hilton brand to the Strip, which was once home to the iconic Las Vegas Hilton. The original Las Vegas Hilton hosted long-running residencies by Liberace and Elvis Presley. The property operated until 2012.
Commenting on the partnership, Scott Sibella, President at Resorts World Las Vegas, said that with their “commitment to redefining the luxury hotel standard in Las Vegas, it was only natural for us to partner with Hilton” and that their partner “embodies the values and top-level hospitality that align with Resorts World’s priority of bringing an unmatched guest experience to the Las Vegas market.”
Hilton President, Global Development, Architecture, Design & Construction Ian Carter added that “this will mark our largest multi-brand deal in company history, and we are excited to work with our new partners to create a distinct hotel experience in an unbeatable location for our future guests and Hilton Honors members.”
Aside from 3,500 hotel rooms in two towers, Resorts World Las Vegas’ facilities will also include a 110,000-square-foot casino, a 5,000-capacity theater that would host celebrity residencies and corporate events, a 220,000-square-foot pool complex with seven unique pool experiences, and a collection of casual of fine-dining food and beverage outlets, among others.
Resorts World Las Vegas, the luxury $4.3-billion integrated resort currently under development in the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, has selected technology provider Konami Gaming as its exclusive gaming system management partner.
Set to swing its doors open in the summer of 2021, Resorts World Las Vegas will feature a 110,000-square-foot casino among a number of other amenities.
The resort’s partnership with Konami enables it to utilize the provider’s SYNKROS gaming technology system that will help the property “streamline, manage, and optimize” its gaming operations by “converting meaningful data into actionable information.”
Resorts World Las Vegas will be the first casino property on the Strip to harness the full suite of tools available through SYNKROS and its enterprise software license.
The dynamic and comprehensive system will provide the casino resort with all the necessary marketing, communication, and tracking tools that are all designed in a manner that aims to enhance player engagement through individually tailored incentive offerings; assess and optimize the casino’s performance in real time through detailed reports and visual analytics, and manage accounting as well as slot and table game operations.
Through their partnership, Resorts World Las Vegas and Konami will also work to constantly improve player experience through a wide range of benefits, including cashless wagering, mobile account management, and loyalty and bonus rewards, among others.
Reinventing the Hospitality Experience in Las Vegas
Commenting on their decision to team up with Konami, Resorts World Las Vegas President Scott Sibella said that “reinventing the hospitality experience in Las Vegas means enhancing our service measures and boosting customer engagement through every touch point of the Resorts World Las Vegas experience, including gaming.”
Mr. Sibella also noted that the implementation of the SYNKROS system will enable them to contact with their casino patrons in real time and provide them with “the most cutting-edge, personalized gaming experience” on the Strip.
Tom Jingoli, Executive Vice President and CCO at Konami, said that “for years, Konami’s SYNKROS has worked to deliver guest experiences at the forefront of innovation, so the chance to create new heights of engagement and entertainment for future Resorts World patrons truly resonates with our shared, enduring vision.”
About Resorts World Las Vegas
Resorts World Las Vegas is on track for its planned summer 2021 opening. The property is being developed and will be managed by Malaysian gaming and hospitality group Genting and will be the latest addition to the company’s already rich portfolio of luxury properties in key casino hubs.
When it opens doors, Resorts World Las Vegas will feature a hotel with 3,500 rooms, suites, luxury villas and penthouses in the property’s two towers; a 110,000-square-foot casino with slot machines, table games, private gaming areas, a poker room, and high-limit gaming spaces; and more than 200,000 square feet of food and beverage offerings, including authentic street food experience and Michelin star dining.
The resort will also feature more than 70,000 square feet of retail space with 28 shops offering globally recognized brands; 350,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space; a 220,000-square-foot pool complex with seven unique pool experiences, including an infinity pool with some of the most amazing views of the Las Vegas Strip; a 14,000-square-foot entertainment zone with a race- and sportsbook and featured entertainment; and a 5,000-capacity theater that will be hosting A-list residencies and corporate events.
As mentioned above, the luxury resort will have two towers. Its West Tower will feature a 100,000-square-foot LED screen (one of the largest building displays in the US), while the East Tower will feature a 19,000-square-foot one. A 50-foot diameter video globe that will display more than 6,000 square feet of LED content will also be part of the captivating technology innovations that visitors will be able to see at the property.
Crown Resorts revenue was AU$1.46bn (US$977.8m) for the six months ending 31 December 2019, down 5% year-on-year.
The operator saw profit of AU$172.7m, a drop of 11%, while EBITDA was AU$381.3m, down 9%.
Main floor gaming revenue was AU$872.9m, up 1%, and non-gaming revenue was $408.2m, a rise of 2%.
VIP program play turnover was down 34%, at AU$13.1bn, with the operator attributing this decrease to “a continuation of softer market conditions, exacerbated by recent negative publicity.”
Despite this, VIP program revenue was up 9% from the previous year, with Crown Resorts benefitting from “theoretical win rate” on VIP turnover.
Crown Melbourne saw the operator’s highest revenue, at AU$1.03bn, but this was down 8% from the previous year.
During the period, Crown Resorts redeemed its Australian medium-term notes, which reduced its gross debt by approximately $259m.
In the report, Ken Barton, CEO of Crown Resorts, described difficulties created by the coronavirus outbreak, which resulted in travel restrictions and general community uncertainty, particularly over the Lunar New Year period.
In January, John Alexander stepped down from his role as Executive Chairman amid an inquiry into the company’s operations.
The inquiry is currently looking into a number of allegations filed against the operator, including money laundering and the breach of its gambling license.
