MANILA, Philippines,
Feb. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --Today,
City of Dreams Manila officially became a reality. A press
conference was held to mark the official grand launch of the
integrated gaming and entertainment resort, set to become the "must
experience" destination in Manila.
City of Dreams Manila has been developed by integrated casino
resort developer MCE Leisure (Philippines) Corporation ("MCE Leisure
Philippines") in cooperation with SM Group's Belle Corporation and
is under the sole management and operation by MCE Leisure
Philippines, a subsidiary of Melco
Crown (Philippines) Resorts
Corporation (a company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange with
trading symbol "MCP", which is a subsidiary of Melco Crown
Entertainment Limited (SEHK: 6883) (NASDAQ: MPEL), a developer and
owner of casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities in
Asia.
Strategically located at the gateway to Manila's Entertainment City, the over
USD 1 billion City of Dreams Manila
is now ready to deliver on its stated aim to become the premier
leisure and entertainment destination in the Philippines and within the region.
In confirming the fulfillment of the minimum investment
requirement and the commencement of the formal application process
for a permanent casino license, Mr. Jorge Sarmiento, President and Chief Operating
Officer of PAGCOR said: "Melco Crown Philippines and MCE
Leisure have exceeded our high expectations with the completion and
opening of this stellar destination resort.
"Indeed, Melco Crown Entertainment's experience and reputation
in delivering world-class integrated resorts is fully recognized
and we are confident that City of Dreams Manila will play a key
role in the future development of destination tourism to
Entertainment City and Manila."
The integrated gaming and entertainment complex combines
electrifying world-class entertainment, an amazing array of
accommodation, and regional and international culinary offerings,
together with designer brand shopping and a spacious and
contemporary casino. City of Dreams Manila is now set to redefine
the entertainment resort landscape of the region, and represents a
key catalyst in the further diversification of the tourism economy
of Manila and the
Philippines.
The press conference was hosted by the visionaries behind the
City of Dreams brand – Mr. Lawrence
Ho, Co-Chairman and CEO of Melco Crown Entertainment and
Co-Chairman, Mr. James Packer.
During the media presentation, Mr. Lawrence Ho commented: "Today it is my great
pleasure to deliver on our promise to bring the highly successful
City of Dreams brand experience to the
Philippines. Today's grand launch is an important milestone
for Melco Crown Entertainment as we expand our presence and the
City of Dreams brand in the region.
"Our ability to bring together and work with leading names in
the entertainment, hospitality and lifestyle sectors was key to
realizing City of Dreams Manila, which will now set the benchmark
for entertainment-inspired leisure destinations globally.
"It is a further step in realizing our overall vision of
delivering diverse, world-class entertainment and lifestyle resorts
in Asia, to meet the needs of
leisure-seekers across the region.
"I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the
Government of the Republic of the
Philippines and PAGCOR for their continuous support in
helping us realize this stunning gaming, leisure and entertainment
complex here at Entertainment City.
"City of Dreams Manila heralds a new and very exciting chapter
in the continued development of Manila and the
Philippines as a leading Asian leisure and tourism
destination in Asia. We look
forward to working closely with the government and our
co-developers to bring even more unique, world-class entertainment
to the city and to elevate its tourism sector to the next
level."
Mr. James Packer added:
"This is a key development in our overall vision of providing a
comprehensive portfolio of leisure and entertainment resort
experiences in Asia that meet the
rapidly evolving demands of Asian and international leisure
customers. The Philippines is a
dynamic and fast-growing market and City of Dreams Manila has been
specifically developed to cater both to domestic demand and
destination visitors across Asia
and internationally."
Outstanding entertainment is at the core of the City of Dreams
Manila. This is no better demonstrated than by the Hollywood glamour it has already brought to
the city. The property features in a special TV promotional film,
specially commissioned by Melco Crown Entertainment and starring
Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film has been
produced by Brett Ratner, the
celebrated director of movie blockbusters such as "Red Dragon", ''X-Men: The Last Stand",
"Hercules" and the "Rush Hour" film franchise.
Mr. Brett Ratner
commented: "We have scenes set within City of Dreams Manila,
and as Martin himself says about the resort in the film storyline:
'What I want you to see, is where we are in Manila. This place is incredible, it's
fantastic…' and believe me -- this place really is
fantastic!"
City of Dreams Manila - Leisure Destination
Offerings
As Manila's first world-class
integrated leisure destination, the new resort complex brings
together a diverse collection of contemporary international
entertainment, leisure and lifestyle brands, including Crown, Nobu,
Hyatt, DreamWorks and the Ault Group. As such, an exceptional
experience awaits all types of travelers and visitors from around
the region and the world.
The diverse and unique experiences that City of Dreams Manila
brings to Manila include:
Gaming: With an array of gaming tables and slot machines,
City of Dreams Manila offers an exciting and dynamic gaming
experience on the main gaming floor.
Entertainment: CenterPlay, Manila's first contemporary entertainment bar
on a gaming floor, features prime live performances from top local
and international artists.
Accommodation: City of Dreams Manila will cater to the
accommodation needs of a wide spectrum of visitors: from families,
to businesspeople, to luxury travelers. Guests will be able to
experience the luxurious Crown Towers; Asia's first celebrity-inspired Nobu Hotel;
and the acclaimed Hyatt City of Dreams Manila.
Dining: An eclectic range of world-class restaurants and
eateries can be found at City of Dreams Manila, featuring the very
best in contemporary fine dining. Specialty restaurants include
Nobu Restaurant at the Nobu Hotel, which will feature menus
inspired by Chef Nobu's unique style of fusion artistry, alongside
his world-renowned signature dishes. The Tasting Room offers lavish
European haute cuisine and a stellar wine collection. The Crystal
Dragon, meanwhile, delivers a delectable menu of premium Cantonese
and regional Chinese specialties in a modern Oriental setting. A
wide array of café, lounge and casual eating offerings and a
diverse selection of bars complete the F&B experience.
Nightlife: City of Dreams Manila is the location of
Pangaea and Chaos, two premium nightclubs developed by the group
led by the distinguished nightclub operator and "International King
of Clubs," Michael Van Cleef Ault.
Both clubs are situated inside the City of Dreams Manila's iconic
"Fortune Egg", an architecturally-unique structure accented with a
creative exterior lighting design, and anticipated to become a
landmark of the Manila Bay area.
Shopping: City of Dreams Manila will also be home to some
of the world's most sought-after brands. Guests can enjoy a
superlative retail experience at The Shops at the Boulevard, with
an eclectic range of international-brand outlets including
Assembly; Canali; Cesare Paciotti;
Hugo Boss; Montblanc; Paul &
Shark; Rolex and Roberto Cavalli
among many others.
DreamPlay by DreamWorks, the world's first
DreamWorks-inspired education-based interactive playspace is set to
open later this quarter.
Copyright © 2015 Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts
Corporation. All rights reserved.
All information is subject to change without notice.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements. These
statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company may
also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its
periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press
releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by
its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements
that are not historical facts, including statements about the
Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results
to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, (i)
growth of the gaming market and visitation in Macau and the
Philippines, (ii) capital and credit market volatility,
(iii) local and global economic conditions, (iv) our anticipated
growth strategies, and (v) our future business development, results
of operations and financial condition. In some cases,
forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases
such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "target", "aim",
"estimate", "intend", "plan", "believe", "potential", "continue",
"is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Further
information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or
factors is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All
information provided in this release is as of the date of this
release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such
information, except as required under applicable law.
About City of Dreams Manila
City of Dreams Manila opened its doors to the public in
December 2014 and marked the formal
entry of Melco Crown Entertainment into the fast-growing and
dynamic tourism industry in the
Philippines. The new integrated casino resort at
Entertainment City, Manila Bay, Manila, is solely operated and managed by MCE
Leisure.
The dynamic and innovative resort complex, located on an
approximately 6.2-hectare site at the gateway to Entertainment
City, includes the ultimate in entertainment, hotel, retail and
dining and lifestyle experiences with aggregated gaming space,
including VIP and mass-market gaming facilities with up to
approximately 380 gaming tables, 1,700 slot machines and 1,700
electronic table games.
The integrated resort features three distinctive entertainment
venues, including Manila's first
branded Family Entertainment Center, a live performance central
lounge inside the casino and a night club situated at the Fortune
Egg, an architecturally-unique structure,] with creative exterior
lighting design and an iconic landmark of the Manila Bay area.
City of Dreams Manila is destined to deliver an unparalleled
entertainment and hospitality experience to the Philippines and will ultimately play a key
role in strengthening the depth and diversity of Manila's leisure, business and tourism
offering, enhancing its growing position as one of Asia's premier leisure destinations. It has
been developed to specifically meet the needs of the large, rapidly
growing and increasingly diverse audience of leisure and
entertainment seekers both in the
Philippines and those visiting Manila from across the Asia region and around the world.
About Melco Crown
(Philippines) Resorts
Corporation
Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corporation, with its
shares listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE: MCP), is a
subsidiary of Melco Crown Entertainment (SEHK: 6883; NASDAQ: MPEL).
It has developed City of Dreams Manila, a casino, hotel, retail and
entertainment integrated resort in Manila, which has six hotel towers, including
the Crown Towers hotel, Nobu Hotel and Hyatt City of Dreams Manila,
numerous specialty restaurants and bars, gaming facilities, a
multi-level car park, as well as three separate entertainment
venues. For more information about Melco Crown Philippines, please
visit www.melco-crown-philippines.com.
About Melco Crown Entertainment Limited
Melco Crown Entertainment, with its shares listed on the Main
Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Hong Kong
Stock Exchange") (SEHK: 6883) and its American depositary shares
listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (NASDAQ: MPEL), is a
developer, owner and operator of casino gaming and entertainment
resort facilities in Asia. Melco
Crown Entertainment currently operates Altira Macau
(www.altiramacau.com), a casino hotel located at Taipa,
Macau and City of Dreams
(www.cityofdreamsmacau.com), an integrated urban casino resort
located in Cotai, Macau. Melco
Crown Entertainment's business also includes the Mocha Clubs
(www.mochaclubs.com), which comprise the largest non-casino based
operations of electronic gaming machines in Macau. The Company is also developing the
planned Studio City Project, a cinematically-themed integrated
entertainment, retail and gaming resort in Cotai, Macau. In the
Philippines, Melco Crown
(Philippines) Resorts
Corporation's subsidiary, MCE Leisure (Philippines) Corporation, currently operates
and manages City of Dreams Manila (www.cityofdreams.com.ph), a
casino, hotel, retail and entertainment integrated resort in the
Entertainment City complex in Manila. For more information about Melco Crown
Entertainment, please visit www.melco-crown.com.
Melco Crown Entertainment has strong support from both of its
major shareholders, Melco International Development Limited
("Melco") and Crown Resorts Limited ("Crown"). Melco is a listed
company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is substantially owned
and led by Mr. Lawrence Ho, who is
Co-Chairman, an Executive Director and the CEO of Melco Crown
Entertainment. Crown is a top-50 company listed on the Australian
Securities Exchange and led by Chairman Mr. James Packer, who is also Co-Chairman and a
Non-executive Director of Melco Crown Entertainment.
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SOURCE City of Dreams Manila