GGRAsia – Raffles hotel Galaxy Macau not open by Labour Day: report

Raffles hotel Galaxy Macau not open by Labour Day: report

Apr 25, 2023 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck

The launch of the ‘Raffles at Galaxy Macau’ hotel tower (pictured, centre), part of Cotai’s Galaxy Macau Phase 3 project, would be “not in time for the Labour Day holiday,” reported the Sing Tao newspaper in Hong Kong. It mentioned a “labour issue”, adding this was an “industry-wide” problem.

The news outlet also noted – citing a spokesperson for Galaxy Macau’s promoter, casino concessionaire Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd – that the target was to open the new hotel tower within the current quarter.

GGRAsia approached Galaxy Entertainment for comment on the report, but had not received a reply by the time this story went online.

Labour Day proper, is May 1. But China’s State Council has this year designated April 29 to May 3 inclusive, as a holiday period on the Chinese mainland. The break is sometimes referred to by investment analysts as “May Golden Week”, as it is typically a time of high demand for hospitality and gaming services in Macau.

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), the body in charge of hotel licensing in the city, told GGRAsia in late March that the 450-suite Raffles at Galaxy Macau, had been approved for operation.

Timing for the launch of another new hotel at Galaxy Macau Phase 3 – Andaz Macau – would depend on factors including the “performance of Raffles”, and “market demand”, reported Sing Tao, citing the casino company. Andaz Macau has 700 rooms and suites, according to corporate information.

Galaxy Macau Phase 3 also features the Galaxy International Convention Center. It has been operational since the middle of April, when it hosted its first corporate sales convention, and then a concert by K-pop boy band Treasure on Saturday (April 22), according to company information.

The existing hotels at the Galaxy Macau complex are already fully booked for most of the nights of the five-day break surrounding Labour Day, according to checks by GGRAsia as of Monday.

Banyan Tree Macau and the Ritz-Carlton, Macau currently have no rooms available on any of the five nights of the upcoming break. The Galaxy Hotel and JW Marriott Hotel Macau currently have no availability for the first four nights of the Labour Day holiday, the property’s booking engine shows. Hotel Okura Macau also no availability for the first three nights.