The W Macau hotel tower, in Phase 2 of the Studio City casino resort on Cotai, has been approved for operations, confirmed the local hotel licensing body, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), in an emailed response to GGRAsia’s enquiry.
“MGTO has granted approval for the accommodation of the Studio City hotel Phase 2 (W tower) and all facilities are ready for operation,” wrote the tourism bureau.
Studio City’s majority owner, Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd, said at the start of August that the W Macau would open “in September”, and add “560 rooms” (example in an artist’s rendering) to the property.
The remark was by Lawrence Ho Yau Lung, chairman and chief executive of Melco Resorts, at the time of the firm’s second-quarter results.
A precise opening date has not been publicly disclosed.
The “W Hotel” marque is listed as a brand of hotel conglomerate Marriott International Inc on the latter’s website. The W Macau at Studio City is featured on that website, but a booking engine search for stays on various dates in the month of September returns a message: “Opening soon, September 2023”. The W Macau did not – as of Monday – appear on the list of available hotel accommodation on the website of Studio City.
Studio City started life with two hotel towers: the Celebrity Tower and the Star Tower. In early April, Melco Resorts had a soft opening for a third tower – the first new hotel space within Phase 2 of the property – called the Epic Tower, which will offer in total 338 suites.
An indoor water park has also opened in Phase 2, as an all-weather complement to an existing outdoor water park.
