New luxury hotel to open in City of Dreams

A new luxury hotel brand called NÜWA will soon debut in integrated gaming resorts City of Dreams Manila and Macau, replacing Crown Towers Hotel in these flagship resorts of gaming giant Melco Resorts & Entertainment.

NÜWA will open its doors in both City of Dreams Macau and Manila on Jan. 16, 2018, marking the exit of Australian billionaire James Packer from a decade-long partnership with Macau casino mogul Lawrence Ho.

“We are excited to introduce NÜWA. The new hotel brand embodies the very essence of Melco’s pursuit to provide our guests the very best in sophistication, quality and innovation,” Ho, Melco Resorts and Entertainment chair and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

Inspired by the eponymous heroine from Chinese mythology—referring to the goddess of order who created humans and saved the world from destruction—NÜWA is seen to represent classic Asian refinement.

“The new brand further exemplifies Melco’s core mission to continue providing a better guest experience, Melco’s statement said, adding that this was the first step in the preparation of the launch of phase III of City of Dreams Macau in the second quarter of 2018.

In the Philippines, the Crown Towers operates about 174 guest rooms.

The rebranding of Crown Towers in both City of Dreams Manila and Macau follows Packer’s divestment from Melco Resorts last year. The gaming firm has since then dropped “Crown” from its corporate name.

Packer’s Crown Resorts Ltd. sold its remaining stake in Melco for $987 million in May last year, saying it would use the proceeds to pare down debts.

For its part, City of Dreams Manila operator Melco Resorts and Entertainment (Philippines) Corp. turned profitable in the third quarter on robust casino revenues from its integrated resort along Manila Bay.

The Philippine unit of Macau casino giant Melco posted a net profit of P117.34 million in the third quarter, reversing the P173.53 million net loss in the same period last year. —DORIS DUMLAO-ABADILLA