The Macau Roosevelt | City’s latest hotel promoted as ‘urban retreat’
Tables operating at the Macau Jockey Club were relocated to the new hotel
The city’s newest hotel, the 1950s Hollywood-inspired Macau Roosevelt, held its official launch ceremony yesterday, offering a tour of its amenities to media and distinguished guests.
The 368-room hotel, which is being promoted as an “urban getaway retreat” and an “all-day playground,” has been in the works for nearly three years after its concept inauguration in October 2013.
Among the highlighted guests yesterday was the owner of the Macau Roosevelt, Mike Lam, chief executive officer of the Macau Jockey Club Angela Leong, and several high-profile government officials, including Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam and Macau Government Tourism Office head Helena de Senna Fernandes.
“We are committed to being a new urban retreat for Macau,” said Mike Lam, in his speech at the official launch ceremony.
The five-star property is seeking to distance itself from Macau’s megaresorts, through offering guests a trendy, private and more “relaxed” experience.
It’s location, adjacent to the Macau Jockey Club, affords the Macau Roosevelt a sweeping view of the horse-race track, while its other amenities include an art gallery, fitness center, and a private cigar and wine lounge.
However, the resort’s infinity pool can be truly said to be its flagship amenity. The swimming pool, which seemingly clings to the perimeter of the third floor, creates an illusion of water flowing over the edge, leaving the views of the Jockey Club, Hengqin and the South China Sea unimpeded.
Mike Lam (center) accompanied by Alexis Tam during the opening ceremony
Marc Bichet, marketing director of GCP Hospitality, which is involved in the branding and management side of the resort, stylized the property as a “lifestyle” hotel yesterday.
GCP Hospitality is a Bangkok-headquartered company in the areas of hotel management and design and branding, which represents the owners of the Macau Roosevelt. It also works with around two dozen other properties in the Asia-Pacific region, but this latest projct is the company’s first in the MSAR, according to its hotel management portfolio.
“The fact that we are just next to the Macau Jockey Club – and have this infinite pool overlooking it – will definitely position the property as the preferred Macau urban retreat,” said Bichet.
Speaking to the Times, Bichet said that the property could distinguish itself through principally two angles; it’s focus on trend and design – a vision of architect and designer Gulla Jonsdottir – and its “sophisticated social spaces”.
“Firstly, Gulla [Jonsdottir] is a very renowned designer,” said Bichet. “She has [demonstrated] a strong commitment to this property to set it aside from the rest of the hospitality [developments] in Macau. She took a strong take on 1950s Hollywood and gave it this ‘retro-twist’ to bring alive the Macau Roosevelt Hotel.”
“The second factor that will set this property apart from the ‘big boys’ [hotel operators] in Macau is the amenities and the sophisticated social spaces. We have the swimming pool and the art gallery… it’s a little bit more relaxed [than the others].”
It’s design centers around the concept of “Old Hollywood,” merged with a 21st-century chic edge. The operating company behind the hotel wants it to be known as “the sexiest stay in Asia’s favorite playground.”
“Because of its unique design and concept, a large number of never used before in Asia materials were carefully selected for the hotel such as metal erosion board, Italian marble, carved marble parquet and more,” said Mike Lam, adding that some parts of the furniture had been tailored especially for the Macau Roosevelt.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Macau Jockey Club refused to comment yesterday on the racetrack’s financial difficulties.
In a statement published in the Official Gazette last week, the Macau Jockey Club (MJC) reported an operating loss of MOP109 million in 2016. This brings the company’s accumulated losses to more than MOP4 billion, after several consecutive years of poor revenue performance. At the same time, last year the company held assets of MOP240 million and liabilities amounting to MOP1.3 billion.
The government concession for horse-racing at the Macau Jockey Club is due to expire at the end of August. The company has said it is currently in the process of applying for a renewal.
Asked about the impact of the hotel on the Jockey Club, Bichet conceded that although the two institutions would “hopefully benefit” each other, it was not the sole purpose of the property.
“Look, we’re here trying to do something a little bit different in Macau. Whoever we can benefit […] to create this community to be successful and help each other… well, we will see how it goes.”
New casino to host 30 SJM tables
The Macau Roosevelt Hotel is home to the city’s latest casino, containing 30 gaming tables and 90 slot machines. The gaming tables were formerly located at the Macau Jockey Club, under the license of SJM, before they were moved to the Macau Roosevelt. SJM will continue to provide the tables to the new hotel from its own allocation. In order to slow the growth in the number of tables, the MSAR government implemented a gaming table cap in 2013. Gaming operators are permitted to relocate their gaming tables from one casino property to another.
