YOHO Gold Coast pushes phase 1 trial run to November

[Photo: Ricaela Diputado]

The trial operation of the revamped YOHO Gold Coast Hotel in Taipa has been pushed back to November, with the full renovation now expected to be completed by February 2027. According to remarks from YOHO Group, the project’s overhaul has “proved more difficult than expected and required greater input.”

YOHO Group set out the revised schedule in comments reported by Macau Daily on Thursday, adding that the full renovation is now expected to be completed by February 2027. The company had also previously said that the first phase could begin trial operations in the third quarter, with a full opening in the first quarter of next year.

According to information from authorities and the group, two separate hotel licensing applications have been filed for the site, one covering five-star operations and another for two-star accommodation, with a combined total of 943 rooms.

Under the current plan, YOHO Group told the Chinese-language newspaper that 243 economy-class rooms are expected to open first at the end of August, while the five-star rooms and an on-site shopping mall are now scheduled to open in November.

Phase one is scheduled to begin trial operations in November and will include the shopping mall, a banquet hall and bars, food-and-beverage and retail outlets, a food court and street-level shops.

It will also bring online 317 five-star guestrooms and suites on floors three to seven, along with a swimming pool and health club.

Phase two, comprising 383 five-star guestrooms and suites on floors eight to 13, is meanwhile expected to be completed and begin operations before the Lunar New Year.

YOHO Group added that the food court and shopping mall are being positioned around a younger, more interactive experience with a wider range of options. Green space and an ocean-inspired palette will set the tone, complemented by luxury finishes intended to “create an atmosphere that is energetic yet still upscale, catering to local residents, university students, families and tourists.”

The hillside property spans 14,918 square meters and sits next to the former University of Macau campus in Taipa. When the hotel first opened in 1992 as the five-star New Century Hotel, it had around 500 rooms. In 2013, the site was rebranded as the Beijing Imperial Palace Hotel before closing three years later amid a prolonged ownership dispute between Empresa Hoteleira and Victory Success.

Empresa Hoteleira was reportedly controlled by former junket operator and Amax chairman Ng Man Sun, while Victory Success was previously linked in media reports to Alvin Chau, the former head of Suncity Group.

Until now, the current ownership of the YOHO Gold Coast Hotel property has not been publicly disclosed.

YOHO Group states that it will invest at least MOP30 million ($3.71 million) to develop a food court at the former Greek Mythology Casino site in Taipa. The project forms part of the overhaul of the long-shuttered New Century Hotel, now rebranded as the YOHO Gold Coast Hotel.

In the article, YOHO states that the mall’s leasing response has been positive, with numerous food and beverage, retail and lifestyle brands already confirmed, including many well-known names.

“The food court spaces, fully funded by the owner through a competition to support local entrepreneurship, have been particularly popular,” it states.

The mall currently retains a limited number of high-quality shops for lease, and interested brands, food-and-beverage operators and local startup teams are welcome to discuss potential partnerships.

YOHO also states that the design team has specially preserved and upgraded the Zeus statue at the entrance of the original “Greek Mythology Casino,” which had been of concern to residents, so that residents and tourists can witness the changes over time.

The group previously put the total investment budget for the revamp of the hotel and the retail component, branded as Gold Coast Shoppes, at MOP800 million to MOP1.2 billion.