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The Cotai Strip

Macau Cotai Strip | the New Vegas of Asia

Cotai is a 5.2 km2 of reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau SAR China. The Chinese and Portuguese names are a portmanteau of the two islands, Coloane and Taipa. Cotai was created to provide Macau with a new gambling and tourism area since Macau is so densely populated and land is scarce.

macau history - cotai development
Photo: The Grand MasterPlan for Cotai Strip

The Cotai Strip is trying to replicate the glitz, glamour and excitement of the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, USA. Casino developers ante up each other to spice up this gambling hotspot with world class facilities, luxury hotels, Las Vegas-style casinos, world-class entertainment and brand-name and designer shopping. Now it is up to the Macau Government to provide the public infrastructure.

The main developer of the Cotai Strip is Las Vegas Sands (LVS) which opened the US $2.4-billion Venetian Macao Resort Hotel on August 28, 2007 (note the aupicious dates 8/8). LVS is planning another seven resort hotels and casinos for the area Four Seasons and Shangri-La. (Unfortunately 2008 financial crisis is putting this on hold). By the way, the term Cotai Strip is trademarked by LVS.

macau venetian at night Although it took at least 30 years for Vegas to become Vegas, Sheldon G. Adelson, chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp, figures it'll take about five years for Cotai to become Asia's—and thus the world's—biggest gambling and entertainment Mecca.

Cotai Strip Hotels

The Cotai Strip will become a collection of hotel properties to be run by some of the most prestigious names in the hotel industry, including Four Seasons, Sheraton, St. Regis, Shangri-La, Traders, Hilton, Conrad, Fairmont, and Raffles.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. will construct and own each of the hotels, as well as operate the casinos and entertainment venues in each hotel. At completion, the Cotai Strip properties will combine to feature 20,000 guest rooms, more than 3 million square feet of retail space anchored by the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Macao shopping centre.

Showrooms and a large arena for sports and entertainment events are offered by the Cotai Strip Macau and nearly 30,000 seats of live entertainment offerings.

Sheldon G. Adelson, chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp, which also runs the Sands Macao on the Macau peninsula, had plans to invest up to $12 billion and build 20,000 hotel rooms on the Cotai Strip before the crisis hit.

Wynn Resorts and MGM

Besides LVS, other foreign and local investors are making their own moves to be part of "Asia's Las Vegas." Wynn Resorts and MGM Grand Paradise have plans to expand here from the peninsula.

City of Dreams

City of Dreams, Melco Crown Entertainment (MPEL) flagship mega entertainment resort, costing around US$2.1 billion situated on the Cotai Strip, is scheduled to open in the first half of 2009.

city of dreams

City of Dreams resort consist of 4 hotels, over 20 dining venues provide guests with regional and international dining experiences, a 2 level retail space, a theatre, stylish nightclubs, a giant silver dome, and a spacious casino with 550 gaming tables and 1,500 slot machines.

The Crown Towers Hotel and the Hard Rock Hotel will each offer approximately 300 guest rooms. Grand Hyatt Macau will offer approximately 800 guest rooms, which will be completed in the third quarter of 2009. Dragone theatre production will open its 2000 seats "Theatre of Dreams" soon thereafter. The final phase of City of Dreams will feature an apartment hotel consisting of approximately 800 units.

Galaxy Mega Resort

Themed around the concept of a "Mystical Oasis", the Galaxy mega resort will offer 2,164 5-Star luxury hotel rooms including Galaxy's own 1500 rooms, Okura Hotels and Resorts' 410 rooms and Banyan Tree Macau's 254 suites. The mega resort will have a strong Asian identity, with tropical features and design complemented by luxurious villas and cabanas, suites and rooms.

Galaxy Mega Resort

The entire Galaxy mega resort will boast a world of gastronomic delights, cocktail lounges and vibrant bars, street style entertainment, relaxation living in the playful podium gardens, white sand beach and wave pool, awe inspiring architecture, one of the largest casinos in the world, and contemporary retail boulevards with the very latest fashion accessories.

Macau Studio City

Macau Studio City has approximately 33-acre site piece of land right beside the Lotus Border Gate. However it has been a perpetual story of maybe.

Galaxy Mega Resort

If ever completed, Macao Studio City will boast some of the most comprehensive entertainment and retail facilities of any single property in Macao, as well as a one million square foot Studio Retail(TM) complex called The Mall at Studio City – created in partnership with Taubman Centers, Inc.

Harrah's Entertainment, Butch Harmon and Caesars Golf Macau

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and Butch Harmon are opening Caesars Golf Macau which "want to push the golf experience here in Macau to a new level, associated with the finest brand name". A redesigned par-72 golf course and the establishment of the Asia's first Butch Harmon School of Golf would be the highlight of the project. Caesars Golf Macau will try to recreate a golf course similar to that of the Las Vegas one, which combines golf and entertainment.

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is a private gaming corporation that owns and operates casinos, hotels, and six golf courses under several brands and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the largest gaming company in the world, with yearly revenues around $10.8 billion.

Junior players under the age of 17 who register with the Macau Golf Association will have permanent access to two dedicated reserved bays at Caesars Golf Macau's brand-new driving range, the only such full-length facility in Macau, on a complimentary basis.
Featuring 20-30 children learning about the game from June-August every school holidays, the program will be hosted at the renovated club from 2009.
A total of 12 players under the age of 17 have been identified by the Macau Golf Association and, in recognition of their potential, the group will have complimentary access to the course from 15:00 pm onwards every day and to coaching sessions with Caesars Golf Macau's Butch Harmon-trained instructors, noted the press.

Cotai Strip: Getting There

Liste here are the various ways to get to the Cotai Strip. Macau is not small at all and the Cotai strip is within 30 minute taxi ride from the Zhuhai Gonbei Border. Read more.

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