ACAO,
Aug. 5, 2011 -- Sands China Ltd., a majority-held subsidiary
of global resort developer Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), today
announced
that franchise agreements with Hilton Worldwide and IHG
(InterContinental
Hotels Group) will see the two leading companies launch their
respective Conrad
and Holiday Inn brands at Sands' newest Cotai Strip ® development
in
Macao starting early next year.
Sands
China also announced today that the property long-referred to as
parcels five
and six has now officially been named Sands
Cotai Central. Arguably the largest and most ambitious development
in the history of the hospitality and gaming industry, Cotai Central
will
feature a combination of 6,000 rooms and suites from the Conrad,
Sheraton, Sheraton
Towers and Holiday Inn brands. It will also have expansive meeting and
convention space, two casinos, and a wide and diverse offering of
luxury retail
outlets, entertainment and dining options.
"When
the doors to the rooms and suites at Cotai Central start swinging open
early
next spring, Macao's metamorphosis from a gaming-centric regional
location into
an international leisure and business destination will be one step
closer to
completion," said Mr. Sheldon G. Adelson, who serves as chairman of
both
Sands China Ltd. and Las Vegas Sands Corp. "With
internationally-renowned
hotel brands, countless non-gaming attractions, and casino facilities
which
represent less than two percent of the property's total space, we would
be
proud to have Cotai Central become the government's model for future
development in Macao."
Mr.
Adelson added that the openings at Cotai Central will provide thousands
of new
non-gaming jobs, grow non-gaming revenues, and expand a variety of
non-gaming
business segments in Macao, specifically the Meetings, Incentive,
Convention
and Exhibition trade. "When combined with our existing properties,
Cotai
Central will provide the critical mass I've always said is necessary to
persuade a larger and broader set of meeting and convention organizers
into
holding their events in Macao," stated Mr. Adelson.
Hilton
Worldwide's five-star Conrad Macao, Cotai Strip is expected to open at
Cotai
Central in the first quarter of 2012 and will feature more than 600
rooms and
suites. Conrad Macao, Cotai Strip joins open Conrad Hotels in Hong Kong
and
Sanya Haitang Bay, and a pipeline of 18 Conrad Hotels and Resorts
scheduled to
open within the next four years, including seven hotels under
construction in
Dalian, Beijing, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Qingdao and Xiamen in
China and
other global destinations such as Koh Samui (Thailand), New York, Seoul
(South
Korea) and Dubai. Specializing in luxury and sophisticated hotels and
resorts,
Hilton Worldwide currently operates 3,750 hotels in 84 countries.
The
four-star Holiday InnMacao, Cotai Strip by IHG is also scheduled to
open late
first quarter 2012. It will feature more than 1,200 rooms and suites.
IHG is
the world's largest hotel company by number of rooms. Present in over
50
Chinese cities, IHG is currently the largest international hotel
company in
Greater China with more than 150 hotels open under five brands and
nearly
another 150 hotels in the development pipeline. As part of its rapid
expansion,
one in four of the hotel rooms that IHG opens over the next five years
will be
in China.
"The
Cotai Strip combination of The Venetian Macao, Four Seasons at The
Plaza Macao,
Conrad, Sheraton, Sheraton Towers and Holiday Inn will provide the
broadest and
best selection of hospitality products suitable for families, business
travelers and independent travelers at multiple price points," said Mr.
Edward Tracy, president and chief executive officer of Sands China Ltd.
"Cotai Central will specifically provide high-end branded products for
premium guests seeking a luxury lifestyle, with a diverse range of
entertainment, retail, dining and accommodation for affordable luxury
on the
Cotai Strip."
Mr.
Tracy said that Hilton and IHG will bring their own competitive
advantages,
sales infrastructure and brand values to Cotai Central, which will
complement
existing anchor Sands China properties and further increase and enhance
Macao's
reputation as the premier and most diversified tourism destination in
the
region.
About Sands China Ltd.
For more information about Sands China Ltd.,
please visit www.sandschinaltd.com.
About Hilton Worldwide
For
more information about Hilton Worldwide, visit www.hiltonworldwide.com.
About IHG
For
more information about InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), visit www.ihg.com.