Tourist gamble
As Macau hurtles ahead to become Asia's gaming epicentre, neighbouring Zhuhai's hospitality sector is scrambling to cope with the overspill of tourists. One hotel has gone so far as to spend up to 1 billion yuan and suspend operations for two years - to redesign its Suzhou-style gardens, upgrade guest rooms, build convention facilities and add luxury residential units.
'This is our way of responding to and preparing for the challenge,' said Mark Wang Tao, assistant general manager at the Zhuhai Hotel. 'Macau's development will make Zhuhai a more internationalised city.' The hotel, which has aged since its 1990s prime, used to be partly owned by tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun.
'Instead of [hosting] predominantly Hong Kong, Macau and mainland guests, we will be welcoming more long-haul travellers from overseas,' Mr Wang added.
The four-star hotel has hired the same architect-designer that created the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino and the Mansion at MGM Grand Hotel, both in Las Vegas. That is the Honolulu-based Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo firm, which also redesigned the casino interior of Macau's Lisboa Hotel.
These flamboyant plans reflect the hotel owner's strong faith that Zhuhai will benefit from neighbouring Macau. It is also a sign that the two cities may be putting old rivalries behind them.
Both cities have positioned themselves as tourism-driven economies. Each built a world-class airport in the mid-1990s, just 30km apart. Both celebrate an annual car-racing bonanza, each serving as the last stop on two different championship series within the International Federation of Automobile organisation.
'Increasingly, the two cities will complement each other,' said William Hon, general manager at Holiday Inn Zhuhai, who anticipates conventions and exhibitions held by mainland companies to choose Zhuhai over Macau.
'Although visa restrictions are relaxed for businessmen living within the Pearl River Delta, getting a visa to go to Macau is still difficult for those who live in northern China,' said Mr Hon.
But there are sceptics who doubt that Zhuhai will be able to stand as a tourist destination in its own right, once Macau's enormous casino-resort building projects are completed.
'Zhuhai's hotel room rates are so much cheaper than those in Macau, but that could change in a few years when all these new hotels are built,' said a Zhuhai-based hotel executive.
'[But] in a few years, an overflow from Macau will occur only if all 60,000 hotel rooms are full. How often do you think that will happen?'
