The pace of Macau's development has been astonishingly robust over the 10 years since 1999. Who could have imagined the small former Portuguese colony, with little more than 3,000 five-star hotel rooms in 1999, would evolve into an international destination boasting 10,946 five-star and six-star rooms.
According to the Macau Hotel Association, it started with eight members in 1985. In 1999, there were 22 members and today the membership has mushroomed to 45.
In terms of the average room rate, in 1999 it was 428 patacas, with 6,833 available rooms. This year the Government Tourist Office reported the average room rate was 972 patacas, with 90 hotels and 19,256 rooms.
Even more amazing is the fact that the new wave of hotels didn't take off until 2006, when the 600-room, Las Vegas style Wynn Macau opened its doors. Since then, the Cotai Strip has stolen the international limelight, with the slither of reclaimed land bearing the world's highest density of cranes.
The Cotai Strip includes the mammoth Venetian complex, which opened in 2007 and boosted the room inventory by 3,000, followed by the 400-room Sofitel Macau and 360-room Four Seasons last year. As the newest resort-casino project, the US$2.1 billion City of Dreams debuted in June and offers a diverse range of accommodation with 1,400 rooms.
President Greg Hawkins says: 'From the contemporary luxury of the Crown Towers hotel, to the entertainment-themed Hard Rock Hotel and the Grand Hyatt Macau, with its positioning as one of Macau's most sophisticated luxury conference and meetings hotels, City of Dreams is helping to reinforce Macau's appeal as a multiday stay destination for both the Asian and international visitor.