The launch of the US$1.2bn Solaire Manila Resorts, the first of four huge entertainment venues planned for Manila Bay in the Philippines, will open this weekend.
Controlled by billionaire Philippine port operator Enrique Razon, Solaire will have 300 gaming tables, 1,200 slot machines and seven restaurants. The building also has 500 hotel rooms and 2,000 parking slots.
Meanwhile, preparations are under way for the launch of the three other casinos, which all involve major foreign backers. The four will together make up Entertainment City, located near Manila's airport.
The Belle Grande, a joint venture between the Philippines' richest man, Henry Sy, Australian billionaire James Packer and Macau gaming tycoon Lawrence Ho, is scheduled to open next year, with its golden facade already having been built.
