Okada Manila, the $2.4-billion integrated casino and entertainment facility owned by Japanese mogul Kazuo Okada and businessman Antonio Cojuangco, is set to open on Dec. 21.
Cojuangco said in an interview at the sidelines of the Pilipinas Conference at Manila Peninsula in Makati City that Okada Manila was on track to open this December, after a one-month delay.
“Yes, it will open on Dec. 21,” Cojuangco said.
Okada-owned Universal Entertainment Corp. last month raised another $200 million from issuance of privately-placed notes to partially finance the construction and operating costs for the opening of Okada Manila.
More than 18,000 workers also are currently working on the site to ensure the completion of the project.
The 44-hectare world-class integrated resort will be third integrated casino and resort to open within the government-sponsored Entertainment City in Parañaque.
Okada Manila will have a two-wing hotel with 993 rooms ranging from 55 square meters for deluxe rooms to 1,400-sqm villas. All rooms will feature breathtaking views of either the Manila Bay or the property’s iconic fountain.
The casino floor will occupy a total floor area of over 26,000 sqm and provide up to 500 table games and 3,000 electronic gaming machines. The facility will offer 21 food and beverage outlets serving international cuisine from casual to fine dining.
The property will also feature an iconic dancing fountain that rivals the best in Las Vegas and Dubai and will be the first to implement a 360-degree immersive water projection in the world.
Okada Manila was earlier scheduled to open in November. However, the construction lagged behind the original plan because of “worse-than-expected weather conditions.”
Okada, the Japanese billionaire who amassed a fortune selling machines for Japanese pachinko parlors, won one of four provisional gaming licenses awarded for the Manila casino hub in 2008.
Solaire Resort & Casino of Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which became operational in March 2013 was the first integrated resort and casino to open in Entertainment City. It was followed by City of Dreams Manila led by Macau-based Melco Crown group which opened in February 2015.