Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Dr Wong revealed that most of the major construction works on the US$2 billion transformation of Sands Cotai Central into Londoner Macao are now complete, with only the exterior wall and entrance still under construction.

“The Londoner Macao is planned to open in early February in next year,” he said. “The retail and dining areas will be opened at the same time.”

Dr Wong emphasized that the company is continuously eager to develop non-gaming elements in its projects in Macau.

“In the re-construction and transformation of Londoner Macao, we added a concert hall and various dining venues, and have always headed in the direction of diversification and non-gaming elements,” he said.

He also stated his belief that hotel occupancy rates at the company’s properties in Macau could climb above 40% in December while gross gaming revenues will continue to improve step by step. The high-end retail sector had improved significantly in recent weeks, he added.

The transformation of The Londoner Macao will see the property’s main façade recreate the architecture of the Houses of Parliament, including a replica of the Big Ben clock. Featuring a new 6,000-seat arena, rebranded retail mall and street shows, the Londoner Macau also has a VR experience plus a new Dongbei and Sichuan cuisine restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a British styled restaurant named Churchill’s Table and a gastropub by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

The project will also broaden the current MICE capabilities and intends to bring West End shows to its theater. A Piccadilly Circus Eros statue, double-decker buses, pubs, telephone booths, British pop culture, the Changing of the Guards and many of the icons that make London famous will all be part of The Londoner Macao.

The gaming space itself won’t change but Sands China has hinted it may feature more gaming options, with capacity for up to 450 tables and 2,000 slot machines. There will be more than 6,000 hotel rooms across four hotels with around 600 of those will be in the form of luxury suites in the hotel, formerly known as Holiday Inn Macau.