The Grand Lisboa can’t yet get the relevant licensing authorities to understand the immense cultural value of moving Robuchon a Galera up from the old Lisboa to the top floor of the new one, we understand. Nevertheless, management is pushing ahead with plans to open the Grand Lisboa’s ninth and tenth floors this month to a host of new entertainment facilities that do not, er, involve gambling, and they will be ably supported by a staff of more than 200 residing in rooms on the floor above. We understand the karaoke rooms opening there are an essential part of the group’s masterplan to drive those fiendish foreign devils from Macau’s shores. Providing some distraction for players who have already been through a hard day’s night on the baccarat tables ought to keep them from going to a rival property: anyone who has just given up a few million to Stanley Ho would surely welcome the chance to sing and drink his worries away. We get it. Look for 3Q ebitda gains at the iconic flower-shaped property.

If you think the foreign devils are sitting on their hands, however, think again. Wynn will likely never again go down this road, with memories of Tryst fresh and a preference for in-room entertainment anyway. But we can’t wait to see what both City of Dreams and the Venetian are rolling out this summer. We keep hearing about the 20,000 sqm Cubic nightclub and a Hard Rock Cafe at COD, while the Venetian is supposed to be knocking down walls soon to unveil massive new nightclubs, too.

As we have already seen from the new bar at the Mandarin Oriental, however, delivering on the service side of a new watering hole is always going to be a challenge in Macau, given the shortage of locals interested in the entertainment-service industry and the difficulty of getting imported worker quotas. We wish these operators all the best of luck and hope they will get the results they are looking for.

Used with permission & copyright to IntelMacau