(Macao, August 28, 2008) – One year after the
hugely successful opening of Macao’s first truly integrated casino resort – The
Venetian® Macao – Las
Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) today celebrated the opening of its second Cotai
Strip® property, the Four
Seasons Hotel Macao. The celebration also marked the world premiere of Cirque du Soleil®’s ZAiA™ at The
Venetian Macao, and the official opening of the luxurious new Shoppes at Four
Seasons.
“Today marks yet another
significant milestone in the overall effort to transform Macao into an international leisure and business
destination,” said Sheldon G. Adelson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Las Vegas Sands Corp. “The key to building
a successful tourist destination is being able to assemble the critical mass of
attractions needed to make the location more unique and compelling than its rival
destinations. That is why we continue to
add more and more important components, like luxury retail and world-class entertainment,
to our Cotai Strip development. The Cotai Strip’s array of leisure,
entertainment, and business offerings has already helped Macao
attract a greater number of visitors from across the region and beyond and in
the longer-term its popularity will further facilitate Macao’s evolution into an extremely
successful and desirable international tourist destination.”
The new Four Seasons
Hotel Macao, which is owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp., but operated and managed
by the world-renowned Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, features 360 beautifully
appointed guestrooms and suites. It also
includes several food and beverage offerings, an exquisite pool and garden
area, and a variety of conference, banquet and business services and
facilities.
“The arrival of the Four
Seasons Hotel Macao, combined with the world-class retail brands of the Shoppes
at Four Seasons, names like Gucci, Hermes, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and more, is a
signal that a new era of luxury has arrived in Macao and that the Cotai Strip
is ready to compete with the world’s top luxury destinations” said William
Weidner, President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. “Business and leisure travelers to Macao have given their
seal of approval to our commitment to class and quality. As a prime example, in
only its first year of operation The Venetian Macao has attracted nearly 25
million visitors and according to a study conducted by the University of Macao,
more than 60 percent of all visitors to Macao
identify a trip to The Venetian as their primary reason for visiting Macao.”
Weidner said the Cotai
Strip’s growing reputation as one of the most luxurious destinations in Asia will be further enhanced by next year’s arrival of
the St. Regis and Shangri-La hotel brands.
He also said that ZAiA, Cirque du
Soleil’s first permanent production to open in Asia, further establishes Macao
and Cotai Strip as a premier destination for world-class entertainment,
especially when combined with the Cotai StripÒ CotaiArenaÔ, which has already
hosted more than 120,000 spectators since opening last August and has featured
international acts like Beyonce, Celine Dion and The Police, as well as a
variety of popular Asian acts and sporting events – including a Roger
Federer-Pete Sampras tennis match and exhibition basketball games featuring the
USA’s 2008 Olympic Gold Medal basketball team.
ZAiA, which is presented
in a custom-built 1,800 seat theatre inside The Venetian Macao, celebrates its
World Premiere this evening with a special VIP performance.
The Shoppes at Four Seasons
is Macao’s
first luxury shopping mall. The 211,000
square-foot mall is connected to the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Macao
and the Four Seasons Hotel Macao. It
features approximately 180 luxury brands, including more than 60 brands, not
previously offered in Macao. It also includes a variety of unique customer
service, including a mall concierge, image consultants, private shoppers, hotel
delivery service and complimentary limousine transportation.
# # #
Statements in this press
release, which are not historical facts, are "forward looking"
statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve a
number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond the Company's control,
which may cause material differences in actual results, performance or other
expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to general economic
conditions, competition, new ventures, government regulation, legalization of
gaming, interest rates, future terrorist acts, insurance, and other factors
detailed in the reports filed by Las Vegas Sands Corp. with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
ABOUT LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) is
the leading international developer of multi-use integrated resorts.
The Las Vegas, Nevada-based company
owns and operates The Venetian
Resort-Hotel-Casino, The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino and the Sands Expo and
Convention Center in Las Vegas and The Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel and the Sands Macao
in the People’s Republic of China
(PRC) Special Administrative Region of Macao. The company is currently
constructing two additional integrated resorts: Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania;
and Marina Bay Sands™ in Singapore.
LVS is also creating the Cotai
Strip™, a master-planned development of resort-casino properties in Macao. Additionally, the
company is working with the Zhuhai Municipal People’s Government of the PRC to
master-plan the development of a leisure resort and convention complex on Hengqin Island in the PRC.