It’s not a stretch too far to say that the eyes of the world’s press were on Macau on Tuesday October 27, more specifically on Cotai, as Studio City opened its art deco doors to the public for the first time.
The new Hollywood-inspired Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. integrated resort has pulled out all the stops to make its position clear: this is about more than just a casino resort, Studio City wants to raise the bar in Macau’s new direction as a non-gaming destination.
To set the tone, ‘the most expensive short film ever made’ in the form of Martin Scorsese’s short film, The Audition, did more than just characterize Studio City on screen; it brought the biggest names in American cinema to the red carpet on the opening night. Robert de Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio accompanied the esteemed director to the opening ceremony, in the company of Mr. Fernando Chui, Chief Executive of Macao SAR, co-chairman and chief executive officer of Melco Crown Entertainment Limited, Lawrence Ho and his wife Sharen, as well as co-chairman of Melco Crown Entertainment Limited, James Packer and his date, singer Mariah Carey.
The opening ceremony was held in the property’s new City Event Centre, a venue for live concerts, theatrical performances and sporting events with seating for 5,000, which will also host a concert by Madonna early next year.
Entertainment is the name of the game at Melco Crown’s new venture and the property boasts more international-brand entertainment amenities under one roof than any other integrated resort in the market.
“The opening of Studio City stands as testament to Melco Crown Entertainment’s commitment to help evolve and greatly enhance Macau’s non-gaming entertainment proposition, as we continue to work towards our strategic aim in supporting its evolution into a highly-diversified and world-leading leisure and tourism destination,” Ho told a packed room at a press conference on the morning of the opening.
With 1,600 hotel rooms, 250 gaming tables, fine dining, a Batman Dark Flight simulator, The House of Magic and the distinct Golden Reel – the world’s highest figure-8 Ferris wheel – the MOP25.54 billion property has created a number of ‘firsts’ across the board.
The most immediate distinction is the art deco style and Hollywood old school glamour of the building itself. Casinos and cinema are easy bedfellows, and Studio City has carved itself out as a landmark in a small area of land punctuated with a number of in-the-works properties all vying for attention.
Jay Dee Clayton, Property President of Studio City, spoke to Macau CLOSER about the decisions behind the concept of the property’s Art Deco cinematic design.
“The ‘Heroes of Steel’ statues, towering some 30 meters, dominate the entrance of Studio City. These statues reach to the sky with lit ‘orbs’ in an uplifting futuristic tableau as part of a ‘Hollywood Studio’ style entrance,” Mr. Clayton explains. “The concept is partly inspired by the character Atlas from ancient Greek mythology. The figures are constructed from stainless steel and weigh 180 tons each. More than 1,000 individual drawings and more than 100,000 man-hours were required to complete the statues over a period of three years.”
Perched at the top centre of the building is the unmissable Golden Reel, described as “Art Deco meets Gotham City”. Set 130 metres above the ground, it offers a 15-minute panoramic ride, travelling around a figure-8 track high above Cotai. The developers explain that it was “born from an epic Hollywood-inspired tale of two asteroids careering through Studio City’s main façade and leaving a perfect ‘8’ shaped hole.”
The Industrial Revolution-themed loading platform 23 floors up, is where passengers alight the ‘Steampunk’-themed cabins. With 17 cabins in total, carrying up to 10 people at a time, the ride is scenic and gentle, with a glass floor offering an extra edge to the experience for those with a penchant for nervousness when that high above the ground.
“The ‘Golden Reel’ took three and a half years from preparation to completion with more than 100 engineers and workers involved in this project. It is a ‘world first’ technological innovation that reinvents the gondola-ride and Ferris wheel experience for our visitors,” notes Mr Clayton.
For accommodation, Studio City Hotel features 1,600 rooms over two distinct towers. The Star Tower “delivers the ultimate in lavish facilities and service to more discerning guests” while the Celebrity Tower provides “a deluxe hotel experience for group travellers”.
Spanning over 21,800 square meters, Studio City’s recreational facilities include an outdoor pool and Jacuzzis; a white sand beach; private cabanas; a pool bar and a 260-meter Riverscape Ride. The ride is divided into three routes, one wide, one high and one low, each leading into separate splash pools.
On the holistic treatment side, Zensa Spa has a total of 13 treatment rooms and offers guests facilities including vitality pools, saunas, steam and snow rooms.
DINING
Famous names in the world of food couldn’t be left off the list at Macau’s newest opening, and the name call is impressive.
Heir to four generations of Alsatian bakery and pastry-making tradition, Pierre Hermé has revolutionized pastry-making in terms of taste and modernity. At the Pierre Hermé Paris boutique at Studio City, gourmet enthusiasts have the chance to sample his world-famous macaroons and whimsical chocolate snacks, not to mention a wide range of cakes and other addictive confectionary.
Studio City’s culinary offerings boast restaurants by chefs with a combined 18 Michelin stars. Pearl Dragon, helmed by acclaimed Chef Tam Kwok Fung is the signature Chinese restaurant.
“Pearl Dragon showcases exquisite Cantonese specialties blended with an innovative modern menu offering the best in quality natural organic and farm-fresh ingredients from around the world, with a range of Chinese herbal soups specially prepared by professional Chinese herbal practitioners,” explains Chef Tam ahead of the official opening.
‘Global Chef Award’ winner Hidemasa Yamamoto is opening his first restaurant in Macau, Hide Yamamoto, at Studio City. He revealed that the new restaurant’s four authentic dining experiences serve guests a taste of market fresh fish flown in daily from Tsukiji market at the sushi bar; sizzling teppanyaki; the highest quality Japanese wagyu at the robata station; and homemade ramen prepared with a 110-year-old traditional technique.
“We aim to bring the spirit of tanoshi (fun) to all our guests,” he says.
Two internationally-renowned culinary masters will be opening their restaurants at Studio City later in 2016. With his restaurants awarded a combined total of 19 Michelin stars, Chef Alain Ducasse is one of the world’s most celebrated chefs.
“I aim to deliver my own personal interpretation of contemporary French cuisine – refined and elegant, using the best fish and shellfish as a base,” explains Chef Ducasse.
And Chef Alan Wong opens his Alan Wong restaurant in Macau, bringing Hawaiin regional cuisine to the territory for the first time.
“I am looking forward to discovering local tastes and flavors and hopefully giving guests my own interpretation of local dishes, as well as the classic favorites that the people of Hawaii love,” says Chef Wong.
ENTERTAINMENT
Pacha Macau will bring Ibiza-style nightlife to Macau and Greater China for the very first time. With venues in major cities including Ibiza, New York, Buenos Aires and Sydney, Pacha is one of the biggest names in nightclubs. With seating capacity for 494, Macau’s club has an exterior patio and four private rooms and features resident DJs from around the world on a weekly basis.
Studio 8 is a 300-seat live-audience TV broadcast studio for reality and game-show productions distributed in Asia. As Studio City’s Jay Dee Clayton explains: “Studio 8 is the only TV studio facility in Macau to provide open access ‘plug-and-play’ facilities to create a fully operational television recording and broadcast studio. It is a state-of-the-art studio facility with the necessary infrastructure for world-class TV productions. It is set to become a broadcast entertainment-hub used for filming, recording and watching Asia’s top television shows. We will announce the TV shows lined up for production and filming in due course.”
A 40,000-square-foot family entertainment centre, Warner Bros. Fun Zone features characters from the Warner Bros., DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera Productions and Looney Tunes entertainment franchises. The ACME Bounce-O-Matic is good fun and surprisingly more adventurous than it appears at first glance (take it from us) amid a host of other attractions, including DC Comics Super Hero Raceway, Warner Bros. Hypercade and DC Comics Super Hero Action Area.
There is one ride that is guaranteed to have you grinning like a little kid and that’s the Batman Dark Flight. In collaboration with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, Batman Dark Flight is the world’s first flight simulation ride based on the Batman franchise. The immersive ‘flying theater’ 4D motion ride provides thrill-seekers with a dynamic flying experience based on a digitally animated Batman storyline.
From flying through the city in the Batplane to racing around the streets in a high-speed car chase, the adrenaline was real enough to convince our colleague seated next to us during the ride to duck a few times during the virtual fly-through over Gotham City. He claimed he was just getting into the spirit. We think otherwise. Probably one of the best ways to spend 15 minutes in Macau.
One magical experience can only be followed by another, and for that there is The House of Magic. A multi-theatre attraction, housing magic acts performed by magicians from around the world, the show is curated and hosted by acclaimed illusionist, Franz Harary.
Harary’s career took off when he sent a videotape of his illusions to Michael Jackson and it was his successful collaboration with the King of Pop that saw his name skyrocket and catapult him to the success he enjoys today.
In Macau The House of Magic will use three stages, bringing industry names to Studio City and giving audiences three magic shows for the price of one. After seeing short acts in two different 150-seat parlor magic theatres, guests are led to the main act in a 300-seat main theatre to experience Franz Harary’s ‘Mega Magic’ – 90 minutes created especially for The House of Magic.
One of the first names on the list of international acts at The House of Magic is Portuguese illusionist Luis de Matos.
“Luis has been a dear friend for 20 years. What he does is incredible, he is a star and I am so proud and excited to have him as one of our first big stars here, because he not only brings real magic, but also a true slice of Portugal. He’s arriving in the next weeks and staying for three months.”
RETAIL
If international cuisine is not enough of a draw at Studio City, the 35,000-square-meter The Boulevard is an ‘immersive’ retail experience, that brings iconic shopping destinations such as Times Square and Hollywood’s Beverly Hills to life in Macau, by ‘transporting visitors to high-energy street-scapes and entertaining them at every turn with featured streets and squares inspired by iconic shopping and entertainment locations’.
Merchandised, marketed and managed by Taubman Asia, The Boulevard at Studio City includes Macau’s first Balmain store and Belstaff store, as well as Tom Ford’s largest store in Asia pacific. Other brands include Bulgari, Dunhill, Fendi and Graff.
At the connection between two theme retail streets lies Times Square Macau, modelled on the world famous Times Square in New York. Complete with the billboards that make the American landmark so iconic, a poster for Madonna’s upcoming Macau show, scheduled for February 20 and 21 2016, beams over the space. Also on show are holographic projections showcasing real and imaginary musicians and entertainers, with Pacha’s bright cherry logo lighting up the centre of the square.
