Waterfront Manila Hotel and Casino to finish phase 1 of reconstruction by late 2024

Philippine hotel operator Waterfront Philippines Inc. announced it expects to complete the reconstruction of the Waterfront Manila Hotel and Casino late next year. Ahead of the property's full opening in 2025, the company intends to launch phase one of the project by the fourth quarter of the current year.

The reconstruction of the venue comes after a major fire in March 2018, which claimed the lives of six PAGCOR employees and damaged the podium and hotel building. Hotel operations were suspended following the incident and the project was rebranded from Manila Pavilion Hotel to Waterfront Manila Hotel and Casino, reflecting a plan to include gambling operations as part of the renovation.

The opening of phase one in Q4 of 2024 would come almost three years later than originally planned. While a restoration project was launched in the same year the fire broke out, completion has been extended due to delays, partly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the depression of the travel and hospitality sectors in the years that followed the sanitary crisis.

Phase one includes the public areas including the lobby, some food and beverage outlets, and the casino area at the ground floor level up to the third floor, reports The Philippine Star. The company said it will focus its resources on the reconstruction and restoration of the podium and hotel building until its completion by next year.

Meanwhile, the second phase of the project is targeted to be finished by the second quarter of 2025, while the third and final phase is eyed by the fourth quarter of next year. The two latter phases, which include remaining hotel rooms, general amenities, and other guest facilities, are expected to be funded by the cash flows generated by the operations of the first phase and bank borrowings when necessary.