Posted on: March 18, 2024, 12:05h.
Last updated on: March 17, 2024, 06:08h.
French hotelier Accor International Group recently broke ground on its $300 million casino resort in Subic Bay, a popular weekend getaway destination for Metro Manila residents.
Accor last week began construction of the resort casino. Accor is operating in the Philippines under an entity called Subic Sun Convention Resort and Casino, Inc.
The casino is being built in the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, which is governed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). The resort will be within walking distance of the Subic Bay Yacht Club and a short three-minute drive to the beach.
We are all excited to see the realization of a magnificent architectural concept, which I am certain will steer the economic growth of the freeport to greater heights,” commented Eduardo Jose Aliño, the chairperson of the SBMA.
Subic Bay is about a two-hour drive from Metro Manila. The Special Economic and Freeport Zone was formerly a major US Navy base where ships were repaired and supplied.
The Subic Bay Naval Base was the US Armed Forces’ largest overseas military installation until it was decommissioned in 1992. The military facility was used by the US from 1945 and helped assist troops and military operations during the Vietnam War.
Global Hotel Leader
Accor is one of the world’s largest hoteliers with over 40 hotel brands, 5,600 hotels, and 822,000 rooms spread across 110 countries.
Among the company’s brands are Fairmont, Orient Express, Raffles, Banyan Tree, Novotel, SLS, and Sofitel. Another Accor brand, Delano, operates in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay.
Accor is already heavily invested in the Philippines with 11 hotels. However, Accor’s next project in the Philippines will include its first casino in the Southeast Asia nation.
The $300 million investment will result in a casino resort featuring two hotels. Phase one of the project includes a 175-room Ibis Styles hotel with a swimming pool, gym, and meeting space.
The second phase will bring a Mercure hotel to the destination with 250 room keys. The Mercure property will include a resort pool with a swim-up bar and convention facilities.
Ibis Styles Subic is expected to open next year. Mercure Subic is expected to open in 2026. Accor bills the Ibis brand as an economy hotel and Mercure as “midscale.”
Accor is no stranger to gaming. The group in 1997 acquired a majority stake in SPIC — Société de Participations et d’Investissements de Casinos — which at the time was the fourth-largest gaming operator in France. Accor also holds gaming licenses in Australia, Belgium, Morocco, and Uruguay.
Subic Bay Casinos
Subic Bay is currently home to just two casinos, with both operated by the Philippines government via its Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
The PAGCOR Club Venezia is located at the Venezia Hotel inside the Freeport Zone. The Subic Bay Yacht Club additionally operates a PAGCOR satellite gaming facility.
PAGCOR has set a 2026 target to sell off its physical casino assets and transition to a regulatory-only capacity. PAGCOR is the only government gaming regulator that additionally runs casinos. The conflict of interest has long been questioned.
