Hong Kong-based developer Imperial Pacific International (IPI) is set to host a soft opening of the gambling portion of its Imperial Pacific Resort Hotel – Saipan on March 31, the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Casino Commission announced on Thursday.
IPI has informed commission members that construction of the building that will host the gambling facility is almost halfway completed. Only the casino portion of the resort will be unveiled at the end of next month. Construction of the hotel part of the resort is slated to be completed before the initially slated August deadline.
Best Sunshine Live casino, as the gambling venue has been presented as part of the project, is now and for now hosted by the nearby T-Galleria building. Casino commissioners noted that they had advised the developer to extend its contract with the casino’s temporary home before its expiration in April. They explained that there could be multiple factors to delay construction and preparatory work, including inclement weather. However, the company behind the ambitious project had confirmed that there would be a soft opening ceremony at the end of March and therefore there would be no need of extension to the current contract.
IPI’s resort is expected to spread over a 140,000-square-meter area on the Saipan Island, which has long been a popular tourist destination. The complex will include gambling facilities, five-star hotels, and a number of dining, entertainment, and other different options that are regarded as quite attractive to a wide range of international visitors.
The casino portion is set to feature over 200 gaming tables and at least 350 slot machines. A 14-story hotel building will accommodate guests in over 340 suites. As for the dining options, the resort will offer more than 26 foot and beverage concepts by renowned Asian and European chefs.
Here it is important to note that IPI is set to launch Phase One of its project this year. A second phase will be developed and rolled out at a later point and is set to feature more hotels, including six-star ones, a duty-free shopping boulevard, as well as a number of other attractions.
