Sri Lanka’s City of Dreams casino to open in Q3 2025, promises tourism boost

Rajashree Seal February 5, 2025
Sri Lanka’s City of Dreams casino to open in Q3 2025, promises tourism boost

As planned, casino group Melco Resorts and Entertainment is set to open the City of Dreams casino in Sri Lanka in the third quarter of 2025, according to its project partner, John Keells Holdings (JKH). The casino is part of an integrated resort that includes the high-end Nuwa hotel and a retail mall.

Speaking on the matter, JKH Chairman Krishan Balendra confirmed, “Fit-out works relating to the remainder of the project comprising of the 113-key ‘Nuwa’ hotel and gaming operations are progressing well and are expected to be operational along with the retail mall in the third quarter of CY2025.”

The integrated resort is expected to be a “transformative development in South Asia and be a catalyst in creating tourism demand, foreign exchange earnings for Sri Lanka and generating employment.”

Phase 1 opened in Oct 2024

The first phase of the project, which includes the 687-key Cinnamon Life hotel, restaurants, and banquet facilities, began operations on 15 October 2024.

“This marked a significant culmination of events for the Group’s iconic integrated resort, which has been under construction over the last decade,” Balendra said. He added that all food and beverage offerings, including outdoor locations and a wellness centre, have been gradually launched, and all outlets at the hotel are now operational.

“As expected, the occupancy for the hotel will have a slow ramp-up till demand for conferences and foreign events gather momentum, particularly given the lag effect for such bookings to materialise,” he said.

He further added, “I am pleased to note that we have continued to receive positive feedback from our customers, keeping with expectations of the brand positioning of the integrated resort. Demand and bookings for the various event spaces at the property have exceeded expectations.”

City of Dreams Sri Lanka will be the first integrated resort in Sri Lanka and South Asia and is expected to revolutionise luxury hospitality, entertainment, and leisure in Sri Lanka, presenting an extraordinary architecture and design and a collection of iconic and unparalleled offerings including 800 hotel rooms, retail, food and beverage outlets, MICE facilities, and much more.

Earlier in April 2024, Melco announced that it had partnered with John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) to develop the ‘City of Dreams Sri Lanka’, a ground-breaking integrated resort set to redefine luxury hospitality and entertainment in the region.

The partnership between Melco and John Keells brings a $125 million investment for the fit-out and equipping of the gaming space, transforming the former ‘Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort’ into the ‘City of Dreams Sri Lanka’.

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