Ocean Park in Hong Kong hopes to become a premier resort destination with the opening of its first hotel in June.
The theme park’s chief executive, Matthias Li, told the South China Morning Post that he expects the Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel to spark double-digit growth in visitor numbers and revenue.
“This will be a milestone for Ocean Park. This will bring a more holistic and diverse experience to not only the tourists but also locals. We expect to attract more visits and longer duration of stay,” he said.
An uptick in revenue is needed for Ocean Park after it recorded a deficit of HK$234.4m ($29.9m) in the financial year ending June 2017. That result was an improvement on the HK$241.1m ($30.8m) loss the year before, however attendance figures dipped 4% in the same period.
Constructed at a cost of $639m, the 471-room, five-star hotel is due to open June 13. Owned by property developer Lai Sun Group, it includes facilities for meetings and conventions, as well as for families attending the park. The hotel has a 16m high aquarium in the lobby, lagoons, a ballroom and a rooftop garden.
Yiu Si-wing, a member of Hong Kong’s legislative council, told the South China Morning Post that the hotel would make Ocean Park more competitive.
“Ocean Park’s attractions to mainland tourists has been weakening as there is a similar park in Zhuhai with excellent supporting facilities such as a grand hotel providing more than 1,000 rooms,” he said.
Li hopes that the hotel will also attract more international visitors. He said that the park plans to launch more educational programs to attract more families, including those from overseas.
Last week, the park announced it was seeking expressions of interest from companies that can provide a replacement to its current ticketing and admission system. This followed an announcement in January that it was searching for a lead consultant on an indoor kids’ club project.
Image: c. Marriott.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2132413/hong-kongs-struggling-ocean-park-expects-launch-marriott
