First casino set to open in Danang Wednesday

Crowne International Casino in Danang will be opened to business on Wednesday after two years of construction, becoming the first gambling venue in the central seaside resort town.
The casino, which covers about 800 square meters in the Silver Shores International Resort on Danang beach, can accommodate hundreds of people at a time to play Baccarat, Blackjack, Sic bo, Roulette and Caribbean Stud Pokers, according to the casino owner.
The owner said the first group of customers to the casino would come from China, which is seen as one of the casino’s target markets besides Hong Kong and Taiwan.
In the initial stage, there will be two weekly flights from Guangzhou, China to Danang to transport guests to the casino, starting January 15 next year. Another air route from China to the city is under consideration as well, according to the casino owner.
Felix Zhang, general manager of Silver Shores International Resort, said the soft opening of the five-star resort was scheduled for January next year, with around 270 guest rooms to be put into service.
The project owner, Hoang Dat Silver Shores Exceptional International Entertainment Co. Ltd, has invested some US$1.6 billion to turn a 20-hectare site along Son Tra - Dien Ngoc Street in Ngu Hanh Son District into a relaxation and recreation complex.
The Crowne International Casino and the Silver Shores International Resort are inside the complex around seven kilometers from downtown Danang City.
The resort has 584 deluxe rooms and suites, 52 villas overlooking the sea and other facilities such as restaurants, bars, spa, banquet rooms, fitness center and retail shops.
Zhang said the resort would not only target customers from Asian countries and territories such as Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Japan but local travelers as well. As for the casino, it will be off-limits to local people under the prevailing regulations.
The grand opening of the resort is set for July 2010.
Danang has received some 1.3 million travelers this year, with Vietnamese accounting for two-thirds.
The city is more frequented by tourists from the northern provinces than those from the southern provinces.
Located near the central region’s key tourist attractions like the World Heritage-listed sites of Hoi An, My Son and Hue City, Danang has become a venue for international hotel management companies such as InterContinental Hotels, Accor, Life Resorts and Hyatt.
According to the market research company Savills Vietnam, there are about 23 three-star or higher standard hotels and resorts in Danang City, providing some 1,700 rooms.
The company’s projections indicate that the city will see around 42 hotel developments with around 7,000 three to five-star hotel rooms in the next five years.