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- The 13 Macau was sold earlier this year for pennies on the dollar
- The new owner is reportedly readying its comeback
The 13 Macau is reportedly betting on a comeback.
The 13 Macau Hotel is seen in the sleepy residential and workplace neighborhood of Cologne. The new owners of the property are reportedly readying a reopening plan. (Image: Shutterstock)The lavishly planned casino resort, built for $1.4 billion, was sold earlier this year for only pennies on the dollar. The property’s creditors, who acquired the defunct 199-room five-star destination, unloaded the asset in June for just HK$600 million (US$77.2 million).
The new owner, an entity controlled by Rio Hotel Macau owner Loi Keong Kuong, is said to be investing in bringing the long-dormant hotel resort up to speed by completing necessary repairs. As first reported by Inside Asian Gaming, The 13 has advertised 46 job openings, ranging from housekeepers and front-desk personnel to engineers and resort supervisors.
The job openings suggest that The 13 will reopen sometime soon, though there have been no public confirmations.
Can The 13 Compete?
Located more than one mile south of the Cotai Strip in Macau’s Cologne neighborhood, The 13 was envisioned to attract the highest of rollers in China’s casino hub. The development was conceived in 2013 at the height of Macau’s gaming industry, when gamblers lost a record $45 billion that year.
China’s crackdown on VIP junket groups has since led to fewer high rollers in Macau. The pandemic further strained The 13’s feasibility.
The 13 was to be an ultra-boutique casino resort for the ultra-rich. It was to have a small VIP gaming room with baccarat tables and slots, but the property never found a partner in one of the six licensed casino concessionaires.
Loi’s control of The 13 could remedy the gaming matter, as he held a gaming partnership at the Rio with Galaxy Entertainment until 2022. Loi is better connected to the six gaming firms than was The 13’s developer and original owner, businessman Stephen Hung.
Hung, a flamboyant Hong Kong businessman, was labeled a “bull in a China shop” for his persistence in moving forward with The 13 project despite grave VIP concerns about its economic outlook. His decision to buy 20 custom Rolls-Royce Phantom vehicles for $20 million to serve as guest shuttles long before The 13 even took its first room reservation was said to highlight his inability to make sound business decisions in Macau.
Hotel Demand Increasing
Macau continues to “Las Vegas” itself by trying to appeal to a wider demographic, specifically families and businesses. The effort is paying off, as visitor numbers are nearing pre-pandemic levels despite the VIP falloff.
As a result, demand for hotel rooms continues to rise. While Las Vegas is home to more than 150K hotel rooms, Macau has only 43K. The citywide hotel occupancy rate in 2025 through September is almost 4% higher than the prior year at 89.3%.
With visitor volume expected to rise in the coming years, Macau will presumably need more hotel rooms. But whether guests will be willing to stay in the opulent The 13, far from the bustling downtown peninsula or Cotai Strip, remains to be seen.
Loi, however, is betting his ability to turn The 13 into a profitable enterprise.
The post The 13 Macau Readying a Comeback, Bankrupt Casino Hotel Said to Be Hiring appeared first on Casino.org.
