Part of the Londoner Macau, the new hotel will join the existing Conrad, St Regis and Sheraton hotels in the integrated resort.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Wong announced that the majority of the construction work on the US$2bn transformation of Sands Cotai Central into Londoner Macau is now complete.

No specific date has been mentioned, but the opening could coincide with Chinese New Year 2021, which falls on February 12.

Wong in August this year had announced that the hotel should be ready to open by the third quarter, but that launch was subject to a return of Macau’s tourism trade, particularly its mainland China business.

The new opening date is now set for February, with Wong expecting it to go ahead thanks to an increase in visitor arrivals to the region.

“The Londoner Macao is planned to open in early February next year,” said Wong. “The retail and dining areas will be opened at the same time.”

“In the reconstruction and transformation of Londoner Macao, we added a concert hall and various dining venues, and have always headed in the direction of diversification and non-gaming elements.”

Visitor numbers are reportedly rising due to the resumption of the individual visit scheme (IVS) for mainland arrivals on 23 September, which has resulted in a rise in Sands’ hotel occupancy rate.

Despite this, Macau gaming revenue was still down 73% year-on-year for the month of October. The market saw revenue of MOP$7.27bn (914m). Gaming revenue over the past six months has fallen by around 90%.