Studio City Phase 2 Indoor Water Park to open

Melco Resorts and Entertainment announced on April 6, 2023 that the Studio City Phase 2 indoor water park had opened, alongside its own-brand hotel, Epic Tower¹. The company had said on Friday, March 31 that the water park was set to open on April 6². The opening ceremony was attended by Liu Decheng, head of the economic department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macau, and Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macau Government Tourism Office, who were listed as guests of honor¹.

The water park covers approximately 26,000 square meters and connects indoor and outdoor areas². It has 7 purpose-built water slides, including Macau's first water coaster and the first indoor surfing simulator in Macau, and includes accessibility facilities for guests with disabilities². It was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the firm behind the wider Phase 2 project².

The US$1.2 billion (MOP9.6 billion) expansion of Studio City includes:

• two hotel towers with 920 rooms
• a six-screen Cineplex
• a new gaming floor of over 2,300 square meters
• 1,100 square meters of new MICE space
• one of Asia's largest indoor and outdoor water parks²

The Chinese-language report names the two hotels as W Macau and Epic Tower¹. Phase 2 will open in phases throughout the second quarter of 2023, according to Lawrence Ho Yau Lung, chairman and chief executive officer of Melco International Development, in a stock filing in early March².

Melco chairman and chief executive Ho said the opening marked a milestone for the company's diversification in Macau.

Melco said it is committed to supporting the Macao SAR Government's initiative to promote Macau as the World Centre of Tourism and Leisure².

What it means for players

The water park is a non-gaming attraction at a casino resort, so it does not change the rules for gambling in Macau. The new gaming floor of over 2,300 square meters is part of the same Phase 2 expansion², which means additional casino space at Studio City once that phase opens. Entry rules, minimum ages and the games available inside Macau casinos are set by the SAR government and the operator, and are covered in the guide to casinos and integrated resorts in Asia and the guide on whether you can gamble in Macau. The sources do not state the opening date of the new gaming floor, the number of tables or machines it will hold, or whether the water park is open to non-guests or requires a ticket.

What happens next

Melco said other Phase 2 facilities will open progressively in the third quarter of 2023¹. The first report said Phase 2 would open in phases throughout the second quarter of 2023². The sources do not give specific dates for the remaining facilities.