Megaworld targets 12,000 hotel rooms and a casino resort in Manila

Megaworld Corporation, one of the largest real estate developers in the Philippines, has set a target to operate nearly 12,000 hotel rooms by 2032 as part of a hospitality expansion that includes a large-scale hotel directly connected to its future casino resort in Manila.

The expanded portfolio will cover tourist destinations such as Palawan and Ilocos Norte, in addition to the country's major business hubs, combining the group's homegrown brands with international hotel banners.

The centerpiece is the Mövenpick Manila Bay Westside, a two-tower complex with 1,530 rooms expected to open before the end of 2026. Formerly known as Grand Westside Hotel, it is part of the Westside City township in Parañaque and will be linked via an elevated bridge to the Westside Resort casino complex.

The casino is being developed through a partnership between Travellers International Hotel Group and Suntrust Resort Holdings. Travellers International—operator of Newport World Resorts—also belongs to Alliance Global Group, the parent company of Megaworld. In other words: hotel, township, and casino end up under the same corporate umbrella.

To understand the move, one must look beyond Megaworld. Alliance Global Group (AGI) is the holding company founded by Andrew Tan and currently executive-chaired by Kevin Tan, bringing together four engines: Megaworld in real estate, Emperador in spirits—the world’s largest brandy producer—, Golden Arches Development Corporation (the McDonald's franchise in the Philippines), and Travellers International in gaming and hospitality.

That structure explains why the casino risk does not hang over the developer: Megaworld builds the land, the township, and the hotel keys; Travellers operates the gaming license. AGI captures the entire visitor flow—condo sales, office leasing, retail, food, hotel, and gaming tables—without relying on a single economic cycle.

Kevin Tan himself, President and CEO of Alliance Global, framed the move in macro terms: "Tourism is one of the most powerful engines of sustainable economic growth." Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso, President and CEO of Megaworld, framed it in terms of nation-building: "One of our greatest contributions to nation-building is helping make our tourism industry more vibrant and attractive, especially for foreign visitors."

Megaworld created Megaworld Global Hotels and Resorts (MGHR) to oversee the business through two groups: Megaworld Hotels & Resorts (MHR) and Megaworld Global Hospitality (MGH).

MHR will manage the developments in Metro Manila, Boracay, Batangas, and Cebu. MGH will be in charge of Mövenpick Manila Bay Westside, the new assets in Palawan, and three hotels in Iloilo: Courtyard by Marriott, Richmonde Hotel Iloilo, and Belmont Hotel Iloilo.

Socrates Alvaro will lead Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, with executive experience in the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, the Maldives, and Thailand. Anna Vergara will head Megaworld Global Hospitality after more than 32 years at Marriott International. The takeaway is clear: the group separated domestic operations from international brand operations, which is the one operating alongside the casino.

The expansion occurs as the Philippine gaming market loses traction. According to PAGCOR, the industry generated PHP 87.6 billion (around USD 1.4 billion) in GGR in the first quarter of 2026, a 15.87% year-on-year decline.

Licensed land-based casinos remained the largest source of revenue, with PHP 44.52 billion (USD 720.8 million) and 50.83% of the total. Electronic gaming contributed PHP 39.9 billion (USD 646 million), or 45.55%, and casinos operated directly by PAGCOR added PHP 3.17 billion (USD 51.3 million). The regulator attributed the drop to weaker discretionary spending caused by geopolitical tensions and inflation.

In the first half of 2026, hospitality was the fastest-growing recurring income segment for Megaworld: revenues rose 11% to PHP 3.1 billion (USD 50 million), driven by the opening of the 405-room Belmont Hotel Iloilo, which brought the group's portfolio in that city to nearly 1,000 keys.

The contrast is the key data point: while national GGR drops by double digits, the group's hotel occupancy rises. Megaworld is building demand before the tables, betting that the Westside City casino will open atop an already consolidated tourist flow rather than having to create it from scratch.

The move follows the playbook that has already worked in Macau and Singapore: the hotel room is the casino's true funnel. A 1,530-key sky bridge connected to the gaming floor turns every room night sold into potential table visits, with zero incremental marketing spend.

The risk lies in the timeline. The Westside City casino is already facing delays, and the hotel arrives ahead of a fully operational license; if Philippine GGR continues to retreat, Megaworld will have to sustain room inventory through pure tourism for several quarters. The advantage of having Alliance Global behind it is precisely that: the capacity to weather the cycle.