David Beckham has announced that he will open a bizarre new London-themed hotel in Macau next year.
The former England and Manchester United footballer, 44, is the celebrity face of The Londoner Macau, “a celebration of timeless British design” in the “Vegas of the East”.
The hotel will recreate many of the UK capital’s most famous landmarks: the exterior will be modelled after the Houses of Parliament, complete with scaled-down Big Ben; the atrium (dubbed Crystal Palace) is inspired by Claridge’s and the Strand Palace Hotel, and will host a daily ‘changing of the guards’ ceremony; designs for the hotel’s gardens are inspired by London’s Royal Parks.
Historic kings and queens of England will stroll the corridors, as will a number of recognisable figures from British literature, including several Shakespearean characters.
There will also be a retail area resembling some of London’s most renowned shopping streets (Bond Street, Savile Row, etc.), and guests will be able to participate in “eccentric street parties” and “sporting events such as Ascot horse races”.
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The project is part of a collaboration between Beckham and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which is rebranding its current Sands Cotai Central on Macau’s hedonistic Cotai Strip.
However, the ex-footballer and style icon himself, who recently shot a promotional video for the upcoming opening, is reportedly taking a leading hand in the creation of two signature David Beckham Suites, which will reflect his own design tastes.
“London is my hometown, so to be able to bring some of the things I love from there to Macao – that sense of energy, humor, and attitude in the furniture and artwork — is a great feeling,” said Beckham in an interview with Travel + Leisure.
“We’re going to have everything from our iconic black cabs outside to mini-recreations of some of London’s most famous streets inside, like Bond Street and Savile Row.”
One of 20 dining options at the hotel will be a British-style gastropub helmed by Beckham’s close friend, Gordon Ramsay, and will serve national favourites such as Sunday roast, fish and chips, and pie and mash.
The Londoner will also open with 34,000 square metres of casino space, three spas, four health clubs, and 13 ballrooms.