Megaworld Targets 12,000 Hotel Rooms by 2032, Casino Linked

Kyle Kevin

iGaming Writer

Fact Checked

Megaworld plans to nearly double its hotel portfolio to 12,000 rooms by 2032. The expansion includes a 1,530-room property linked to a new Manila casino resort.

Megaworld Corp will expand its hotel portfolio to nearly 12,000 rooms by 2032. The Philippine property developer currently manages roughly 7,000 rooms across 15 properties. The 71% increase requires six new hotels with more than 2,000 rooms already in the pipeline, plus additional developments in Palawan, Ilocos Norte and other tourism hubs. The centrepiece is Mövenpick Manila Bay Westside. The 1,530-room, two-tower hotel sits within Megaworld’s Westside City township in Parañaque. It connects via sky bridge to the Westside Resort casino complex. The property, formerly called Grand Westside Hotel, will open under the Mövenpick brand by late 2026. It also links to the Philippines’ 2,000-seat Grand Opera House. Megaworld’s hospitality revenue hit PHP3.1 billion in H1 2026, up 11% year-on-year. The segment is now the company’s fastest-growing recurring income stream. Alliance Global president Kevin Tan called tourism “one of the most powerful engines of sustainable economic growth.” His group is betting heavily on that engine.

Megaworld Targets 12,000 Hotel Rooms by 2032

The 12,000-room target represents a near-doubling of Megaworld’s current portfolio. The company has established Megaworld Global Hotels and Resorts to oversee the expansion. The new division splits the portfolio into two groups. Megaworld Hotels & Resorts manages existing domestic properties. Megaworld Global Hospitality handles international-branded properties and new developments. Socrates Alvaro will serve as managing director of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts. Anna Vergara, a 32-year Marriott International veteran, will head Megaworld Global Hospitality. The restructure signals ambition beyond the Philippines. Megaworld Global Hospitality will oversee Mövenpick Manila Bay Westside, new hotels in Palawan, and three existing properties in Iloilo. The group plans further expansion in “major tourism and business hubs” across the archipelago. The portfolio will mix Megaworld’s own brands with international flags. The Mövenpick deal is the second collaboration with Accor, which also owns Sofitel, Fairmont, Raffles and Pullman. The first was converting Belmont Hotel Mactan into Mercure Mactan Cebu. Megaworld president Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso said the expansion aims to make Philippine tourism “more vibrant and attractive, especially to foreign visitors.” The timing aligns with a national push. The Philippines recorded 6.5 million international arrivals in 2025, still below the 8.3 million pre-pandemic peak. The government wants 35 million annual visitors by 2028. Megaworld’s room growth is a bet on that target being reachable. AGBrief tracks integrated resort developments across Asia-Pacific markets.

Mövenpick Manila Bay Westside and the Casino Link

The Mövenpick Manila Bay Westside is Megaworld’s largest hotel property. Each of its two 19-floor towers connects directly to the Westside Resort casino complex via a sky bridge. The property also links to the Grand Opera House, a 2,000-seat venue. The hotel was formerly known as Grand Westside Hotel. Megaworld rebranded it under a management agreement with Accor’s Mövenpick brand. The opening is scheduled for late 2026. The Westside Resort itself is a $1.3 billion casino and entertainment complex. Travellers International Hotel Group, an Alliance Global unit, took over development of the casino component from partner Suntrust Resort Holdings. Travellers already operates Newport World Resorts, the integrated casino and leisure complex in Pasay City. The Westside Resort represents Travellers’ second major gaming property in Metro Manila. The casino connection matters for room demand. Integrated resorts typically generate higher occupancy and premium rates than standalone hotels. The sky bridge ensures guests can move between hotel and gaming floor without leaving the property. That convenience drives repeat visits and longer stays. Megaworld’s hospitality revenue growth of 11% in H1 2026 suggests the model is working even before the Westside Resort opens.

New Leadership and Brand Restructure

Megaworld split its hotel business into two operating units. Megaworld Hotels & Resorts handles the domestic portfolio. Megaworld Global Hospitality manages international-branded properties and overseas expansion. Socrates Alvaro leads the domestic arm. Anna Vergara, who spent more than 32 years at Marriott International, heads the global division. The hire signals intent. Marriott operates some of the world’s most recognised hospitality brands. Vergara’s experience in international standards, loyalty programmes and global distribution will be critical as Megaworld scales beyond the Philippines. The restructure also reflects a shift in strategy. Megaworld Hotels & Resorts has built its reputation on Filipino-branded properties — Richmonde, Belmont, Savoy, Twin Lakes. Megaworld Global Hospitality will pursue flag partnerships with international chains. The Mövenpick deal is the template. Accor brings global reservation systems, brand recognition and operational expertise. Megaworld brings capital, local development know-how and a captive market within its townships. The partnership model reduces risk for both sides. Accor earns management fees without capital investment. Megaworld gains brand credibility without building an international distribution network from scratch.

Travellers International’s Casino Performance

Travellers International Hotel Group is the gaming engine behind the Westside Resort. The company, also an Alliance Global unit, runs Newport World Resorts. In H1 2026, Travellers’ attributable net income nearly doubled year-on-year to PHP568 million ($9.2 million). Revenue reached PHP4.4 billion, up 13%. EBITDA climbed 13% as well. The gains came from mass-market gaming offsetting VIP weakness. That mix is deliberate. Mass gaming is more stable, less reliant on junket operators, and better aligned with regulatory preferences in the Philippines. PAGCOR has been pushing operators toward mass-market focus as part of its responsible gaming agenda. Travellers’ performance validates the strategy. The company is now applying that model to Westside Resort. The $1.3 billion project will feature a casino, entertainment complex, retail and dining. The Mövenpick hotel provides the room inventory to support convention business and extended-stay gaming tourism. Alliance Global’s broader portfolio gives Travellers advantages smaller operators lack. The group owns Emperador, the world’s largest brandy maker. It holds the Philippine McDonald’s franchise. It has property development, tourism and hospitality expertise across multiple units. That ecosystem can feed customers into the casino. A McDonald’s customer is not a high-roller. But a hotel guest at a Megaworld property might be. The vertical integration is the point. Megaworld builds the township. Travellers operates the casino. Alliance Global brands provide the amenities. The 12,000-room target by 2032 is not just a hospitality number. It is a customer acquisition strategy for the gaming business.

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This article has been thoroughly researched and reviewed by the CasinoBait editorial team to ensure accuracy and relevance for Asian casino players.