美高梅国际度假集团将在中国大陆大展宏图

　　拉斯维加斯娱乐及酒店业巨头美高梅国际度假集团将在中国大陆迎来万众瞩目的时刻。

　　从2011年到2014年，美高梅国际度假集团在北京、三亚、天津、成都和上海都将有酒店开业，其中位于北京雍和宫附近的钓鱼台艺术酒店将于2011年8月开业，成为第一个开业的酒店。

集团董事长兼首席执行官Jim J. Murren

　　集团董事长兼首席执行官Jim J. Murren说，集团在拉斯维加斯和澳门的博彩业务已声名在外，但集团的兴趣远远不仅限于博彩业。

　　今年六月，美高梅集团进行了更名，将集团的名称从“美高梅金殿集团”变更为“美高梅国际度假集团”，表明公司强调在全球发展非博彩业务的新战略。

　　钓鱼台美高梅酒店管理有限公司是钓鱼台国宾馆与美高梅国际度假集团的合资公司，负责在中国大陆的酒店开发。

　　Murren说，“我们非常欣赏钓鱼台国宾馆，同时，能拥有国宾馆这样的合作伙伴，我们感到非常自豪。钓鱼台早已声名远播，其服务、品质和品牌本身就是卓越的象征。”

　　Murren相信集团和钓鱼台的合作是“非常有价值的”，同时这种合作关系也在把握国内客人的品味方面有着独特的洞察力。

　　Murren自年轻时起就对高端艺术有独到的品味，因此也希望集团在北京的第一家酒店能成为艺术品和地标，这也印证了酒店名称：钓鱼台艺术酒店。

　　“这个酒店不大，像是一个精品酒店，但是非常独特、非常高端。酒店的目标客户群也仅仅是对生命、健康、文化、艺术和人性有全面认识的富裕人群。”他说。

　　酒店只有103间客房，但有一个很大的天然温泉水疗区。

　　这个不大但令人印象深刻的酒店的开业(2011年)表明公司后面将会有大动作。

　　到2011年年底，合资公司将拥有20多个项目，其中包括第一家美高梅金殿酒店也将在三亚的亚龙湾开业。从现在开始起5年内，将在全国展开50个项目，包括会奖、娱乐、写字楼、住宅和商业项目，遍布至少20个城市。

　　Murren预计今年美高梅的会奖业务将比去年同比增长10%，2011年将比2010年同比增长20%。

　　美高梅在澳门与澳门赌王何鸿燊的女儿何超琼的合资公司发展势头良好。公司已于约一个半月以前向港交所提交了上市申请。“我们准备将澳门合资公司的20%-25%上市(约12亿美元)。我无法预测具体的上市时间，但我们已经做好了上市准备。”Murren说。

　　他还表示集团在澳门的酒店盈利能力也越来越强。“所以，现在的时机非常有利。”

　　今年五月，王岐山副总理接见了Murren，双方进行了一个半小时的谈话，讨论了从中美政治和货币到旅游业和中国旅游业的发展等多个领域的问题。

　　美高梅国际度假集团在全球拥有多达6万名员工。

　　在谈到人才策略时，Murren说，他很善于发现人才并激励他们。

　　Murren还回忆起在经济衰退期间，建设拉斯维加斯的超级综合体项目——城市中心的艰难情景：“最大的推动力就在于项目进行到中间阶段，碰到危机情况并能克服痛苦与压力。”

　　美高梅国际度假集团还特别向投资者和客人澄清，其与美高梅电影公司并非关联企业。美高梅电影公司是一家独立的实体，且并未上市。美高梅电影公司在今年11月3日申请破产保护之后，一时间引起了关注。而钓鱼台美高梅酒店管理有限公司也是在中国唯一能够使用“钓鱼台”、“美高梅”(“MGM”)等品牌来合法经营酒店、餐饮、娱乐的公司。[page]

　　MGM Resorts International plans to make a big impression on the mainland by partnering with Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Liu Weifeng reports

　　Las Vegas entertainment and hospitality giant MGM Resorts International will finally make its presence felt on the Chinese mainland.

　　Beijing, Sanya, Tianjin, Chengdu and Shanghai are all scheduled to open MGM hotels from 2011 to 2014. The Diaoyutai Art Hotel, near Yonghegong

　　Lama Temple in Beijing, will be the first to open, in August 2011.

　　James J. Murren, chairman and chief executive officer of the company, says the brand has broader business interests than just its famed Las Vegas and Macao casino and gaming businesses.

　　The change of name from MGM Mirage to MGM Resorts International, since June, reflects the company"s new strategy of emphasizing its nongaming business globally.

　　Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality, a joint venture between Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and MGM Resorts International, will be responsible for hospitality development on the mainland.

　　"We"re very proud of and appreciate our partnership with Diaoyutai, whose reputation is known around the world. Its service, quality and brand is synonymous with excellence," Murren says.

　　He believes the partnership is "incredibly valuable" and has special insight into local customers"tastes.

　　Having had a taste himself for top-class art since he was young, Murren expects his first hotel in Beijing to be a work of art and a landmark, hence the name: Diaoyutai Art Hotel.

　　"It"s small, like a boutique hotel, but very unique, very high-end, only targeting affluent people with a holistic view of life of physical fitness, of cultural awareness, of art and of humanity," he says.

　　The property has just 103 rooms but will have a large spa with natural spring water.

　　The small but impressive start signals big things to come.

　　By the end of 2011, the joint venture will be dealing with over 20 projects. Five years from now, 50 projects will be underway in China, including meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition (MICE), China welcomes MGM with open arms entertainment, office, residential and retailing projects, in at least 20 cities.

　　Murren predicts MGM"s MICE business will be up 10 percent this year over last, and 20 percent in 2011 over 2010.

　　 In Macao, MGM"s joint venture with Pansy Ho, daughter of casino mogul Stanley Ho, has been developing smoothly. It filed an A-1 Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing about one-and-a-half months ago for its initial public offering.

　　"We"re going to list 20-25 percent of the total enterprise ($1.2 billion). I can"t predict very specific in terms of timing but I can say we"re ready", Murren says.

　　He says the company"s property business in Macao is becoming increasingly profitable.

　　"So the timing is very fortunate for us," he says.

　　In May, he met with Vice-Premier Wang Qishan and they talked for one-and-a-half hours about a wide range of topics, from bilateral politics and currency, to tourism and its development in China.

　　MGM Resorts International has 60,000 employees worldwide.

　　When talking about its human resources strategy, Murren says he is good at recognizing people"s talents and motivating them.

　　"The great motivating factor is when you are in the middle of the project you are in a crisis situation and overcome the pain and stress," he says, recalling how tough it was to build Las Vegas" megacomplex, CityCenter, during the recession.

　　To make it clear to investors and guests, MGM Resorts International emphasizes it is not affiliated to MGM Studios, which is a separate entity with no common ownership. The latter has been under focus as it filed for bankruptcy on Nov 3.