Unlucky 13 Hotel in Macau Relisted for Sale, Failed Casino Resort Seeks Buyer

Posted on: April 19, 2025, 09:17h. 

Last updated on: April 19, 2025, 09:17h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • The 13 Hotel in Macau is up for sale again
  • The failed casino resort cost $1.6 billion to build
  • The hotel is located south of Macau’s Cotai Strip

The 13 Hotel is back on the real estate market for the second time in as many years.

The 13 Hotel Macau casino resort
A penthouse suite inside The 13 Hotel in Macau. The luxurious hotel south of the Cotai Strip is back on the real estate market. (Image: The 13 Hotel)

The ultra-luxury failed casino resort has been trying to find someone to take it on for years after the company that developed it, South Shore Holdings, went belly up in 2021 and was delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Global real estate broker Jones Lang LaSalle has been appointed as the listing agent for the 22-story, 199-room five-star hotel on behalf of its many lenders that helped finance its $1.6 billion construction. JLL is also managing the hotel’s operations in the interim.

The five-star hotel for sale has garnered significant attention due to its luxurious design and opulence. Currently managed by JLL, The 13 Hotel … has reinstated parts of the property to its former condition,” said Mark Wong, a senior director at JLL.

Late last year, the Light Rail Transport expanded south of the Cotai Strip to the Cologne neighborhood where The 13 Hotel stands. The new station is a roughly three-minute walk from the hotel.

“The project is surrounded by a comprehensive transport network … giving the project great potential for appreciation,” Wong added.

Unlucky 13

In Western culture, the number 13 is often considered unlucky due to a variety of superstitions and historical events. As such, many hotels, especially older ones, choose to skip having a 13th floor.

In other cultures, however, including many in Asia, the number 13 is considered lucky. It wasn’t for The 13 Hotel.

Envisioned by flamboyant businessman Stephen Hung at the height of Macau’s gaming industry in 2013, when the six casino operators took $45 billion off of players, Hung sought to construct the most luxurious boutique casino and hotel in town. His companies, investors, and lenders agreed to spend $1.6 billion to build less than 200 hotel rooms, or $8 million per guestroom, and doled out another $20 million for 30 custom Rolls-Royce Phantom cars, the largest single order in the automobile company’s history.

The Phantoms were to shuttle The 13’s VIP guests around town and connect them to the Cotai Strip, a mile north of where the hotel stands. The 13’s prospects dimmed during construction as China’s President Xi Jinping forced Macau to crack down on junket groups that arranged first-class travel to and from the Chinese Special Administrative Region, the only place under China’s control where slots and table games are allowed.

Despite the many concerns that there would not be enough high rollers to attract to the lavish boutique hotel located in a rather quiet part of town compared to the glitzy Strip, Hung pressed on. It was a bad bet, as it led to him liquidating much of his fortune and other business ventures to bring the resort to completion. 

No Casino Gaming 

Once finished, Hung and South Shore failed to find a casino partner to operate its 66 VIP baccarat tables. When the hotel opened in September 2018, the resort reported few bookings. A little more than a year later, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated its poor business, sending South Shore into bankruptcy, and lenders took control of the property.

The property went on the market last year with an asking price of HK$2.4 billion (US$310 million). Though JLL reported strong interest, no deal was reached.

JLL is fielding bids for The 13 through May 19. No asking price is listed this time around.