David Beckham is trying his hand at running a hotel.
The former soccer star sat down with Travel+Leisure to announce that six years after retiring from the beautiful game, he plans to take his talents and knowledge to a new industry. In partnership with Sands — a casino development company — Beckham plans to open his very first hotel, The Londoner, in Macao.
The London-themed hotel will be a rebrand of the existing Sands Cotai Central and designed by Beckham himself, who says he plans to impress guests with the lodge’s high attention to detail.
“The one thing I can definitely promise is amazing service. For me, when I stay in a hotel it’s those little invisible touches that make all the difference: things like remembering your coffee order, or what newspaper you like to read in the morning,” he told the outlet. “Attention to detail is what makes a hotel stay special and memorable, so that’s super important to me with The Londoner.”
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Also important for the former athlete is to recreate the same “energy” of London at his establishment.
“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,” he said.
Beckham plans to make this possible with “iconic black cabs” waiting for guests outside of the hotel, as well as “mini-recreations of some of London’s most famous streets inside, like Bond Street and Savile Row.”
A rendering of the hotel obtained by House Beautiful shows that the property buildings will be designed to resemble those of the Palace of Westminster, Houses of Parliament, and Elizabeth Tower (formerly Big Ben).
And the theme wouldn’t be complete without a British gastropub on site, which the former L.A. Galaxy player said will be run by none other than Gordon Ramsay.
“Proper Sunday roasts will definitely be on the menu, as will my all-time favorite: traditional pie and mash,” Beckham told Travel+Leisure. “Not to everyone’s taste, but absolutely incredible when it’s done properly.”
To add to the hotel’s extravagance, it will also house a two-floor boutique for custom suit design.
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Macao, often referred to as the Vegas of the East, is a Special Administrative Region of China and formerly a Portuguese colony. Located just a short ferry ride form Hong Kong, the area is a vibrant and popular destination, with a “melting-pot” of culture, according to Beckham.
“You have these incredible state-of-the-art hotels, but I also really love the old Portuguese quarter. It’s a real melting pot: the variety of restaurants alone is amazing; you can have pretty much any type of cuisine you like,” he said of the region. “I love that diversity, especially in such a small place.”
