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  Today Online 2 Sep 06
Rising above Atlantis
Sentosa IR hopeful Kerzner promises its new design will be something the world has never seen before
Murali Associate Editor murali@newstoday.com.sg

IMAGINE building an entire resort facility based on a legendary city, and making it such a success that it is replicated in another part of the world.

Now imagine topping that success by creating something in Singapore that is "so revolutionary, so unique" that it will "blow every other tourist attraction away".

That is the promise of Kerzner International, which is bidding to build such a dream integrated resort (IR) on Sentosa Island, along with its partner CapitaLand.

The creator of Atlantis, the world-renowned resort in the Bahamas that is now being reproduced in Dubai, is one of four bidders aiming to win the licence to build on Sentosa, a decision that the Singapore Government is likely to make by the end of this year.

Though it is reluctant to reveal its hand until all bids are submitted, in an interview with Singapore journalists at its exclusive resort in the Caribbean over the weekend, Kerzner chief executive officer Butch Kerzner promised that his company is going to live up to its core value No 1, which is to "blow the customer away".

With world famous architect Frank O Gehry on the books, Mr Kerzner says that his Singapore design will be "one so revolutionary that people cannot find it anywhere else in the world".

But why should one believe him? How can Singapore be certain that the Kerzner-CapitaLand product will be something so different, and that what's been promised is not just hype?

Said the South African developer, whose father Sol founded the company: "A lot of it comes down to the combination of being original and inventive, together with flawless execution. When my father developed Sun City in the 1970s in South Africa, most people thought he was crazy.

"Yet, this destination resort became the forerunner in developing an overall tourist destination, where gaming was just one small component. It became the second most visited tourist destination in South Africa.

"A similar story happened with Atlantis in the Bahamas. In both cases, we combined a pretty bold vision of a project that had never been done before, together with executing the millions of small details that gives these projects a feeling of authenticity.

"For the Singapore IR, if we are fortunate enough to be selected, we have plans to push the envelope even further to create something that is truly original, revolutionary. What is driving us is the objective to deliver on the promise of originality. If we do this then I am sure the product will be timeless and not vulnerable to what folks may or may not develop in other parts of Asia or anywhere else in the world.

"It will be unique."

Unique is as Unique does

Those who have visited the Kerzners' creation at Atlantis would probably understand his reason for confidence.

The project that no one believed would succeed now attracts more than a million visitors a year, which is expected to double once the resort completes Phase III of its development next year.

Apart from being set in a stunning locale — with the world's clearest waters (scientifically proven) and white sandy beaches — Mr Sol Kerzner's gamble on theming his development along the lines of a resurrected version of the lost city of Atlantis has paid off handsomely.

Atlantis now boasts the world's largest open-air, man-made marine habitat, containing more than 50,000 animals, many of which are usually only seen in the open ocean.

Apart from the eternal favourites, sharks, visitors to the resort can get amazing close-up views of marine creatures such as the magnificent Manta Ray, which can grow up to 7m in wingspan.

Watching such rare creatures glide through the 14-hectare water habitat is made easy by going through the Dig, an artificially created excavation site that recreates the lost city of Atlantis, made famous by the philosopher Plato.

Inside the Dig, the creators of the resort conceptualised and created a variety of artefacts that help give the myth a realistic feel — but the real thrill is the glass windows that offer spectacular views of the marine life collected by an animal specialist team.

From 90-kg groupers to moray eels, the Dig is a treasure trove of marine life and a big hit with Atlantis' visitors, especially the kids. The attraction is going to only get stronger when it opens a 4.5-ha dolphin lagoon next year, which will allow visitors to interact with dolphins displaced by Hurricane Katrina last year.

One for the ages

And it is with their captive kids market that the Kerzners' believe they have really distinguished themselves from the competition, having been named one of the world's top family destinations by several publications.

It is also this emphasis on providing a family vacation that the Kerzner-CapitaLand bid hopes will be its trump card for Sentosa, which the Government has earmarked as a family destination. The company firmly believes that the expertise it has shown in making Atlantis appeal to the whole family would work again in Singapore.

Said president of Kerzner International, Mr Howard Karawan: "More than 25 per cent of our visitors are repeat customers, so we do believe that we have a good formula. All the marketing in the world is not going to beat the word of mouth of the satisfied customer. And that is what we have achieved here."

To illustrate the point, Mr Karawan revealed that more than 75 per cent of Kerzner's Atlantis revenue comes from non-gaming sources, with most of its guests not even citing its casino as one of their top 10 reasons for going to the mega-resort.

Though he admits the Singapore model may provide a larger share from gaming revenue, due to the fact that they will not be able to have the same number of hotel rooms, Mr Karawan believes the company's basic philosophy of providing entertainment for the whole family will not diminish.

That is why the Kerzner-CapitaLand bid, which promises to be something the world has never seen, remains undaunted in the face of a challenge from a tried-and-tested attraction like Universal Studios, which has linked up with main rival Genting International.

Said Mr Kerzner: "I agree that it is important that there is confidence that the product and vision can be executed with 100-per-cent certainty. No one should be expected to take the gamble as to whether the proposal can be successfully executed.

"So, a track record in executing innovative mega-destination concepts is important. Building upon one's core competencies is important.

"The challenge we have set for ourselves is: How do we continue to push the boundaries in order to deliver something truly unique, while at the same time being sure that we are leveraging off the skills and competencies that as an organisation we have built up over decades?"

Star power and a world icon

Apart from its ability to create a resort for all ages, Kerzner promises to bring in a star quality to Sentosa, building on years of contacts in the American entertainment industry.

Spearheading this effort will be the highly colourful Jerry Inzerillo, whose claim to fame in this part of the world, among other things, includes once being married to former Singapore model Noor Ariffin.

Kerzner's executive vice-president of public affairs and entertainment, who counts among his personal friends Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, brings star power to the Atlantis resort, enticing big movie productions such as the latest instalment of James Bond movies — Casino Royale — to film there.

He promises a similar flow of top Hollywood and Asian talent to Singapore, if Kerzner-CapitaLand's bid is successful.

Said Mr Inzerillo, who also markets Kerzner's world famous One & Only Resorts: "When we come to Singapore, we're going to be doing a lot of movies, a lot of television specials, a lot of personal appearances. We already have several major things lined up on the sports, film and music side."

The former chief operating officer of Kerzner's Sun City expects Singapore to be the "crown jewel" in the Kerzner stable of properties, a worldwide icon that everyone will want to come to.

It is a dream shared by the father-and-son team that helms the company. As Mr Butch Kerzner told Today: "My father and I are driven by the goal of creating something extraordinary. This is not just a business for us; it is a creative endeavour. We want to make sure that when our time comes to depart this world, we'll have left behind a few things that folks will admire for their originality and boldness.

"That is what makes this fun. It is the challenge. I hope that if we are fortunate enough to be selected, we will create something about which all Singaporeans will be wonderfully proud."
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