Hotelier rolls the dice in Hainan

A Beijing-based hotel developer is hoping to strike the jackpot in China's tropical southern island of Hainan.

The Mangrove Tree Resort, under construction on the island's coastal city of Sanya, will become the biggest hotel in Asia, said Zhang Baoquan, chairman of Beijing-based developer Antaeus Group. The group is hoping that the resort, covering 700,000 sq m, will be the country's first lottery and gaming-themed hotel.

The hotel will have a 30,000-sq m gaming area to house a greyhound-racing stadium, sporting events and go-cart racing, he said.