IPI gives a tour of completed presidential suites

The 800-square-foot infinity pool. (Photos by FERDIE DE LA TORRE)

Gold-plated toothbrushes, gold-plated shavers, gold-plated water faucets, a custom-made mosaic pattern on the floor, a baby grand piano, an infinity pool, and a spa room. These are among the many luxurious amenities that a VIP guest will “soon” find and enjoy at the two completed presidential suites of the Imperial Palace Resort in western Garapan.

Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC management officials, led by IPI’s mother company’s chair/executive director Cui Li Jie, toured reporters Thursday in one of two completed presidential suites on the east wing of the resort.

Construction of 14 VIP suites, including the two presidential suites, have already been completed since September or October last year. Each of the two presidential suites is over 6,000 square feet.

Construction of the presidential villa, which is a duplex type, is ongoing. IPI described it as basically a house as it offers pretty much of everything—a gaming room, sauna, dining room, bathroom, and other amenities.

Last Thursday’s tour of the presidential suite showed that it has a living room and dining room, with combined floor space of 1,750 square feet.

A baby grand piano sits ready for playing in the living room, where guests may also relax or hang out and have a drink at a mini bar, or watch TV.

Cui Li Jie, chairwoman and executive director of the Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd., poses before a baby grand piano.

In the dining room, a table, which is made of marble, can accommodate 12 people. The marble floor in the two rooms is decorated with all hand- and custom-made mosaic pattern done by specialized Italian workers.

The infinity pool is one-of-a-kind and measures about 800 square feet.

If the guest wants to sing, a karaoke entertainment system with over 100-inch flat screen TV is available.

To relax, there is a spa room with two hydraulic beds, a shower, and a toilet. To sweat it out, the suite offers a gym.

If the guest wants to have a private conversation or a meeting, it has a study room.

With a butler’s pantry, service is 24-7.

Everything in the powder room—even the faucet—is gold-plated. A walk-in closet measures 300 square feet.

The presidential suite has one master bedroom and one guest room. The wallpaper in these rooms are made of leather and not paper. The designs are all custom and hand-made.

In the bathroom of the master’s bedroom is an oversized bathtub, a toilet, a shower, and a feature wall.

The Department of Public Works gave IPI occupancy permits back in September and October 2019 for the 14 suites, including the two presidential suites.

The resort hotel has two interconnected buildings—the east and north wings. The east wing is where the two presidential suites are located, while the standard suites are in the north wing.

An IPI official said they got the DPW occupancy permit last September, but that they were taking time making minor adjustments.

As far as amenities are concerned, everything is now ready for guests, another IPI official said.

“There is no other hotel like this. In our website we advertise it as an 8-star luxury hotel,” the official said.

Jie, who is the chairwoman and executive director of parent company Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd., posed for photos but did not issue a statement to the media.

The master bedroom.

Based on the casino licensing agreement, the entire casino-resort project is supposed to be completed by Feb. 28, 2021. IPI’s plan is to build a total of 344 rooms, including the 14 suites and one villa.

When asked when the suites are going to open, the official replied “soon.”

IPI has been the news lately, but not because of the 8-star hotel they’re constructing but rather due to their financial woes, with contractors suing them left and right for alleged non-payment. There’s even an investigation by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Treasury Department for suspected violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.