There is a new landmark on the horizon near the NEC - and its looks like a giant cruise liner.

Next to the spidery legs of the Genting Arena rises the ship-like structure of Resorts World, berthed next to the placid - if grey looking - waters of Pendigo Lake.

Its nautical looks are no accident, says Barry Clemo, strategic marketing director for Genting Casinos and business development director for Resorts World Birmingham.

Mr Clemo explained: "It is based very loosely on a ship - that kind of logic has been applied inside, of how things are laid out on board with the atrium at the front acting as a hub for all floors."

It is also just as dedicated to providing as much entertainment and distraction as one can reasonably fit into 554,000 sq ft, with a shopping mall, 18 bars and restaurants, an IMAX cinema, conference and banqueting floor, hotel and spa and, of course, given this is a Genting development, an international casino.

The Post was given an exclusive tour of Resorts World and from the outside the £150 million development looks almost complete, ready for a bottle of champagne to be cracked across the bow.

Inside, the story is little different as workmen in hard hats and high visibility vests bustle about, putting in floors, installing electronics and fitting out shops.

View from one of the bars
View from one of the bars

Some units, such as Nike, look as if they could be ready to start trading. Others remain just bare shells of ceilings, walls and windows.

Mr Clemo said: "There are 190 lorries a day coming in during the fit-out process.

"From a construction point of view, there are 600 workers on site every day and about 1,700 workers have been employed over the course of the project."

Resorts World is remaining tight-lipped about exactly when the builders will be replaced by shoppers, guests and residents, only going so far as revealing that it will be sometime in "early autumn".

Mr Clemo said: "Something this size is an enormously complex organisational project."

There has, as the Post has reported, been unprecedented demand for consumer attention in Birmingham this year, with the reopening of The Mailbox and the launch of Grand Central.

Resorts World is confident that, rather than competing with these shopping experiences, it will complement them.

With its 50 shops, 85 to 90 per cent of which are let, selling branded goods at 30 to 60 per cent discounts, it will be the largest outlet centre in the West Midlands.

But the mall is only part of the story.

This has also been an opportunity for Genting to introduce its Resorts World concept to Europe.

Genting is known in the UK for its casinos.

But, when it started in Malaysia back in 1965, it was with the largest integrated resort in the world. There are now Resorts Worlds in Asia and America. Birmingham’s will be the first in Europe.

The NEC complex was chosen as Solihull Council had the power to grant it a large casino licence. It is an island site, meaning that having a 24/7 resort will not disturb local residents.

The hotel at Resorts World
The hotel at Resorts World

And there is a ready supply of customers from those visiting the NEC and nearby arena. It will also see a huge employment boost for the area creating jobs for about 1,150 people.

The presidential suite is the cherry on top of the 178-room Genting Hotel - designed to appeal to rock stars and high rollers.

The £1,000-a-night suite has its own private kitchen and dining room, a Jacuzzi, access to a private lounge and a sky bar overlooking the lake.

A private lift can whisk rock royalty directly from the underground car park up to the fifth floor, so they could use it as a 'green room' while performing at the arena.

The apartment is surrounded by five-star suites, giving celebrities the option of hiring out the whole floor for themselves and their entourage.

Also on this floor are the private gaming suites.

Mr Clemo said: "These are the Salles Privees where the international players with a high net worth can play."

In fact, the higher one goes in Resorts World, the more premium the experience will be.

On the ground floor there is the World Bar, which serves beers from around the world in a room with beer casks embedded in the walls.

There will be a sports bar next to the casino, where visitors can book out a booth and have control of the TV screen to chose a sporting event of their choice.

The new casino at Resorts World
The new casino at Resorts World

The casino itself is a mix of high-tech machines and old school gambling around a roulette or blackjack table.

In the Genting Hotel reception, there is a subtle Asian feel to the decor in a nod to the parent company, complete with giant sake bottles that will hang over the lobby bar.

Its Robata bar and grill is a pan Asian-themed restaurant - named for a type of cooking platform - with bamboo in giant pots and a view over the lake.

The High Line bar already has the feel of a New York cocktail lounge, complete with space for a club area round the corner and access to an outdoor terrace which, with its fire pits and bar, will act as beacon to those spilling out of the arena who want the party to go on a little longer.

"We are really excited to be able to bring the Resorts World brand here. This has been years in the planning."

But it will be a few more weeks in the waiting.