Why High Rollers Are Flocking to the Mind-Boggling Opulence and Astonishing Scale of This Asian Casino Capital
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An abiding memory of my visit to Macao is the wide-eyed, humbling sensation of wandering the huge hallways of the vast Venetian Macao casino resort — so large, said our guide, that an 18-wheeler could be driven through. Yet while Macao is home to an array of such mega hotels, its hospitality industry delivers rare quality to match the scale, making luxury accommodations, dining, retail, and amenities almost the Macanese norm.
Macao, a tiny peninsula on the southern coast of China, is the only part of that country of 1.4-billion people where gambling is legal. Following 450 years as a Portuguese protectorate, it was handed to China in 1999. After the exclusive gambling concession held for decades by a Hong Kong billionaire was canceled, Macao’s gaming industry blossomed at a bewildering pace, augmented by the arrival of major foreign casinos.
At the 2004 opening of the Sands Macao casino resort, Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson famously predicted that Las Vegas would soon become known as “America’s Macao” rather than vice versa. His words have proven prophetic, with Macao’s gambling revenues now dwarfing those of Sin City many times over and the city becoming a major international tourism destination.
Here are some arrestingly indulgent Macao properties worth crossing the world for.
Venetian Macao
After my 7,000-mile flight, it was odd to feel so at home at this sister property to the Venetian Las Vegas (though now under different ownership). This was due to the two casino resorts sharing so many signature features, including canals plied by stripe-shirted, crooning gondoliers beneath painted sky ceilings. The Macao incarnation, however, is around twice the size of its Sin City sibling, holding the title of Asia’s largest single-structure hotel and the tenth-largest building on Earth.
Its scale does not dilute its extravagance, which includes hundreds of luxury designer brands at the Shoppes at the Venetian Macao; Michelin-starred gastronomy at Hiro by Hiroshi Kagata restaurant; and four-bedroom Presidential Suites featuring private massage rooms and butler service.
Grand Lisboa Macau
The first visual that pops into my head upon mention of Macao is the neon-wrapped geodesic dome from which the 47-story tower of the Grand Lisboa Macau sprouts skyward. The 430-room/suite property signals its lux leanings with the 218-carat Star of Stanley Ho, the largest flawless cushion diamond in the world, in its lobby (Ho being the Grand Lisboa’s late owner).
The tallest building in Macao lives up to that blingy centerpiece with Robuchon au Dôme, one of only two Michelin three-star restaurants in Macao, sitting beneath a ceiling of 131,500 Swarovski crystals; a two-story state-of-the-art spa; and guest rooms and suites boasting marble floors, gold accents, and walk-in wardrobes the size of some studio apartments I’ve lived in!
Galaxy Macau Complex
Galaxy Macau, which took a full nine years to build, is a massive casino resort complex comprising eight different luxury resort hotels. Its towers are topped with gold-leaf cupolas from which one of the world’s largest laser shows projects every 15 minutes. Further high-end attractions include an 86,000-square-foot Skytop Wave Pool, pristine white sand beach and epic river ride at the spectacular Grand Resort Deck, and an utterly over-the-top lobby fountain that transforms into a roulette wheel from which a giant diamond emerges.
For ultimate indulgence, the ten pool villas of Banyan Tree Macau resort hotel each boast a private pool, air-conditioned cabana, and garden. Guests can complete a memorable stay by booking a helicopter tour from Capella at Galaxy Macau or a curated city tour available at multiple Galaxy properties.
City of Dreams
City of Dreams’ four hotels and three casinos made it the third-largest casino in the world upon its 2009 opening. The fluid forms of its Morpheus Hotel, inspired by traditional Chinese jade carving, are particularly astonishing but stunning style is evident throughout the complex (which also includes the Nüwa and Grand Hyatt Macau hotels, with the former Hard Rock Hotel set to reopen imminently as Countdown Hotel).
City of Dreams’ Jade Dragon is the only restaurant in Macao awarded both three Michelin stars three Black Pearl diamonds, while the property’s multi-million-dollar House of Dancing Water aquatics show turned a pandemic-induced hiatus into an opportunity for a spectacular re-imagining, including a new cast and story line, unveiled last year.
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Encore at Wynn Macau
Wynn Macau was the first Wynn Resorts property in Macao, more recently joined by the larger but less luxurious Wynn Palace. Four years after Wynn Macao’s 2006 debut, it mirrored Wynn Las Vegas by opening the adjacent, fully integrated Encore all-suite boutique hotel. All three are encased in the eye-catching bronze glass common to stateside Wynn Resorts, casting a comforting sense of familiarity in a faraway land.
Forty-one of Encore at Wynn Macau’s 410 guest accommodations are 2,000-square-foot Grand Salon Suites with steam showers, private spa rooms, and inspiring views of Nam Van Lake. Guarantee a memorable stay with a tailor-made Wynn curated tour, offering insider perspectives of award-winning Macao gastronomy, art, wellness, and history.
MGM Macao & MGM Cotai
MGM Macao gave me further Vegas déjà vu but, in this case, on a much smaller scale (only 600 rooms) than its Nevada twin. The property’s waterfront luxury is evidenced by earning consecutive Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star ratings; the region’s first museum of international repute within an integrated resort, the Poly MGM Museum; and the groundbreaking resident Macau 2029 show, which fuses technology and Chinese cultural heritage like never before. And all this opulence is just steps from the charming Historic Center of Macau.
Appropriately for a port city, Macao’s MGM Cotai resembles a stack of huge, shimmering shipping containers. Housing 1,400 rooms and suites, it’s much larger than MGM Macao but also newer and even more ostentatious, with 5-star spa facilities, Asia’s first dynamic theater, and Qing Dynasty crystal and jade displayed in its lobbies. MGM Cotai’s lavish Emerald Tower is crowned with 28 Emerald Villas, each uniquely designed with inspiration from Chinese Imperial Gardens and featuring curated East-meets-West art, dedicated butler service, private massage facilities, and priceless panoramic views.
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Getting There
There are currently no direct flights from the US to Macau International Airport. Common connection points include Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, with flights from LAX to Macao routed through Taiwan’s Taipei 101 Airport. I flew via Taiwan on that country’s excellent EVA Air, with the Taiwanese Starlux and China Airlines also serving that route.
