Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.
Linking all three hotels is 420,000sq ft of casino space with 400 gaming tables and 1,300 gaming machines and an equally huge shopping mall with brands such as Gucci, Burberry and Cartier. Look out for digital mermaids dancing behind a real waterfall (which gamers believe is good luck to touch). There are also more than 20 restaurants and bars ranging from the scrumptious Beijing Kitchen to Food Paradise and its array of treats. Several cafes don’t accept credit cards, but not to worry – ATMs practically line the corridors. This is the very epicentre of the throbbing Macau casino scene.
By the same creator as The House of Dancing Water, Taboo – The Show of Secret Fantasies is a spicy cabaret performance at clubbing hotspot Cubic, a Macau institution that has relocated to the City of the Dreams. A scantily clad cast performs cabaret, flamenco, aerial contortions and other raunchy routines. Discounts are available for those booking both COD shows.
The hotels share a bustling casino and the blossoming Shoppes Cotai Centre. The complex, set to rival Galaxy and City of Dreams, also houses the Conrad’s signature Chinese restaurant, Dynasty 8, and several other dining options. This is a busy Cotai shopping area within one of the newest Macau casino hotels complexes.
Grand Lisboa Palace - contemorary colour / photo: hotel
Best to simply kick back in one of the huge rooms that come with canopy-draped king-sized beds, sunken living areas, WiFi internet access, two large TVs, and all-in-one fax/printer/copiers. The more the merrier in these oversized suites, so invite your mates. It’s easy to get lost in this monstrous complex, so pick up a resort map at the concierge. Macau shopping buffs can hunt the streets of Venice for the likes of agnes b, Zara, Anteprima, b +ab, Blancpain, Bossini, Giordano, i.t, BVLGARI, Calvin Klein, Emporio Armani, Versace, and Nike. Yes, there’s a Starbucks too. As a gaming and entertainment capital, The Venetian rates high though at busy holiday times the complex is totally overrun by Mainland Chinese visitors armed with wheelie suitcases and selfie sticks. At such times the lobby is closer to a railway station than the pinnacle of Italian refinement.
Then, lest we forget, there’s the whopper of a casino to exercise your wallet further. The 546,000sq ft gaming floor boasts about 6,000 slot machines and over 700 tables making this one of the largest Macau casino hotels around. This resort is a gigantic whimsical recreation of the "canals and icons of Venice”. If you’ve had enough of the Italian gondolas with singing gondoliers, you’ll, reassuringly, be able to catch a Chinese sampan too. The place is ranked among the best Macau conference hotels while doubling as a child-friendly escape. Pick from small meetings or large conventions. There's no end to versatile MICE venues. Bring your team across for inspiration or plan a wedding at the Venetian Macao. And don't forget to bring sturdy walking shoes.
Any Venetian Macao review involves acres of walking. We came heeled in sturdy rubber. The Venetian has its sights firmly set on staying among the best Macau casino hotels around and is pulling no punches in the Cotai brawl. As an “integrated resort” with a spa, gym and vast 600-store shopping mall, 3,000 spacious suites and exhibition and conferencing space "large enough to hold 90 Boeing 747s", The Venetian is gigantic.
It’s a leisurely stroll from the Eiffel Tower to the canals of Venice. Next door to The Parisian is the shimmering and hard-to-miss Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel, which opened in late August 2007 and is set on 10.5 million sq ft on the reclaimed Cotai Strip. The Venetian is a mega development and serves up one of the largest casinos in the world.
Grand Lisboa Deluxe/ photo: hotel
Flexing new muscle along the Cotai strip is Studio City Macau (), which opened in late-2015 at the Lotus Bridge immigration point on Cotai bringing an immense 500,000sq ft casino and gaming space along with Studio City Hotel (aimed at the luxury market), Golden Eye (the highest figure-eight ferris wheel in the world at 130m above the ground), a multi-theatre resident magic show and 4D flight simulation ride. The hotel features two modern blocks - the Celebrity Tower and Star Tower with 800 rooms in each. There is conference and MICE space for up to 6,000 persons, luxury brand shopping at The Boulevard at Studio City, endless dining, and all this in an art deco 'Gotham City' package. Look out for Batman. Everything's possible here. The shopping space runs right around the central gaming area featuring all the major designer brands from Gucci, Fendi BOSS and Balmain, to Prada, MCM and Roberto Cavalli.
THE 5 BEST Macau Casinos Youll Want to Visit (Updated 2024)
At the top of Taipa Island is the impressive Altira Macau (formerly Crown Macau). This stylish and contemporary 38-storey casino-hotel offers distinct experiences for its guests by creating separate entrances for gamers, residents and diners. The hustle and bustle from the 200-plus high-end gaming tables is confined to the casino resulting in a serene hotel atmosphere complemented by low lighting, endless vases of vivid red roses and floaty music. Everywhere you look you’ll see stunning vistas, especially from Lounge 38 on the uppermost floor. This is one of Macau’s finest sipping spots with a landscaped alfresco rooftop overlooking the Macau peninsula and a resident DJ. There are also some tantalising dining options such as Japanese restaurant Tenmasa, which specialises in tempura and has a traditional charm thanks to its grey stone walls, romantic candle-lit walkways and tatami-style seating.
The Venetian Macao | Macau Hotel | Best Luxury Hotel in Macau
Expect beds that look like thrones, giant Jacuzzis, crystal beaded drapes, rain showers, karaoke rooms, walk-in closets, free WiFi and butler service. This is an alternative in-city choice with gaming facilities but without the clamour and clutter of the other Macau casino hotels.
Macau Luxury Hotel | Grand Lisboa Macau
Another attraction along the "Inner Harbour" is the Ponte 16 entertainment and resort complex that includes the mustard-yellow five-star Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16. Sofitel opened in August 2008, and offers an interesting location slap bang in the middle of Macau’s historic quarter only a short walk from Senado Square, St Paul’s Ruins and the A-Ma Temple. There is a casino attached, but the hotel manages to distinguish itself from the gaming world with its relaxed ambience and sense of history – the original clock tower from the old pier still stands. The sparkly lobby is marked by a central “time passage” – a spangled tunnel with escalators running to the casino. Marvel at the big pillars, ornate blue crystal flowers and Parisian bric-a-brac and then head on to the rooms.
Macaus Leading Casino Resort 2024
Close by, the lobby of the 39-storey StarWorld Hotel & Casino is all giant chandeliers, marble, flashing lights, and fluorescent escalators. The 505 rooms and 40 suites (including a 6,000sq ft presidential suite) offer Broadband Internet access, 42-inch plasma TVs, and panoramic views of downtown Macau. There are nine eating and drinking outlets, as well as a VIP lounge. The hotel also has an infinity pool, gymnasium, and vast conference facilities, while the casino boasts 249 gaming tables and 280 slot machines. For something over the top (yes, even by Macau standards), this is a worthy contender among Macau casinos and hotels.
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More wallet-lightening offerings await at the Grand Casino, with around 375 gaming tables with over 900 arm-exercising slot machines and a further 16 private gaming rooms. The Grand Ballroom can host 680 persons theatre-style while assorted function rooms and alcoves for those sound-and-fury board meetings provide versatile space for small meetings or larger conferences. This is another address to mark in your Macau casino hotels diary.