by Ed Peters, The Daily Telegraph, February 10, 2017
An insider's guide to the best luxury hotels in Macau, on the Cotai Strip and beyond, with everything from golf courses to replica gondolas; croquet to casinos.
Grand Coloane Resort Macau
7Telegraph expert rating
The Grand Coloane is not so much a beach resort as a golf course with attached rooms, restaurants, and sundry recreations. It’s a favourite with Macanese families who regard it as their personal backyard getaway – with very good reason. Apart from the 18-hole, par-71 championship golf course (take the lift to the top floor and step out onto the first tee – whoa!) there are both indoor and outdoor pools, the latter a hedonistic jumble of tile-roofed porticos, whirlpool tubs, shaded loungers, and trees and shrubs. There’s also tennis, croquet and mountain bikes for hire. Read expert review. From £64 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Mandarin Oriental Macau Macau
8Telegraph expert rating
Mandarin Oriental Macau offers pronounced style. There’s no casino here, or any similar sort of dollar-bound circus, simply first-rate beds and food to match in an exclusive location overlooking the inner harbour and Nam Van lake. The hotel is shaped like a ship, with her bow pointed south toward the harbour. Rather than a grand lobby with soaring columns, there’s a modest entrance from whence new arrivals are whisked discreetly upstairs. The spa deserves a sustained round of applause, as does the infinity pool. Read expert review. From £194 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Altira Macau Macau
8Telegraph expert rating
Set in a very anonymous part of Taipa, the Altira’s a bit of a puzzle – until you step inside. This hotel thoroughly deserves every one of its five stars, and its raft of international awards, and probably a few more besides. Its Chinese name – Xin Hao Feng – means 'cutting edge', which is a pretty fair description. The indoor infinity pool bears comparison with a floating spacecraft – the water laps against the window, there’s music when you submerge, and even on a hazy day the views are sensational. Read expert review. From £147 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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MGM Macau Macau
7Telegraph expert rating
The glass exterior of the MGM Macau is divided into three horizontal waves, coloured gold, blue and copper, while the lobby leads into the Grande Praça – a soaring European-style piazza sheltered by a glass roof and bordered by classical façades. The overall effect is playful, uplifting and relaxing. Whether you’re admiring the view from the outdoor pool’s hot tub, working up a light sweat in the gym, or submitting to the spa therapists’ gentle ministrations, there’s much to enjoy here. Read expert review. From £147 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central Macau
7Telegraph expert rating
The black-clad, brass-buttoned doormen look the part here in their peaked caps, and rather than seeming like showing off, the hotel’s other minor flummeries (the head waiter decapitates a bottle of champagne with a sabre three nights a week) are conducted with aplomb. The lobby’s more like a large hallway – a fitting introduction. The oasis-like feel of the two outdoor pools up on the eighth floor is enhanced by a whirligig pattern of aquamarine tiles. Read expert review. From £172 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Banyan Tree Macau Macau
7Telegraph expert rating
Banyan Tree is one of Asia’s best-known hotel brands, with a well-deserved reputation for its spas, which are beautifully designed and run, and Banyan Tree Macau is no exception. If the mega playground that is the pool deck is a tad overwhelming to you, retreat to the 31st-floor indoor pool and health club. The property retains a very relaxed, resort-like feel, and the delight is in the details: a day bed with silk cushions hovers by the lift lobby on every floor, and wooden bird cages are suspended outside each suite. Read expert review. From £236 per night. Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com.
Wynn Macau Macau
8Telegraph expert rating
There’s more than a hint of Las Vegas in Wynn’s very well executed spectacle. Huge, bold artworks – more hypnotic than eye-catching – perform a glossy introduction to the rest of the property, with its Michelin-starred restaurant and highly luxurious accommodations. This was one of the first American casino resorts to open in Macau, and it set the bar at nigh Olympic heights. Casino apart, guests can sample a brace of spas, an outdoor pool and a stack of high-end shops, starting with Bulgari and ending with Versace. Read expert review. From £174 per night.
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Studio City Macau
7Telegraph expert rating
Studio City’s twin 98 ft-high steel statues, searchlight battery, and Ferris Wheel put it out of the running for the architectural shrinking violet award; there may be larger hotels on the Cotai Strip, but none quite so ostentatious. Entertainment is the watchword here, as Macau gradually edges away from gambling to all-round resort destination. The ferris wheel mounted on the hotel’s Art Deco exterior is shaped like a figure-of-eight – traditionally a lucky number for Asians – and is much favoured by optimistic spirits headed for the tables. Read expert review. From £107 per night.Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel Macau
7Telegraph expert rating
'Pride and joy' barely begins to describe the place The Venetian holds in the heart of its owner, that considerably-larger-than-life American tycoon Sheldon Adelson. Built in homage to the famous Italian city, the resort is amazing, overwhelming and diverting. There are four outdoor pools, and one indoor (adults only). Mini golf players are obliged to wear 'sports attire'. There are no rooms here, just seven different types of suites, some 3,000 in total. Read expert review From £117per nightCheck availabilityRates provided byBooking.com
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The Parisian Macao Macau
7Telegraph expert rating
Star-studded and icon-packed (albeit scaled-down), The Parisian adds more than a soupçon of fun to Macau’s casino resorts, themed in the same fashion as its sister hotel the Venetian. A 531ft-high Eiffel Tower fronts the property, while the lobby is more of a cathedral centred around a replica Fontaine de Mers. Couples can even bring their own padlock to affix to a replica Love Lock Bridge. Read expert review. From £100 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
This article was written by Ed Peters from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.