Trip review of Macau: Casino hub of the world
As the plane was taxiing at Macau International Airport, one could already catch glimpses of the glitz and glamour that Asia’s Las Vegas has to offer, as grand and elaborate hotel buildings dotted the horizon.
This trip was completed in September 2023.
As the plane was taxiing at Macau International Airport, one could already catch glimpses of the glitz and glamour that Asia’s Las Vegas has to offer, as grand and elaborate hotel buildings dotted the horizon. The airport itself was rather basic and certainly less bustling than its neighbouring Hong Kong International Airport. However, for us, a direct flight into our destination was much more welcomed as we cannot wait to discover what Macau has to offer.
Upon completion of arrival procedures, multiple shuttle bus stations of major hotel chains can be found near the parking bays to the right after exiting the arrival halls. Passionate stewards are on standby to ensure a seamless journey to your accommodation, giving visitors a preview of just how well-developed the tourism segment is in Macau.
Below are our reviews of notable parts of our trip.
Accommodation: Wynn Palace
Rating 8.7/10
Wynn Palace, a relatively new addition to the Cotai landscape, wows guests from the get-go with its luxurious entrance. Made up of a generous and brightly lit entry way lined with lush greenery, well-dressed hotel porters under a palatial canopy added the finishing touch to the arrival experience.
Grandeur flows unbridled into the establishment with ornate chandeliers, lavish gold finishings and an intricate floral ferris wheel (their seasonal exhibit during our trip) to top it off. There are two lobbies flanking the building and check-in was smooth. The service desk also gave a quick orientation on how to navigate the massive compound, as well as a run-down of their various complimentary shuttle bus schedules.
The room is spacious and decorated in the same shiny gold fashion as the rest of the establishment. The bathroom was well-equipped and likely one of the largest we have been in.
Depending on the side of the hotel, through the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows, one could be greeted by Wynn's signature Performance Lake that enchants with nightly light and music shows. However, for this trip, we were allocated a room with the airport view. Rates are about 3,500MOP/night (MOP is their local currency, called Macanese Pataca, and is about 1:1 exchange ratio with Hong Kong dollars).
Buffet breakfast is served daily at Fontana, one of the hotel’s dining options. We recommend to reach early in order to get a table beside the windows. We did not see a breakfast crowd once despite staying there for quite a number of nights. As for the breakfast spread, they had a good variety ranging from Eastern to Western favourites. The dimsum and dumpling noodles are worth trying.
Another noteworthy activity within Wynn Palace is the cable car installation that goes around the perimeter of the Performance Lake, giving you a front-row immersive view of the fountain performance. Certain tiers of Wynn Loyalty members are entitled to complimentary rides and can enter via a priority queue, effectively skipping a long snaking line of tourists.
Like other premium hotels in the Cotai strip, the casino is conveniently located in the compound, and guests can expect to be spoilt for choice when it comes to luxury goods shopping as well as high-end restaurants.
Accommodation: Grand Hyatt Macau
Rating 7.6/10
Situated just opposite the Wynn Palace, this hotel is connected directly to the Cotai East light rail station. This is very convenient for travelers and serves as an alternative transportation option to the hotel's shuttle services. It is one of several hotels within the City of Dreams complex.
Grand Hyatt gives off the classical elegant vibe of a premium hotel, with modern interiors and lighting. For its price of 1,300MOP/night, almost a third of Wynn Palace's nightly rate, it presents good value for the room space it offers. Bathroom is of a good size too. Furthermore, there are a greater variety of affordable dining choices since this hotel is linked to an actual shopping mall.
At the lobby is their Chinese restaurant Man Tang Cai, which serves comforting Chinese food done well, such as crab fried rice and Sichuan noodles. We did not manage to snap some pictures as that was our last meal on check-out day before going to the airport. Do remember to pre-order their Peking Duck a day in advance to shorten the waiting time during your meal.
Overall, this is a value-for-money hotel given its convenient location and also closer proximity to the actual Cotai 'strip' where you can find the Venetian, Parisian, and Londoner.
Dining: Galo Portuguese Food (Calçada do Tronco Velho)
Rating 7.2/10
Due to Macau heritage as a Portuguese colony, one would find many Portuguese restaurants and influences around. One such restaurant is Galo, at the Macau old town district, located near to the famed Ruins of St. Paul.
The visit was done during lunchtime on a Tuesday and the restaurant, though initially quiet, gradually filled within the hour. Galo is furnished with a cosy homely setting and has an extensive menu serving a wide variety of meats, seafood and vegetarian options. Some of the better items we ordered were Codfish Gratin, Garlic Clams and Fried Vermicelli with Prawns. Overall, the dishes came in decent portions, were flavourful and had a distinct buttery aroma to it.
Dining: Lord Stow’s Bakery (inside Venetian retail area)
Rating 7.6/10
Another Portuguese must-have in Macau is Portuguese Egg Tart. Lord Stow’s Bakery is one of the few sought-after brands for egg tarts and one can expect to wait in line for a while before getting a taste of the glistening golden pastries.
We visited the outlet in The Venetian and waited about 30 minutes on a Monday afternoon. The bakery comes with a modest seating area, with most tourists taking the egg tarts away as souvenirs or to have on-the-go.
The egg tarts were served adequately warm with a smooth egg custard. Worthy to highlight is the crust of the tart, which was a perfect combination of crispy, flaky and buttery. Apart from egg tarts, the bakery also serves other well-liked baked goods such as pound cakes and almond cookies.
Dining: Tai Lei Loi Kei (Taipa)
Rating 7.1/10
Tai Lei Loi Kei, a tourist favourite, is in the Taipa district, which one can get to conveniently and affordably via the Light Rapid Transit system that weaves through the Cotai area. Well known for its pork chop buns, Tai Lei Loi Kei gives off a typical cha chaan teng atmosphere, complete with snug seatings and poster-plastered walls.
The pork chop bun specialist provided an assortment of bun choices for diners – polo bun, baguette and croissant. The pork chop itself was succulent, easy to bite through, and the polo bun option added another decadent dimension to the dish.
While we find the food to be slightly above average at best, we think that this place is still worth a visit due to the hole-in-the-wall dining experience. The Taipa neighbourhood itself is also a refreshing respite from the loud grandness of the Cotai entertainment areas.
Activity: teamLab SuperNature
Rating 8.0/10
World-renowned teamLab only opened their permanent exhibition at The Venetian a few years back. Being inside an expo hall, there is a generous amount of space for visitors to truly immerse themselves in the digital art installations. The crowd was very manageable during our visit, which made photo-taking at the different exhibits very pleasant and provided more opportunities to engage with the interactive art.
For some reason, we found that booking the entrance tickets online via Klook was cheaper than over the counter at the venue, so we decided to do the mobile booking despite being already there at the physical ticket counter.
There are also add-on experiences such as the Floating Flower Garden and Massless Clouds which require additional fees. We only went for the basic general admission tickets but we felt that was good enough an experience.
Activity: Sands Resorts complex at Cotai Strip
Rating 7.5/10
This is an expansive complex with numerous malls, attractions and hotels. The iconic Venetian, Parisian and Londoner are all here, complete with the replicas of the Eiffel Tower, water canals of Venice and London's Elizabeth Tower. Most of the attractions are connected seamlessly either indoors or by overhead air-conditioned walkways.
Within the massive compound, there are extensive shopping and dining options helmed by renowned international brands, not forgetting multiple casinos built into each one of them too. One can easily find themselves spending half a day roaming around, whilst taking in the impressive interior decorations.
Lastly, planning a day trip to Hong Kong or Shenzhen in mainland China is also an option for travelers in Macau. We find the immigration process to be rather straightforward as the border control system has been in place and continuously fine-tuned. Personally, we prefer the sea crossing via ferry due to the comfortable terminal infrastructure but for first-time visitors, doing a land crossing on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is totally an experience in itself!
