The five-star-hotel capital of the world, according to
Forbes Travel Guide’s 2023 Star Awards, Macao, a former
Portuguese trading post on China’s Pearl River Delta, is
on the radar of discerning travellers with an extensive
collection of premium stays.
Experiencing a boom in design-first luxury hotels, the glitzy city promises all visitors an extensive menu of luxury accommodations, from a deluxe suite designed by late fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld or football superstar David Beckham, to one that gazes out over Macao’s iconic cityscapes. Indeed, travellers seeking a pampered experience will have no lack of choices in the city.
Macao, reinvented
For three years, while Macao was shuttered to much of the outside world under pandemic-related restrictions, the city was quietly reinventing itself by growing a wider range of experiences for travellers and a new line-up of hotels that take luxury accommodation to breathtaking new heights.
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These new destinations join an existing generation of exclusive accommodation such as The Venetian Macao, The MGM Macau, The Parisian Macao, Wynn Macau, Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Galaxy Hotel, StarWorld Hotel, Grand Lisboa and Altira Macau. What distinguishes the new additions, however, is design, evident not just in building exteriors and guestrooms, but in every small detail.
Back in full swing
Among the most luxe hotel resorts in Macao is the MGM Macau. With approximately 600 guest rooms and suites, a celebrated blend of Chinese, Japanese and European cuisine, and world-class entertainment and cultural attractions, it seeks to surpass the expectations of even the most sophisticated travellers. For the ninth and fifth consecutive year, both MGM Macau and its deluxe spa Tria were awarded the Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star Awards respectively, a distinction also won by the resort’s Imperial Court restaurant.
Newer arrivals are keen to make their mark, too. Opened in 2021, the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort astounds visitors with its majestic grouping of neoclassical and Belle Époque-inspired European-style buildings embracing a meticulously manicured garden—the Jardim Secreto—highlighted by traditional Chinese motifs. In many ways a meeting of east and west, the resort brings together the best of both worlds across three hotel towers: Grand Lisboa Palace Macau, The Karl Lagerfeld Macau and the Palazzo Versace Macau.
At the Grand Lisboa Palace Macau, there’s plenty on offer for fun and relaxation. Wash away the day’s stress at a private treatment suite at The Spa, or work up an appetite doing laps in the heated, indoor swimming pool enriched with Chinese and Baroque design elements. When you’re ready for a bite, The Grand Buffet with live-cooking stations serves up delights from China, South-East Asia, India and around the world.
A taste of luxury and Britain—in Macao
In 2021, the Sands Cotai Central was rebranded as The Londoner Macao, unveiling a whole new set of deluxe accommodation attractions on the Cotai Strip. This integrated resort now features two all-suite hotels—The Londoner Hotel and Londoner Court—that are adjacent to Conrad Macao, The St. Regis Macao, and Sheraton Grand Macao.
The Londoner Macao is an astonishing celebration of everything British: life-sized models of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament; the age-old tradition and quintessential experience of afternoon tea at the British-inspired restaurant, Churchill’s Table; statues of King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I; and music by the Beatles, Elton John and Spice Girls playing throughout the property.
Of the 594 Londoner Hotel suites inspired by classic British design, 14 were designed by British football phenomenon David Beckham. Taking up the top two floors of the tower, guests of the bespoke suites can enjoy deluxe furnishings, monogrammed cushions and portraits of Beckham himself, as well as his lifestyle and interests in football, photography, tailoring and style. Guests can even sample the latter, through his selection of cigars, whiskeys and cocktails available at restaurants in the complex.
Nearby, Londoner Court has residential-style suites with personalised services from butlers who have undergone continuous extensive training, and bespoke services such as in-suite trainer sessions and massage treatments. With this level of comfort and sophistication, it’s not surprising that The Londoner Hotel and Londoner Court received the highest five-star rating under Forbes Travel Guide’s Star Awards global rating system for luxury hotels in 2023 and 2024.
Luxury in history
What must be one of the most anticipated additions to the Cotai Strip is Raffles at Galaxy Macau, a magnificent luxury hotel that will harken back to the original British colonial Raffles Hotel, established in Singapore in 1887. Today, Raffles is renowned for its neo-Renaissance architecture and the elegant Long Bar, the perfect place for soaking up the atmosphere of the 1920s with a Singapore Sling, the eponymous national drink of the city state.
At Raffles Galaxy Macau, stay in one of the plush suites with designs inspired by modern palazzo architecture and amenities such as Samsung hospitality displays, which can be televisions when they’re turned on, or artworks when they’re off. The Raffles joins a constellation of first-class accommodation like the Galaxy, Banyan Tree, Hotel Okura, JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton, at the enormous Galaxy Macau integrated resort, which encompasses dozens of restaurants, shops and entertainment facilities. 2025 will welcome yet another luxurious addition, with Galaxy Macau soon to be home to the first Capella property in the Greater Bay Area region.
With so many new options for exclusive stays, there is no time like now to book a perfectly indulgent getaway in Macao.