Macau, the Las Vegas of Asia, is well-known for its casinos, portuguese egg tarts and proximity to Hong Kong. However what most Singaporeans do not know is that although Macau is a part of the People’s Republic of China, the Macanese have their own government and currency, also known as the ‘Pataca (short form: MOP)’. There is now a direct flight route from Singapore Changi Airport to Macau International Airport, all thanks to Tigerair!
Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel flew guest blogger, Sophie Leow, to the cultural city-state to explore the premises of the premier tier hotel, and to celebrate its recent elevation to ‘Grand’ status in recognition for its enticing destination, distinguished design and excellence in service and guest experiences. She is thrilled to share her review of the hotel and the services experienced.
1. The Personalised Accommodation
Sheraton Grand Macau Hotel
Address: Estrada do Istmo. s/n, Cotai, Macau | Tel: +853 2880 2000 | Email: [email protected] | Website: www.sheratongrandmacao.com
Sheraton Grand Macau Hotel was constructed by Las Vegas Sands and opened on September 20, 2012. The hotel is currently managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and is both the largest hotel in Macau and in the Starwood chain. It is reputable for its title of being “the largest Sherton hotel in the world”.
The hotel has two towers – Sky and Earth – with 4,001 guestrooms and suites available. Despite the astonishing number of guestrooms available, the hotel is fully booked most of the time and it can be hard to get a room without a reservation made beforehand.
It is highly recommended for guests to book from Sheraton Grand Macau’s newly-varnished website as the new site takes record of special requests made (eg. extra pillows, double bed, non-smoking room). These details would then be shared with sister hotels like St. Regis or W Hotel, thus ensuring that guests of Starwood Hotels & Resorts would always feel at home but with a sense of class and luxury.
The guests of Sheraton Grand Macau Hotel are able to choose from 10 different types of rooms or suites during their period of stay:
- Deluxe Room (42 sqm/452 sq ft)
- Deluxe Cotai Room (42 sqm/452 sq ft)
- Sheraton Club Room (42 sqm/452 sq ft)
- Deluxe Suite (125 sqm/1346 sq ft)
- Family Suite (83 sqm/893 sq ft)
- Executive Suite (83 sqm/893 sq ft)
- Executive Deluxe Suite (125 sqm/1346 sq ft)
- Terrace Suite (251 sqm/2702 sq ft)
- Ambassador Suite (166 sqm/1787 sq ft)
- Presidential Suite (208 sqm/2239 sq ft)
Executive Deluxe Suite – Living and Dining Room
Sheraton Grand Macau Hotel housed me in the Executive Deluxe Suite during my short stay in Macau. The Executive Deluxe Suite is essentially a Deluxe Suite of even grander proportions, a lavish space-filled haven with towering ceilings and sweeping high-up views of the buzzing Cotai Strip and far beyond.
Sleeping Quarters
A king-size bed with neatly pressed sheets and fluffy pillows.
But what I liked best about this room is the presence of another router within the room (the first being in the living room, the second in the Entertainment room), thus allowing a seamless connection to the free Wi-Fi wherever I go in my suite.
I could wake up in the morning and check my Facebook feed without having to grumble about Internet connectivity issues. So brilliant!
Master Bathroom
Fully equipped with a bathtub – bath salt and loofah provided for the perfect relaxing soak in the tub, shower room, toilet room, closets and two sinks.
I loved going to the toilet during my stay (how could I not?!)
Entertainment Room
The walls of the room have been padded so as to ensure the best sound quality within the Entertainment Room. There is a DVD player and a Blu-Ray player available for guests to play whichever movie that they might wanna watch.
If the guests do not want to go through the trouble of bringing/renting discs, an alternative would be to make an online purchase of the movies available on the hotel’s e-library and have the show screened in either of the three flat-screen televisions in the suite.
#2| Room Service
In-Room Dining
I love room service and so do most people.
A variety of food is available on the in-room dining menu at Sheraton Grand Macau, the options range from pastries to asian and local portuguese delights.
Having lunch while enjoying a splendid view
#3| Discover A State of Complete Relaxation
Shine Spa for Sheraton
Located on the third floor of the hotel, Shine Spa for Sheraton spans 15 treatment rooms, including five couples rooms, designating it the largest Shine Spa in Asia Pacific.
Fusing Eastern and Western traditions and inspired by the five elements of Feng Shui — wood, fire, earth, metal and water — their extensive spa menu pampers the mind, body and spirit with signature Macau treatments.
Homemade Honey-Chocolate Granola Bar
Shine Spa for Sheraton
Level 3 Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central
Operating hours:
Tuesday – Friday (11:30am – 11:30pm);
Saturday – Monday (10:00am – 11:30pm)
#4| Activities For Young Families
Kungu Panda-themed Family Suite
At Sheraton Grand Macau, the hotel has partnered up with DreamWorks to provide an exclusive travelling experience for families staying in the Family Suite.
There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms in each Family Suite. The children’s bedroom and bathroom have been decorated with characters from Kungfu Panda.
Complimentary children’s amenities such as exclusive bathrobes made to fit for children are also available within the suite so as to give the kids a memorable experience of having slept in a room filled with their favourite Kungfu Panda characters!
Other available amenities within the Family Suite are game consoles and complimentary in-room movies.
Shrek-Fast: A Unique Breakfast Experience With the DreamWorks Gang!
The DreamWorks experience has yet to conclude, without having enjoyed the special day of having had the coolest meal on earth with the beloved DreamWorks gang!
Families get to snap photos with their favourite DreamWorks Animation characters — Shrek, Kungfu Panda, Madagascar, How To Train Your Dragon — while enjoying an incredibly themed buffet.
DREAMWORKS CHARACTER DINING EXPERIENCE
Tel: +853 8113 0398
E-mail: [email protected]
Prices:
- Adult – HKD/MOP 238+ per person
- Children – HKD/MOP 138+ per person
- Family Package – HKD/MOP 688+ (3 adults & 1 Child at age 4-12)
- Guests booked with breakfast included rates / packages can upgrade existing breakfast to Shrekfast for HKD/MOP 100+ per person
#5| Dining At Sheraton Grand Macau
Bene is an upbeat and friendly Italian trattoria which serves traditional Italian home-style dishes that the entire family will love. Warm and welcoming, the tempting aromas of the open wood fire oven promote an atmosphere of relaxation and enjoyment.
The authentic food, cozy and cheerful décor, relaxing alfresco area, superb barista coffee and great Italian music. The well-stocked wine cellar means guests can select the perfect wine match for their meal at their leisure, thus making Bene a quintessentially Italian experience. Click here to view their drinking menu.
Bene offers honest food which is full of flavor and showcases authentic recipes; food which is complex in technique yet simple in presentation, with generous portions to encourage family-style sharing.
Bene Italian Kitchen
Address: Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central Estrada Do Istmo | Contact: (+853) 81131200 | Email: [email protected] | Website: http://www.benemacau.com/
Xin – Asian Seafood Hotpot Restaurant
Xin is Sheraton’s one-of-a-kind Asian hotpot restaurant, offering a diverse array of hotpots, fresh-from-the-tank seafood and Asian-inspired dishes to delight the palates of Asian and international guests. The concept of Xin, which literally translates to “freshness” was inspired by a vibrant Asian seafood market.
Indulge in Xin’s seafood hotpot buffet with different signature Asian soup base like Nyonya Laksa soup, Sichuan Spicy Chilli Oil Broth, Chinese Herbal Tonic with Chicken Feet and more with your friends and family. Click here to view their menu.
Xin features an extensive, open bar which offers a comfortable place where guests can meet before dinner, enjoy drinks and soak up the restaurant’s lively atmosphere.
Xin – Asian Seafood Hotpot Restaurant
Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central Estrada Do Istmo
Contact: (+853) 81131200
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.xinmacau.com/
Adult prices:
- Lunch Buffet: HKD238+
- Dinner Buffet: HKD398+
Children prices (special rates between 6 to 12):
- Lunch Buffet: HKD100+
- Dinner Buffet: HKD200+
- *Free of charge for children aged 5 and below
Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central is bringing the lobby bar dining experience in Macau to an entirely new level with the introduction of “Paired”, a new food and beverage program comprised of artisanal small plates and eclectic bar snacks served alongside suggested premium wines and selected craft beers.
The new menu uniquely pairs small plates and bar snacks with an unexpected recommendation from Sheraton Selects—a menu of premium wines rated 85 points or higher by Wine Spectator—and a craft beer, sourced specifically from choice brewers.
The Paired program, offered across Sheraton properties globally, is available daily at the lobby venue from 12pm onwards. Click here to view the Paired menu.
Palms
Level 1 Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central
Website: http://www.sheratongrandmacao.com/en/palms
Operation hours:
Sunday – Thursday (8:00 am – 12:00 am);
Friday – Saturday (8:00 am – 1:00 am)
Rating: 4.8/5
My two cents:
Sheraton Grand Macau Hotel deserves its “Grand” title indeed.
A few months back, the hotel became a part of 17 other premier tier hotels with the “Grand” status — the number is currently at 21 with three other hotels being added last month.
The initiative of awarding Sheraton hotels with the title of “Sheraton Grand” came from the comprehensive 10-point plan (titled: “Sheraton 2020”) to put Sheraton Hotels & Resorts back into the global limelight.
The idea was to motivate hoteliers to renovate their hotel and improve on their hospitality services, on the other hand it also works as a mean to help guests differentiate between the best Sheraton Hotels worldwide.
A key component of Sheraton 2020 was to elevate a guest’s experience with the hotel and to have them feel that travelling can be effortless and without fuss.
An example of an effortless travelling experience is the FREE Wi-fi is now available at every corner of the hotel — trust me on this because I put it to the test within my room, in the hotel lobby, restaurants and shopping arena, and even on the shuttle bus!
It was extremely easy to connect onto their routers and Sheraton Grand Macau is making a point to help their guests stay connected on the go!
Sheraton Grand Macau Hotel is working towards eliminating the mindset that Macau is all about gambling. The hotel is moving towards making the place a family-friendly vacation destination (think: Genting, Malaysia), thus explaining the presence of DreamWorks themed family suites and Breakfast With The DreamWorks gang.
The Grand Hotel has more family plans to come. An example is “Junior Hotelier – Master Chef” where kids would get to unleash their culinary creativity with the Junior Hotelier program and create their own pizzas and smoothies.
Families can also look forward to the “DreamWorks All Star Parade” coming soon this mid-year where beloved DreamWorks characters would parade around the Cotai Strip (see the best action at Sands Cotai Central) featuring stilt walkers, dancers and puppets and there will be tons of dancing and singing to the tunes from all the favorite DreamWorks movies!
Book your flight tickets from tigerair now from $122, and make your hotel reservations before Sheraton Grand Macau Hotel runs out of rooms!
