Macau International Airport (MFM) serves the Las Vegas of Asia, a former Portuguese colony that blends European heritage with Chinese culture. Hotels in Macau offer access to the Ruins of St Paul's, the world's largest casino floor, the UNESCO-listed historic centre, and spectacular fireworks competitions.
All 3,000 suites of The Venetian are generously sized — the smallest suite category starts at 70 square metres — in a resort that has its own Grand Canal, shopping mall, and arena under one (very large) roof. Theatrical, maximalist, and genuinely fun, this is the hotel that defined what a Macau megahotel could be.
Sharing a sky bridge with The Venetian but operating in an entirely different register — a genuinely hushed luxury hotel with a pool terrace of extraordinary beauty. The Four Seasons' tower suites, its three outdoor pools, and the award-winning Zi Yat Heen Cantonese restaurant attract a clientele who want Cotai's energy without sacrificing serenity.
Zaha Hadid's final completed building — an exoskeleton of interlocking voids that makes every other tower on the strip look timid. Inside, rooms of calm sophistication are served by one of Asia's most technically accomplished butler programmes. The three Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse restaurant and the Sky Pool are without equal in Macau.
A deliberate counter-programming to Cotai's maximalism — the Mandarin Oriental stands on the peninsula beside Nam Van Lake in a building of genuine architectural restraint. Just 213 rooms, a genuinely therapeutic spa, and the only hotel pool in Macau with views of the illuminated Governorate at night.
The original Steve Wynn Macau statement property — still the benchmark for casino-hotel integration on the peninsula. The Wynn Garden Café serves the finest dim sum in any hotel in Macau; the floral lobby installations are replaced seasonally; and the pool area's cabana service matches anything the strip produces.
A half-scale Eiffel Tower illuminated above the strip — theatrical and entirely unapologetic. The Parisian's 3,000 suites take a Haussmann Paris theme to its logical extreme; the tower observation deck offers the best Cotai panorama, and the family amenities including a water park make it Macau's top choice for children.