Why here?
Macau might make headlines for its glitzy new developments, but the city also offers a rich and diverse cultural history shaped by Chinese and Portuguese influences. The Holy House of Mercy (pictured) in the Historic Centre dates from 1569 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On the Calendar
• Every September, teams from around the world compete in the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. The competition lights up the sky over the Macau Tower Shorefront throughout the month.
• The annual Macau Food Festival, held in Sai Van Lake Square in November, features Asian, European and local delicacies, in addition to live entertainment, games and beer competitions.
Soup's on
For an authentic Macanese hot-pot experience, head to Xin at the Sheraton Macau Hotel, Cotai Central, where diners cook their own meat and veggies in a boiling pot of soup at the table.
More Airlift
Beginning next month, EVA Air will commence new direct service from Houston to Taipei with a connection to Macau International Airport.
Local Update
• In February, the Harbourview Hotel opened with 389 guest rooms and 55 suites. The hotel is part of the new Macau Fisherman's Wharf redevelopment project and offers a restaurant and bar, a fitness center and an indoor swimming pool. With a design based on 18th-century Prague in the Czech Republic, the property is connected to both the Flamingo Casino and the Babylon Casino via footbridge.
• The 400-room St. Regis Macau, Cotai Central, is set to open in August with 13,455 square feet of meeting space. The property is part of the Sands Cotai Central integrated resort, a 1.2 million-square-foot complex now under construction. Plans call for retail, entertainment and dining facilities, along with three other hotels from Conrad, Holiday Inn and Sheraton. Completion is slated for August.
• The US$2.7 billion, 3,000-room Parisian Macau casino resort, developed by Las Vegas Sands Corp., will open late this year or early next with 450 table games, 2,500 slots, 500,000 square feet of retail space, a half-size replica of the Eiffel Tower and function space.
• Later this year, the US$3.2 billion Studio City resort complex will open in Cotai. The project includes a retail mall, a 5,000-seat multipurpose entertainment venue, a 1,600-room hotel tower, 500 table games and more.
• The JW Marriott Hotel Macau is set to open this month in the Cotai Strip. The 1,015-room property, part of the Galaxy Macau resort complex, has several dining options, an outdoor pool, a fitness center and more than 30,000 square feet of function space.
• The Ritz-Carlton, Macau, opens this month with 254 suites, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a spa and several dining options. The property has three function spaces, including an 8,000-square-foot pillarless ballroom.
• Wynn Palace, Wynn's second property in Macau, is under construction and set to open next year with 1,700 guest rooms. More details will follow.
• MGM Resorts is planning a new project in Macau's Cotai district for fall 2016. The complex will include 1,600 guest rooms, 500 gaming tables and 2,500 slots.
More Folks Flocking
Macau is steadily growing as an international hot spot. Last year, the city saw an 8 percent increase in international visitors, to 31.5 million, over 2013. More than 180,000 Americans went to Macau last year, and the U.S. continues to be the top long-haul source market for the destination.
Meeting Hotels: Major properties include the 1,014-room Wynn Macau, 582-room MGM Macau, 408-room Sofitel Hotel at Ponte 16 and 213-room Mandarin Oriental Macau.
In the Cotai area, hotels include the 3,896-room Sheraton Macau Hotel, Cotai Central; 2,874-room Venetian Macau; 1,500-room Galaxy Hotel; 791-room Grand Hyatt Macau; 636-room Conrad Hotel Cotai Central; 488-room Hotel Okura; 360-room Four Seasons Hotel Macau, and 256-room Banyan Tree Macau.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center: Macau Convention Center; exhibit space, 54,788 square feet; meeting rooms, 4; (853) 2885 0168
Macau Tower Convention & Exhibition Center; exhibit space, 20,000 square feet; meeting rooms, 16; (853) 2893-3339
Airport Transit: Macau International Airport, about 5 miles south of downtown Macau and 1 mile north of the Cotai Strip. Transfer cost by taxi, about $10 to $20 to both downtown and the Cotai Strip. All major hotels provide a pickup service.
Hong Kong International Airport, accessible via ferry, about an hour from the airport to either downtown Macau or Taipa. Transfer cost by TurboJET to Macau, $32 one way; transfer cost to Taipa by Cotai Strip CotaiJet, $21 one way
Taxes: Service charge, 10%; local tourism tax, 5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 15%
Group Venue: The Macau Cultural Center has two museums, an outdoor plaza and more. The Grand Auditorium seats 1,114, a conference room hosts 200 theater-style or 100 for a banquet. (853) 8797-7301
Contact: Macau Government Tourist Office, (310) 649-7719