post

Luxury travel inspiration from the Asia-Pacific region

DestinAsian

<h2><strong>Why stay?</strong></h2>
<p>Rising like a stack of silver, gold, emerald green, and ruby-red jewelry boxes, MGM Cotai is a glittering landmark in the heart of <a href="https://destinasian.com/luxury-travel/spotlight/discover-macau" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Macau</a>’s integrated resort district. The complex is much more than a casino, with top-notch facilities and attractions spanning art, theater, spa, and retail. Among the myriad dining options, Michelin-starred Sichuan restaurant Five Foot Road is a standout.</p>
<h3><strong>The neighborhood</strong></h3>
<p>Cotai sits on reclaimed land built to house Macau’s new generation of integrated resorts, which means there isn’t a great deal to see in the immediate area apart from other resort complexes. Wander a little further and you’ll come to Taipa village, with its Sino-Portuguese shophouses and cobbled streets lined with food stalls and restaurants.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-140867 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-The-Spectacle.jpg" alt="MGM Cotai - The Spectacle" width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-The-Spectacle.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-The-Spectacle-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-The-Spectacle-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-The-Spectacle-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<h4><strong>The feel</strong></h4>
<p>The vast, natural light–filled central atrium (unusual in casino environments) is an MGM signature. Known here as the Spectacle, it features the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof in the world and is home to more than 100,000 plants and walls of LED display screens. An impressive contemporary and fine art collection is housed at MGM Cotai, including 28 precious Chinese imperial carpets dating back to the Qing dynasty that once decorated Beijing’s Forbidden City.</p>
<h5><strong>Guest quarters</strong></h5>
<p>Emerald Villas and The Mansion Villas are the top accommodations. Stays, however, are by invitation only and reserved for VVIPs of the casino. Mere mortals can choose from one of roughly 1,400 other rooms and suites in the M Tower or premium Emerald Tower. Lead-in rooms in both are similar in size and style, with contemporary interiors, timber floorboards, and golden hues. The best of the publicly available rooms are the Skylofts duplexes atop the M Tower. These sleek and airy suites feature double-height living and dining areas, loft-style bedrooms, spa-like bathrooms, and expansive views. Guests on the Skylofts floor also have access to the club lounge, which serves a limited breakfast and refreshments during the day.</p>
<h6><strong>Food and drink</strong></h6>
<p>Spice-lovers should make a beeline to one-Michelin-starred <a href="https://staging.destinasian.com/macau-dining-five-foot-road/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Five Foot Road</a>, a Sichuanese fine-dining restaurant modeled after the glamorous mansions of 1940s Chengdu. Guests are welcomed with a theatrical tea ceremony before embarking on a tongue-tingling feast courtesy of chef Yang Dengquan. Highlights include crispy mullet carpaccio with numbing Sichuan peppercorn sauce and exemplary hand-pulled <em>dandan</em> noodles. Other Chinese restaurants include <a href="https://www.mgm.mo/en/cotai/dining/chun" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chún</a> for Cantonese and <a href="https://www.mgm.mo/en/cotai/dining/hao-guo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hao Guo</a> for seafood hotpot. At <a href="https://www.mgm.mo/en/cotai/dining/aji" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aji</a>, on the perimeter of the Spectacle, Singaporean chef Pan Sihui turns out French-meets-Asian fare such as pan-seared foie gras with five-spice caramel sauce, and chargrilled lobster thermidor with <em>sudachi</em> Comte cream and salted egg yolk. Across the way is <a href="https://www.mgm.mo/en/cotai/dining/grill-58" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grill 58</a>, a three-in-one concept featuring a bar, steakhouse, and teppanyaki counter serving beef from a custom-built Himalayan pink salt meat-aging room. <a href="https://www.mgm.mo/en/cotai/dining/coast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coast</a> is the place for international eats from breakfast through to dinner and <a href="https://www.mgm.mo/en/cotai/dining/anytime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anytime</a> is a honeypot of sweet treats.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-140866 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-Skylofts-Reception-and-Grill-58-Teppanyaki-Omakase.jpg" alt="MGM Cotai - Skylofts Reception; Grill 58 Teppanyaki Omakase" width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-Skylofts-Reception-and-Grill-58-Teppanyaki-Omakase.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-Skylofts-Reception-and-Grill-58-Teppanyaki-Omakase-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-Skylofts-Reception-and-Grill-58-Teppanyaki-Omakase-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/MGM-Cotai-Macau-Skylofts-Reception-and-Grill-58-Teppanyaki-Omakase-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<h6><strong>Wellness factor</strong></h6>
<p>Arriving at <a href="https://www.mgm.mo/en/cotai/spa-fitness/tria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tria spa</a> is like stepping into a sculptural forest, with a tree-like trunk in the center of the reception, and glass leaves hanging from “branches” that spread across the ceiling. The signature Tria Wellness Massage is a customized treatment that could include a massage using warmed Himalayan salt stones or jade stones to relieve sore muscles, or a dry body brush treatment to increase circulation. Arrive early to take advantage of the heat and water facilities such as vitality pool, steam room, and experience showers. In addition to a fully equipped gym, guests have access to daily complimentary fitness classes such as mat Pilates and resistance band training; be sure to book ahead. Or simply relax by the outdoor pool set within a courtyard garden.</p>
<h6><strong>Family matters</strong></h6>
<p>As a family-friendly property, MGM Cotai offers the usual in-room amenities for kids and plenty of space to run around. In addition, a Sea Odyssey show featuring a drone display and animated dolphins frolicking across LED screens is held four times a day under the Spectacle’s expansive roof. Art is a major part of MGM Cotai’s offering, with a mix of permanent and temporary exhibitions suitable for people of all ages. Guided tours of the collection are available on request.</p>
<h6><strong>Sustainability cred</strong></h6>
<p>The resort is the first hotel in the Greater Bay Area to receive three-star certification under China’s Green Building Design and Operation Label. A series of sustainability goals have been set for 2030, including a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption, 100 percent food waste diversion and 25 percent emissions reduction; a target of 2050 has been set to achieve carbon neutrality.</p>
<h6><strong>What else?</strong></h6>
<p>Keep an eye out for shows at MGM Theater, a dynamic performance venue that can seat up to 2,000 people in more than 10 different configurations. The resort also partners with sister hotel MGM Macau to offer cruises around the revitalized Barra and Navy Yard area. And at MGM Macau, the new interactive <a href="https://destinasian.com/macau-attractions-poly-mgm-museum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Poly MGM Museum</a> has opened in partnership with the Chinese auction house and features priceless cultural treasures.</p>
<p>Reviewed by <strong>Kee Foong</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.mgm.mo/en/cotai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mgm.mo/en/cotai</a><br />
+853 8806 8888<br />
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/9B4L5i8gaB6qUw7N9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MGM Cotai, Av. da Nave Desportiva, Cotai, Macau</a></p>


MGM Cotai

Macau Hotels