The Grand Hyatt Macau is a luxurious haven of sunlight and glass set along the pearl river delta. A perfect retreat from the hustle of Macau island, the newly-opened Hyatt offers an elegant, secluded space to unwind in the midst of Macau’s next hot spot: the Cotai strip.
Macau’s Cotai Strip
Located between Taipa and Coloane islands on a stretch of reclaimed land that now joins the two islands as one, the Cotai strip is Macau’s challenge to Las Vegas. About a 15 minute taxi ride from downtown Macau island, it’s a bit removed, but certainly won’t be for long: this newly developed street is gearing up for a huge coming out party. The Venetian, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Crown Towers, and the Four Seasons are already here. Scheduled to join them are more big players like the Sheraton, Shangri-La, Raffles, and the Wynn. In fact, the construction is well under way—windowless shells of future powerhouses, temporarily abandoned in the economic slowdown, sit like sleeping giants, ready to be transformed into glass and neon.
The City of Dreams
For now the first phase of the strip, known collectively as City of Dreams, glitters at night in a chorus of dancing lights that flow down the length of all the buildings, reminiscent of the encrypted computer patterns from The Matrix. So far the Grand Hyatt Macau is the only hotel in the City of Dreams without a casino, dedicated exclusively to travelers, rather than gamblers.
Grand Impact: a Cutting-Edge Design Space
With its skyward-sweeping ceilings and polished mirror-like floors, the Hyatt’s lobby is an impressive sight. Among a sea of geometric modernism, one of the first things to catch your eye is Hong Kong artist Danny Lee’s three-piece sculpture Dance of Clouds and Rain, composed of giant suspended raindrops and water rivulets spilling from sculpted clouds in the ceiling. Rising below them from the middle of the lobby’s shiny, vertigo-inducing floor is a bulbous half-dome fountain covered in silent, flowing water. Continuing the effect of reflective surfaces, the reception area is filled with immaculately polished black tables that hold hundreds of flowers, forming the illusion of a flower-filled corridor, complete with the hint of a soft floral scent.
Guest Rooms
The Hyatt’s guest rooms are spacious and comfortable, set up more like small apartments rather than traditional hotel rooms. Filled with light from wall-sized windows, the rooms open into living rooms outfitted with contemporary furniture adjoined by kitchenettes complete with stylized coffee and tea makers and upscale accessories. Decorated with art prints celebrating local Macanese heritage, the rooms are simplistically zen-like with sliding wood panels revealing cabinets and closets, as well as forming walls to separate rooms.
The bedrooms and bathrooms are a study in light-play with an abundance of glass. Enclosed by glass, most showers and tubs overlook the bedrooms, sharing views of Macau. (For the modest traveler, black-out curtains and sliding wall panels create some privacy.) The bathrooms are an oasis of modern design filled with glass and mirrors. Glass doors that swing both ways lead to the toilets and to the showers—which are pure heaven after a day on your feet, with high pressure shower heads mounted on the ceilings and the walls. Framed by fresh flowers, twin sinks with lighted mirrors show off modern faucets that shoot water in wide arcs.
Rest and Relaxation
The Grand Hyatt Macau is an excellent place to retreat from the city. You can lounge poolside in your own plush cabana, resembling a four poster bed with curtains. Alternatively, there are lounge chairs submerged in the water, and private indoor whirlpools and saunas. The fitness center is open 24 hours a day, and Isala Spa offers an array of private spa retreats from shorter massages to four hour spa rituals that include features such as hot-cold jade stone massage or sweet lychee scrubs.
Gourmet Dining
For those seeking gourmet cuisine, the Grand Hyatt has you covered. Upscale Beijing Kitchen serves up northern Chinese cuisine in a sleek, contemporary setting, while mezza9 Macau satisfies a variety of tastes: from Japanese to Macanese, with a grill, wok, and deli station to boot. You can enjoy drinks and live music in the lobby lounge, and the hotel’s patisserie serves up mouthwatering fancy sweets, including Macau’s famous Portuguese egg tarts—comprised of custard nested in crispy layers of flaky pastry.
An extra treat for VIP guests is the Grand Club Lounge, which serves around the clock complimentary treats, snacks, and drinks, along with daily breakfast and light dining in the evening. Highlights include fancy pastries topped with gold leaf, noodles to order, and honey via an actual honeycomb.
Old Macau Versus New Macau
This hotel is the perfect place to indulge all of your senses. It presents world class luxury set in a beautiful contemporary setting, yet manages to maintain an intimate feel. With its unique design culture, unlike any other hotel in the Hyatt chain, the Grand Hyatt Macau manages to feel like a boutique hotel, while retaining all the indulgent comforts of a hotel of its enormous scale.
With its relaxed atmosphere, this 791-room hotel feels a world apart from the busy city streets and turbo-charged casinos of central Macau—a call out to days past when Macau was comprised of sleepy villages. A stay here will no doubt wow you, but also open your eyes to the new tug of war game playing out between Macau island, with its energetic fusion of Chinese and Portuguese history and charm, and the Cotai strip, with its glossy designer shops and mega-casino transplants of the future. As Macau continues to play the chameleon, the Hyatt will no doubt remain the perfect perch from which to watch the action unfold.
City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai,
Macau, People's Republic of China
Tel: +853 8868 1234
* Media discounts were received for portions of this stay.
Gayle Wheatley - Gayle Wheatley is a professional writer, designer, and artist based in Los Angeles, and the founder of Culture Vixen magazine.
