Sometimes, you want a holiday which requires intensive weeks-long research. Other times, you just need an escape from your daily routine, to take it easy or even luxuriate. Integrated resort Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau will deliver the latter in spades—and then some.
The former Portuguese colony of Macau is just a four-hour flight from Singapore, like Hong Kong. From Hong Kong, Macau is only an hour away by ferry. Since last August, there has also been a new bus connection from Hong Kong International Airport to Macau, making it more accessible than ever. The crown jewel on the Cotai Strip is SJM Resorts’s sprawling integrated resort Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau. It promises a one-stop experience comprising an eponymous five-star hotel, a luxury spa, a flagship shopping mall, and exquisite fine dining establishments.
The stay
Grand Lisboa Palace Macau’s 1,350 rooms and suites are furnished with bold traditional motifs and bright colours, celebrating Macau’s Sino-Portuguese cultural identity and maritime history. The hotel also boasts a large collection of commissioned artworks by both emerging and established local artists.
It might be an understatement to describe Grand Lisboa Palace Macau as luxurious—the hotel drips with flamboyant East-meets-West luxury, evoking the grandeur of monumental Neoclassical architecture during the Belle Époque.
Pick from rooms overlooking the vibrant Cotai Strip or the resort’s very own Baroque garden. The 1,048-square-metre Jardim Secreto, or “Secret Garden” in Portuguese, is a sight to behold, a calming oasis of European-styled manicured greens and geometric landscaping with a majestic dome nestled between the resort’s towers.
The itinerary
If you’re craving a spot of holistic wellness during your stay, look no further. With 14 private treatment suites, The Spa at Grand Lisboa Palace redefines indulgence whether it’s through relaxing therapeutic massages delivered by expert therapists or tailored facial treatments using products from French luxury skincare line Biologique Recherche.
What’s more, the integrated resort’s luxury shopping arm brings guests one step closer to retail therapy convenience right on their doorstep. This retail fantasyland is home to over 100 stores encompassing international luxury, fashion and lifestyle brands including a ‘Made in Macau’ retail space showcasing home-grown designers and souvenirs.
When you’ve shopped to your fill, wind down with a dip in the hotel’s indoor and outdoor swimming pools or work up a sweat with the latest Technogym equipment in the spacious gym, with a view of Jardim Secreto’s lush greenery. Personal trainers are available by appointment. During the cooler months, the gym also offers complimentary instructor-led outdoor fitness and wellness classes.
The dining
If Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau aspires to take guests on a culinary adventure that matches its refined extravagance, it more than delivers with three stellar dining experiences.
Celebrating Chinoiserie, a style sparked by Europe’s flourishing trade with China in the 17th century, Palace Garden charms guests with a show-stopping 35-metre-long Suzhou silk embroidery mural—inspired by Japanese artist Keika Hasegawa’s One Hundred Chrysanthemums woodblock print—delicately framed on the ceiling by a shimmering Saint-Louis crystal chandelier resembling cascading water.
This sets the stage for Chef Ken Chong’s seasonally-driven Taishi Cantonese haute cuisine that wouldn’t be out of place in an imperial residence. Served with 52-month aged Iberico ham and a special 25-year aged balsamic vinaigrette dressing with oyster essence, savour the succulent and perfectly-cooked Crystal King Tiger Prawn.
There’s no better place to revel in the essence of Italian culture and gastronomic traditions than at Asia’s only outpost of the Michelin-starred, family-owned Don Alfonso 1890, with Head Chef Federico Pucci showcasing the flavours of the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast using produce airflown from Le Peracciole, the restaurant’s own organic farm in Punta Campanella.
The lavish touch of Italian luxury fashion house Versace is clear, from bespoke furniture in Versace’s Asian Dream motif to the curated Versace Rosenthal tableware. The restaurant’s Venetian terrazzo floor of rosette and flower motifs is inspired by the one located in Versace Villa on Lake Como and handcrafted by Italian artisans using 18th-century techniques.
Finally, Michelin-starred chef José Avillez brings his signature contemporary Portuguese cuisine to Macau with a focus on seasonal recipes and Portuguese ingredients like suckling pig, octopus and cod fish.
Mesa by José Avillez’s swanky black and gold-trimmed interiors, complete with a statement cocktail bar, are designed by the late Karl Lagerfeld, featuring geometric designs juxtaposed with traditional Asian elements like the Chinese birdcage.
Working closely with famed Portuguese wineries such as Casa Ferreirinha ‘Barca Velha’ Tinto and Quinta do Noval, Mesa has one of the most extensive Portuguese wine lists in Macau alongside a bespoke cocktail menu referencing Macanese history and landmarks that pairs perfectly with petiscos, traditional Portuguese small plates.
Whether you are up for a bit of self-indulgent pampering or a long weekend getaway with girlfriends, Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau might be just what you’re looking for. In this all-encompassing sanctuary of indulgence, treat yourself to extravagant opulence for a few well-deserved days.
Discover more or book a stay at Grand Lisboa Palace Macau at grandlisboapalace.com.
