While I had visited Macau before on a day trip from Hong Kong, I had never actually stayed overnight there. With one casino being built after the other, I wanted to see what it is all about and explore the “new” side of Macau. With some Hilton HHonors points and a special occasion, I decided on one night at the Conrad Macau to celebrate – and quite the treat that was!
Location: The Conrad Macau is part of the Cotai Central development, with the Sands casino, Holiday Inn and Sheraton hotels and just across the street from the Venetian complex that also includes the Four Seasons hotel. They all are connected by a bridge, putting hundreds of stores and countless restaurants in walking distance, so you’ll not run out of choices for a while. It’s also a short ride (10 minutes or less) from the Macau airport or a slightly longer ride to the ferry terminal with easy access to Hong Kong airport and Kowloon. The hotel (as many others) offers free shuttles from the ferry terminal and airport to make it easy to get there and back! The old town of Macau is across the causeway, about 30 minutes by taxi.
Service: Service at the Conrad was spectacular and even exceeded my high expectations for a luxury hotel! We were welcomed in the main reception area and as soon as we identified ourselves as Hilton Gold members were whisked away by the staff to the club lounge to finish the check in! There was no wait, we were checked in quickly and received an upgrade to a suite. The staff was very attentive, explaining the amenities of the hotel and schedule of the lounge, providing a map and answering any questions we had. We were escorted to our suite and got the full tour of it, one of the few times that was actually helpful! When we returned to the lounge later for the evening happy hour and the next morning for breakfast, the service was just as friendly and attentive as before. The proactively approached us with anything they thought we might need. The same was true for the staff at the pool and gym, who was equally good! While the majority of guests are from mainland China, all the staff we dealt with was fluent in English and there were no language issues. This was some of the best service I’ve received at a hotel anywhere and it puts many hotels in the luxury category to shame!
Room: It was the first time I actually appreciated a tour of our suite – because it was so big! We entered through a small hallway into the living room with a large dining table with seating for four people and a Nespresso machine (my favorite feature). Beyond it was an even larger living room with an elegant couch and table as well as a large TV. If you like your TV loud, you can go to the separate media room with an even larger TV, a premium sound system and DVD player to watch from another couch! We were joking that it could sleep the body guard near the entrance…
From the living room, you enter the generous bedroom with a king bed, yet another TV and some chairs and a desk. The bed was very comfortable with high-end sheets, pillows and comforter that can easily compete with Westin’s Heavenly Bed!
The bathroom was also large, taking up the rest of the suite. It had a separate large shower room, a round bath tub, double vanity and separate toilet room. There were bathrobes, slippers and very nice, standard Conrad amenities. Altogether, the suite was more than 150 sqm, several times the size of a regular room in Hong Kong and very much a treat as a complimentary upgrade. The suite was held in brown/beige tones with contemporary furniture and art work. There was a bit more gold and bling than I personally like, but it was still tastefully done. I enjoyed the little touches, like a rubber duck in the bathroom and a stuffed dog on the bed as part of the turndown service!
Amenities/Restaurant: The best amenity for a Hilton Gold member is the club lounge. In addition to the large reception, there is a large, beautiful lounge with several seating areas and a mix of restaurant and lounge style seating. Despite the size, it felt comfortable and private, making it the perfect set-up. They served free drinks and snacks for the evening happy hour and breakfast in the morning. The selection was one of the best both times I have seen at a club lounge at any chain. While many hotels, especially in the US, seem to be cutting back, only offering the bare minimum of food and drink, the Conrad Macau went all out with a luxurious spread of high quality food and premium drinks! While the front desk pointed out during check-in that the breakfast is not as big as in the main restaurant, the choices at the lounge are very good and in no way limiting, even for a longer stay, with lots of pastries, fresh fruit and various warm an60d made-to-order dishes available! If you have access to the lounge, I don’t see any reason to go to the restaurant, which is shared with the Holiday Inn…
There are also 3 restaurants and bars at the hotel, but with so many more in the mall complex, we opted for dinner at the Venetian instead!
The Conrad also has a large pool area between the hotels, with multiple pools, cabanas and plenty of loungers. You can choose between full sun exposure and hiding under the cabanas. All of it is well maintained and looks great.
Near the pool, you’ll also find the full-size gym with plenty of cardio and weight equipment for a full workout. If you are more looking to relax, you can choose the spa instead with a variety of treatments (which we didn’t get to try, unfortunately).
Conclusion: We booked the Conrad Macau for 40,000 points/night (a $160 points value). Cash rates during our stay on a holiday weekend were $595, but on other weekends, I have seen rooms around $200 and less on weekdays! On points or those lower rates, the rates are good value compared to Hong Kong and great, if you are lucky enough to score a suite upgrade as a Hilton Gold member!. I was impressed by the stay and will keep the Conrad in mind for future stays. It certainly was a special treat, represented Hilton’s luxury brand Conrad well and it’s highly recommended!