Sands Expands

If you could compare the Venetian and the Sands to brothers, the Venetian would undoubtedly be the bigger, brasher, younger one. The one who wants his name up in lights. The Sands would be the smoother, suaver of the two – the one that doesn’t get as much attention, but definitely gets more dates.

It’s kind of ironic that the Sands should now be seen as the smaller of the two properties owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corp. When it opened in 2004, it was the mother of all casinos, the one that rocked Stanley Ho on his heels as it hoovered up a huge chunk of customers from the 16 SJM casinos around Macau. It was a sight to behold for anyone who had previously thought the Lisboa was the pinnacle of the gaming experience in Asia, with more than 500 tables (later expanded to more than 700), more restaurants, and one of the world’s biggest chandeliers in its lobby.

But there was one thing the Sands could not do, that Wynn and StarWorld and everyone who came after them could: accommodate more than a few dozen high-rollers at a time overnight. Casino executives preferred not to talk about it, but for more than a year, they sat back and watched in frustration as junket operators took their clients off to a rival for the evening, where hundreds of deluxe rooms were available to them.

That changed in early October with the unveiling of the Sands Hotel, a 289-room tower on top of the casino. Now the Sands can cater to just the right number of high-rollers at any given time.

You don’t necessarily need to be a high-roller to stay at the Sands, mind you. When we last enquired, suites were going for about HK$1,500 a night, which is very reasonable for the quality on offer. The smaller suites are about 600 sq ft, and the larger are about 1,200 sq ft. You can even book two together, with their own common entrance.

Inside, the suites are very comfortable, with every amenity you could need. Not only are there docking stations for iPods, but each room comes with its own karaoke player. Details have been very carefully scrutinized, and the quality of the finishing is impeccable.

Indeed, the Sands has deliberately set out to distinguish itself from the Venetian by using a more contemporary design. It has worked, in our view. Run by Andrew Billany, who has an extensive background in luxury brands both in Las Vegas and Asia, the Sands Hotel is an upscale hospitality experience.

Where the Sands has an advantage is in the extras it can offer to guests from the rest of the resort. The spa is fantastic, and treatments can be ordered in the room if so required. The Copa steakhouse is still preferred by many casino executives in Macau, as is the Gourmet Palace Chinese restaurant.

What makes the Sands truly stand out, however, is the main gaming floor. The Xanadu bar keeps punters going throughout the night with a succession of good bands, filling the gigantic hall with a vibrant atmosphere. That energy is often carried over to other parts of the complex when there are private events going on, such as up on the pool deck, or even if there is a show on stage in the Sands’s 600-seat theater, which recently hosted Air Supply.

In January, the Sands will become the place to party when it opens its ultralounge on the top floor. It will certainly be where all the dates will want to go; which might just prove what every older brother already knows: you don’t have to always be the biggest.