MGM roars

The last of Macau’s six gaming concessionaires to open a property is expecting the old adage “last but not least” to ring true. And so far, all indications are that MGM Grand, which opened on the peninsula on December 18, is proving itself a worthy addition to the New Macau.

It helps that MGM has great people in place, some of whom have been on the ground in Macau for more than two years already. Bob Moon, president of MGM Grand Macau, a seasoned veteran of the gaming industry, not just in Las Vegas but internationally, has brought in a sharp team to run the casino. Robbert van der Maas, who Moon has tapped to run the hotel and F&B operations, has an extensive background in Asian hospitality with both the Four Seasons and Hyatt groups. They have all the bases covered.

MGM Grand could not ask for a better pedigree, being a joint venture between one of the world’s largest gaming operators, MGM Mirage, and one of Macau’s most influential business figures, Pansy Ho, daughter of the former monopoly operator, Stanley Ho. The former runs the lion’s share of casinos in Las Vegas (11) and has another eight elsewhere in the US, while the latter runs the dominant ferry operator, Turbojet, and has extensive land holdings in Macau.

The most striking attraction of the property is the Grande Praça conservatory: a 25-meter high attraction rising up to the glass ceiling, set amid beautiful Portuguese-inspired architectural façades. The entire lobby’s ceiling is adorned with colorful hand-blown glass pansies, created by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly.

Each of the 600 rooms in the hotel tower has a different configuration, due to the wavy curves of the glass walls. The building’s three colored blocks represent different classes of rooms, ranging from the standard 48 sq m units at the bottom, to the Grand 540 sq m villas at the top.

The resort’s restaurants and bars are truly amazing. They include Russian, Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese style, and the Champagne bars are not to be missed.

For gaming enthusiasts, the MGM Grand has 385 tables and 890 slot machines in its casino.

No five-star resort can open in Macau these days without a deluxe spa, and the MGM Grand’s stands out. The Six Senses Spa comes with 12 treatment areas offering state-of-the-art facilities such as flotation and vitality pools, herbal steam rooms, “snow cabins,” and – perhaps most importantly – relaxation areas where guests can chill out while taking in the sweeping views of the South China Sea.

All in all, the MGM Grand has proved to be a grand experience.

For more details, visit www.mgmgrandmacau.com