B (1)

Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central

BACKGROUNDThe

hotel officially became

a Sheraton Grand in

January. In celebration

of the upgrade it rolled

out 80 new suites: 79

Executive Deluxe suites

on levels 38-40 in the

Earth Tower, and on

levels 40-41 in the Sky

Tower, and one suite

with a terrace on the

41st floor.

WHERE IS IT?The hotel is situated within the

Sands Cotai Central integrated resort on the Cotai

Strip between Taipa and Coloane islands. It can be

reached from both the Taipa Ferry Terminal and Macau

International Airport in 15 minutes by shuttle bus, taxi

or limousine.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?This hotel has 4,001 rooms – it’s

the world’s largest Sheraton – so it was no surprise

to find it very busy when I arrived. It took around

five minutes for the staff to clear other vehicles away

and make a space for my car, and crowds of travel

groups and gamblers at the entrance made it difficult

for me to enter the hotel with my luggage. Once

inside though, the impressive lobby is a huge expanse

of shiny marbled tiling with an oval recessed and

panelled ceiling that features three enormous baubles

reminiscent of giant pine cones. Two skyscraper towers

(titled Earth and Sky) rise above the main building.

ROOM FACILITIESMy room was an Executive

Deluxe suite located on the 38th floor in the

Earth Tower. At 139 sqm the term roomy is an

understatement – there is enough space for a living

room, dining room, media room and bedroom, whilst

the high ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows add to

the spaciousness.

The metal and smoked-glass work desk is placed

behind the sofa in the living room and near the pantry

area; it has three international sockets and two USB

plugs at the top left corner, and a comfortable chair.

The media room boasts an L-shaped sofa with comfy

cushions facing a large wall-mounted TV. It’s an ideal

place for a casual meeting, or can be turned into a

karaoke den thanks to the soundproofed walls.

The cosy bedroom had USB plugs next to the bed –

useful for guests who like to charge their gadgets while

having them close to hand. The large bathroom focuses

on a standalone bathtub in its centre, and features

Shine for Sheraton bath products.

CLUB LOUNGEGuests in Executive Deluxe suites

have access to the Club Lounge, located on level 4. It

has a business centre, TV lounge, bar, a dining area, as

well as an outdoor sitting area. Staff were efficient and

gave excellent service... although I noticed there were

fewer F&B choices during happy hour than when I was

here a month ago.

MEETING FACILITIESThe hotel has a plethora

of MICE facilities. In addition to the Club Lounge’s

business centre and meeting room, the hotel offers

more than 19,881 sqm of event space, including the

pillarless Kashgar Grand Ballroom, six junior ballrooms

and 166 breakout rooms.

RESTAURANTS AND BARSThe hotel offers Feast

for all-day dining, Italian trattoria Bene, as well as hot

pot restaurant Xin. I tried its hot pot buffet, offering a

range of fresh seafood including prawns and clams. I

particularly liked the“one person per hot pot”concept,

as everyone can choose their own favourite soup from

a list including satay broth,nyonya laksa soup and

Sichuan spicy broth.

LEISURE FACILITIESThere are three outdoor pools:

Sala, Jaya and Tiki, the latter available for private events.

Sheraton Fitness provides an aerobics room, a gym,

sauna and steam room. A signature leisure outlet is the

Shine Spa for Sheraton, which offers 15 treatment rooms

and Germaine De Capuccini products.Valerian Ho

VERDICTThe new suite is both

luxurious and very spacious

• it’s perhaps not what a lone
  businessman would choose, but
  if you are part of a group and like
  to socialise, this is an excellent
  place to do it. The F&B options
  are also of a high quality.

PRICEInternet rates for

a midweek stay in July

start from MOP2,998

(US$366) for an Executive

Deluxe suite.

CONTACTEstrada do

Istmo s/n, Cotai, Macau;

tel +853 2880 2000;

sheratongrandmacao.com

The term

roomy is an

understatement

• there is
  enough space
  for a living
  room, dining
  room, media
  room and
  bedroom

businesstraveller.asia JUNE 2016

Tried & TestedHotelI 25