Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central
When you’re planning a vacation, sometimes the best places to stay are the properties that you never have to leave. And Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central is one of those resorts where you can experience a lot without having to trek too far. A stay at this conveniently located resort on Macau’s Cotai Strip gives you access to a chic Club Lounge, several restaurants, stores galore, a 24-hour fitness center with more than 30 pieces of equipment (including seven treadmills and four bikes), plush accommodations and proximity to a happening nightlife.
During our time in this culturally rich city, which can sometimes be overwhelming for tourists, we appreciated the little touches provided by the staff of the largest hotel in Macau. For example, after asking a hotel representative how to say hello in the native tongue, we were given a quick pronunciation lesson before being handed a business card with both Mandarin “ni hao” and Cantonese “ne hou” translations on it — perfect for conversation starters when out and about.
So, if you’re all for residing at a place that provides a good one-stop shop experience, put Sheraton Macao Hotel Cotai Central on your list. We’ve made it easy for you to see why you should by naming five standout things about this contemporary property located within the Sands Cotai Central complex.
Sheraton Club Lounge
1. Sheraton Club Lounge. Checking into a hotel has never been more delightful thanks to the Sheraton Macao’s exclusive Club Lounge located on the fourth floor of the Sky Tower. The space is outfitted with dark woods, comfy couches, a private meeting room, Wi-Fi, three Panasonic flat-screen TVs, and an area to savor a full spread of complimentary breakfast items such as dim sum, waffles, French toast, bacon, cheeses, salads and more. It’s a nice place to start your day or pop into when you’re in the mood for some afternoon candies and crackers. Open till 11 p.m. and available to Club Room and suite guests only, the Club showers you with perks — everything from a complimentary 30-minute fitness consult to giving you first preference over other guests when it comes to securing a poolside cabana at one of the property’s three pools.
2. Authentic Chinese fare and access to shopping. You won’t have to go far for true Asian cuisine at Sheraton Macao. Since the property is located inside of Sands Cotai Central, you can just walk to restaurants such as Xin (go here for lobster, crab or kobe hot pots), North (this 24-hour eatery hits the spot with its fried bananas dessert) and Dynasty 8 (try signature dishes such as the crispy fried crab claws with garlic pepper or go for a cup of Jasmine Dragon Pearl tea). When you’re done filling up, stroll on over to the Shoppes at Cotai Central to check out stores such as Bottega Veneta. And if you’re up for it, keep walking around the interconnected shopping plaza so you can explore the Shoppes at Four Seasons and the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian — all totaling more than 600 stores.
3. 24-hour fitness center. With all of the eating you’ll be doing, you’ll want to make sure you fit in some time to get a good workout in. Head to the fourth floor for a 60-minute personal training session with a fitness instructor (expect lots of work with stability balls and resistance bands) or take a light jog on the TechnoGym treadmill to burn some calories. If you’re more into group exercises, take any one of the Sheraton Fitness Core Performance classes, which include yoga, abs blast, circuit training, and legs, bums and tums. If all of this breaking a sweat sounds enticing but you’d rather not leave the comfort of your room, no worries. The hotel’s Gym-in-a-Bag can be delivered to you with items such as a yoga mat, foam roller, stretching band and massage roller in it. When you’re done working out, get pampered at the hotel’s Shine Spa, where an herbal bath filled with chamomile tea and lavender oils will certainly be in order.
Sheraton Macao’s Deluxe Suite Bedroom
4. Rooms galore. With a total of 3,863 rooms in Sheraton Macao’s Sky and Earth towers, choose to stay in the hotel’s Deluxe or Club Rooms, or in one of the property’s posh suites (Executive, Deluxe, Family, Ambassador or Presidential). We especially love the 452-square-foot Club Room because of its Cotai Strip views, cozy Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds with 250-thread-count sheets, end tables with white molding, and a soothing green hue that can be seen throughout the room in the carpeting, window shades and in the marble-filled bathroom’s wallpaper. Plus, after hanging out around the resort all day, coming back to your room in the evening is always a treat because of the delicious housemade chocolates that are left atop the bed each night at turndown.
5. Neighboring entertainment. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from Sheraton Macao (a 10-minute walk or five-minute cab ride) sits the City of Dreams complex. This is where you can see The House of Dancing Water (a Cirque du Soleil-esque production) by world-renowned showmaker Franco Dragone. If you’re sitting in the first few rows of The House of Dancing Water Theater, expect to get wet — there are 3.7 million gallons of water stored in the commercial pool at the centerpiece of the action. And if you have a thing for Harleys (well, even if you don’t), you’ll love the final scene filled with rip-roaring motorcycle stunts. Throughout the 85-minute show, you’ll be amazed by some 80 performance artists soaring high and moving about, in addition to professional divers who make jumping off an 84-foot platform look effortless.
Photos Courtesy of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc.
