Macau, the dazzling crown jewel of the East, has long been synonymous with high-stakes gaming and opulent excess. But in recent years, the city has embarked on a transformative journey, shedding its one-dimensional image to become a multifaceted haven for discerning travellers seeking a superlative weekend escape.
Its recent focus on developing MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facilities, coupled with world-class entertainment, sports and gourmet offerings have enhanced its allure. And at the heart of this captivating metamorphosis lies the Wynn Palace, a breathtaking testament to the city’s newfound commitment to refinement and immersive experiences.
From Plane to Paradise in 16 Minutes
At Wynn Palace, your journey into extravagance begins the moment you touch down. A sleek limousine awaits you at the arrival lounge, whisking you to the property—located a mere five kilometres away on the Cotai strip—and taking you through VIP registration with well-oiled efficiency. In a mere 16 minutes (yes, I timed it) you’ll find yourself ensconced in the opulent embrace of your suite, a feat that truly reflects seamless service.
Fountain Views and Floral Flourishes
The lavish 900 sq ft Fountain View Suite with its ‘orange burst’ colourway (there are four colour options) offers ever-dynamic snapshots of Macau through its floor-to-ceiling windows. You can witness the vista of the expansive lake with its fountain that does its mesmerising dance at the stroke of every half hour. Inside, the suite is inflected with an oriental elegance of floral motifs and gleaming accents, while more prosaic touches like a separate office space make it possible to be there for work and play—and, of course, marbled bathrooms because it’s the Wynn Palace.
Beyond the Suite
The true magic of Wynn Palace Macau lies beyond the confines of your suite with its plethora of artworks, cuisine, entertainment and 106,000 sq ft of retail space. In December of last year, Wynn Palace launched Illuminarium, a temporary exhibition that teleports visitors to a thousand years ago on a cosmic journey of starts and exploring the depths of the ocean in what is the first of its kind in the eastern hemisphere. Fans of iMax, teamlab and VR will surely enjoy this experience. A second section takes you into the present, with a virtual spaceship transporting you into the frontiers of the known universe and to the surface of the moon.
It says a lot that Wynn Palace has garnered the Forbes Five-Star honours for all three categories: hotel, restaurant and spa. Here, you find five Forbes Five-Star restaurants more than any other individual resort in the world. My journey began at SW Steakhouse, a contemporary ode to Steve Wynn’s classic steakhouse vision. Think Rat Pack in the go-go ’60s, but refreshed with contemporary taste and facilities. The ambiance is pure sophistication—crisp white tablecloths, a sleek open kitchen, and a timeless long bar set the stage for an unforgettable meal. The menu wends through an array of seafood platters and steaks sourced from around the globe; each bite of my grilled chateaubriand released a symphony of flavours from expert cooking and choice ingredients. The wine list is no slouch either and the restaurant sommelier expertly introduced my now new favourite daily bubbly, Champagne Delamotte.
On weekends, as sunsets paint the sky with fiery hues, the front of the restaurant transforms into a stage. And with a flourish, a band takes centerstage, their music electrifying the atmosphere. Bruno, the restaurant manager, tells me regulars deliberately schedule their weekend visits around the show.
For those who favour their oriental cuisine, there is the latest addition to Wynn Palace’s gastronomy repertoire, Chef Tam’s Seasons. Its name whispers of a delightful renewal—Seasons, with its evocation of constant change, perfectly encapsulates the restaurant’s dedication to the 24 solar terms of the Chinese calendar. Executive Chef Tam Kwok Fung, a maestro of modern Cantonese cuisine with a string of award-winning restaurants to his name, orchestrates a meticulous menu in which new dishes are introduced every fortnight to capture the essence of each fleeting season.
The design of Chef Tam’s Seasons is a feast for the eyes, a collaboration between Rockwell Group and Wynn’s own design team. Glass mosaic walls shimmer with intricate floral and butterfly patterns, a nod to the delicate beauty of nature mirrored in Chef Tam’s seasonal creations. Rare, compressed tea cakes are displayed like precious jewels add while the eight-seater tea bar takes center stage as a beacon of aromatic exploration.
Here, tea ceases to be a mere beverage and transforms into an art form. Experienced tea sommeliers—their palates finely honed to discern the subtle nuances of each leaf—personally source these treasures and artfully blend them to complement both the cuisine and the season. Elsa, my PR liaison and a die-hard fan of tea, confides that dedicated tea enthusiasts make pilgrimages to Chef Tam’s Seasons just for the tea experience, while others consider it a compulsory prelude or coda to their culinary journey. The whispers are true: at Chef Tam’s Seasons, tea truly is the new wine.
The fine gastronomy offerings then run the gamut of Japanese restaurant Sushi Mizumi, while casual outlets such as Fontana (a market kitchen setting), Red 8 (freshly made noodles) Hanami (ramen) and a host of others make up the culinary landscape in the UNESCO-designated ‘creative city of gastronomy’. At Wing Lei Bar, you also find a selection of rare Japanese whiskies, wines, Champagnes, rare gins and an innovative cocktail menu. And then, when you only need to unplug, you find yourself in the heart of Wynn Palace, the resort’s palatial spa—the largest in Macau—where you transcend to a higher state of restfulness under the practised hands and treatment of the therapists at The Spa at Wynn Palace.
