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China
Macau Vs Las Vegas
Macau, a former Portuguese colony and now a territory of China since 20 Dec
1999 was once a sleezy mix of casinos and its related seedy activities.
However, it has overtaken Las Vegas to become the world's top gun in the
casino gaming industry.
For instance, in 2006, casinos
in Macau rake in $6.95 billion while Las Vegas rings in $6.5 billion. With
the affluence of China growing and Macau's reputation as a casino branding
image improving, Macau is poised to attract more gambling tourists not only
from mainland China but from all
over the world giving Las Vegas a run for its money. Let us take a look at
some of the casinos in Macau :-
Wynn Resort Macau
Wynn Macau is located just across the street from the Grand Lisboa on the
Cotai strip which we will tour later. The Wynn Macau is a Las Vegas brand name
and therefore this one in Macau is just as sleek and sophisticated as its Las
Vegas counterpart.
The Wynn Resort Macau is a luxurious
hotel cum casino and have more than 600 guest rooms and suites.
For guests' convenience, Wynn offers child care
serivices, a business center, currency exchange, express check-out, 24 hour
room service, laundry service, ATM, bars and clubs, internet access, beauty
and hair salon, an outdoor swimming pool and of course, the Wynn's star
attraction, an enormous casino. The casino, just like any big casinos is open
24 hours a day everyday.
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The Wynn Casino features hundreds of gaming tables and slot machines and
guests will be treated with the typical Las Vegas style entertainment.
After flirting with Lady Luck, hungry gamblers and guests can dine in any of
the six gourmet restaurants. There are also several cafes and smaller
restaurants located throughout the hotel.
The Grand Lisboa Hotel
The Grand Lisboa Hotel offers some 200 gaming tables along with 300 guest
rooms. It is a 4-star hotel and is designed and shaped like a giant yellow
lotus flower, which is an official symbol of the Macao Special Administrative
Region.
The Lisboa is also home to one of the largest and most popular casinos
on the Cotai Strip. The Grand Lisboa hotel faces the old Lisboa Hotel and The
Wynn Resort Hotel across street with the 2 Lisboas inter-connected by an
overhead walkway. The Grand Lisboa is a 40 storey building and has the
distinction of being Macau's tallest building. However, with many casinos and
hotels now under construction, it may not retain the distinction much longer.
Venetian Macau Resort Hotel
The Venetian Macau is Las Vegas Sands' second resort hotel in Macau. The
Venetian opened with a huge fanfare on 28th August 2007 bringing in the
glamour of Las Vegas fused with the mystical Asian charm. "Bringing the charm
of Venice and the glamour of Las Vegas to Macau" is the often heard slogan of
this mega hotel cum casino. The Sands group is currently constructing an integrated
resort in Singapore.
The Venetian Macao packs in a whopping 3,000 luxury suites in a
32-storey tower building set amidst the landscape of medieval baroque Venice
complete with resplendent Venice canals, gondolas, singing gondoliers. Truly a
classy touch Venice in Macau.
The man behind The Venetian Macao is Sheldon Adelson. Sheldon made his
fortune in Las Vegas when he tapped into the business and group travel sector
of the gaming industry. His focus on MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions,
and exhibitions) is what catapulted Las Vegas into a world famous tourist
travel destination.
The Venetian Macao owns one of the world's biggest casino ( 600,000 sq
ft of gambling area), a 850,000 sq ft of shopping mall, a 15,000-seat capacity
showroom, and a 1.2 million sq ft convention center. There are also about 15
fine dining restaurants in this mega resort hotel. All in all, the hotel is
huge enough to house some ninety Boeing 747 jumbo jets. With its size, The
Venetian Macau Resort Hotel is probably the world's largest
hotel/casino/entertainment establishment.
Other casinos in Macau
There are many more casinos and hotels in Macau such as the Galaxy Waldo
Casino Hotel, Landmark & Pharoah's Casino, The Mandarin Oriental, MGM Grand
Macau, Westin Resort, Pousada De Sao Tiago, Fishermans Wharf, Galaxy
Starworld, Hotel Presidente, Emperor Palace Casino, Crown Macau and many more
are still under construction. – Macau Casino was written on 6 Nov 2007.
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