Grand Lisboa Macau
The Grand Lisboa, the iconic Macau hotel-casino is the tallest on the peninsula at 261 metres high. It attracts millions of the players who visit Macau every year and accounts for a large part of the casino revenue which has made Macau the new gambling “Mecca” even in the face of strong competition from the major American casino operators.
History of the Grand Lisboa Macau
In 2001, Stanley Ho’s 40 year monopoly over Macau’s gaming industry was threatened by changes in gambling laws when Portugal ceded the autonomous region to China. Peking’s central government decided to open up Macau’s casino market to foreign investors. Off the record, it has been said that the central government wanted to limit the ever increasing financial power of Ho who was the richest man in Macau. So at the end of 2001, Stanley Ho’s Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau (STDM) lost its monopoly and the first foreign casinos made their appearance in 2002. However the tens of thousands of new players attracted by these new casinos just added to Ho’s wealth and he made record profits during the first few months as he still owned the vast majority of casinos in Macau. The following years weren’t so great for the Hong Kong born entrepreneur because almost simultaneously Sheldon Adelson ( Las Vegas Sands), Kirk Kerkorian (MGM Mirage) and Steve Wynn (Wynn International) constructed their huge hotel complexes.
Stanley Ho’s response was rapid and in 2006 he began the two year construction of the Grand Lisboa using the well known Hong Kong architects DLN who had designed several sky scrapers in different parts of the world. The 261 metre high, 47 floor Grand Lisboa opened in 2008. It is in the shape of a lotus leaf and has 650 hotel rooms. The base is an 8 floor high sphere made up of more than a million LED and the famous Lisboa Casino and a restaurant are situated in its interior in a part of the complex that was opened in 2007. The complex cost an estimated 385 million dollars and with the largest building in Macau Stanley Ho managed to out do his rivals.
The Grand Lisboa Macau’s Attractions
As well as a Jacuzzi and hammam in each of its luxurious rooms, the Grand Lisboa Macau offers its clients many other attractions including:
- 14 famous restaurants,
- A heated outdoor pool where one can swim all year round,
- A fitness centre,
- A luxurious Clarins Spa,
- A business centre.
The Grand Lisboa Macau is also well known for its show « The Crazy Paris » which has been running for over 25 years and is the most popular show in Macau.
The Grand Lisboa Macau’s Casino
The Grand Lisboa Macau’s casino which was inspired by Portugal’s Lisboa Casino is a main destination for the hundreds of thousands of players who visit Macau annually. The magnificently decorated casino mixing Chinese and Portuguese influences brings in a large part of Macau’s income. The casino is spread over 4 floors with a luxurious decor incorporating gold leaf, sculptures and Macau religious statues. Slot machine fans are well catered for with almost 800 slot machines, with mechanical or video rollers or video poker and wagers starting at 0.02 HKD. More than 230 gaming tables offer all the classics : blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, Sic Bo, Pai Gow etc.