During the pandemic years, luxury hotels in Macau occasionally offered prices as low as cabbages. Looking at this year’s prices, sigh! I regret not stocking up back then!
This small place has the financial power to gather various “luxurious” elements together. Thanks to the support of the wealthy, everyone can enjoy high-standard hotels, dining, shopping centers, and entertainment at a low threshold.
Our editorial team is quite fond of Macau, having visited nearly ten times both inside and out. Who doesn’t love good food and drink, especially after working like a donkey?
We’ve written a lot about the hotels in Macau, and the more we write, the more we look for cost-effectiveness. So, the recommendation now must be for first-tier hotels with good deals; otherwise, why bother getting in line for 618?
Today is a big promotion at the new City of Dreams in Macau, featuring two hotels: Morpheus and The Residences at Grand Lisboa.
You can purchase directly in the Amap app by searching for “Explore Macau” to enter the event page.
The navigation app Amap has also been developing its own travel services. Based on its guide for dining, accommodation, shopping, and entertainment in unfamiliar cities, Amap is exploring ways to let us enjoy Macau.
To enjoy Macau, one must have good products. This time, the offerings are full of sincerity, bringing exclusive hot deals with direct discounts on room rates. Since the applicable period covers summer vacation and the inventory is limited, friends who wish to visit should stock up in advance.
1) Morpheus: one night (breakfast not included), starting from 1599 yuan; for two consecutive nights (breakfast not included), starting from 2999 yuan.
Valid until September 15, 2024. One night package for a king bed incurs a supplement of 1163 yuan per night on Fridays, 1508 yuan on Saturdays; for twin beds, there is a supplement of 319 yuan on weekdays, 1363 yuan on Fridays, and 1838 yuan on Saturdays. For the two-night package for a king bed, supplements are 1217 yuan on Thursday and Friday, 2770 yuan on Friday and Saturday, and 1553 yuan on Saturday and Sunday. For twin beds, supplements are 800 yuan on weekdays, 1781 yuan on Thursday and Friday, 3300 yuan on Friday and Saturday, and 2319 yuan on Saturday and Sunday. No price increase on weekdays during summer vacation; statutory holidays follow Saturday pricing.
You can purchase the hotel packages by searching for “Morpheus Hotel Package” in the Amap app.
Hotel packages on Amap are non-refundable and will automatically refund after expiration, so everyone can buy with peace of mind.
Although it seems not cheap, this is practically half the price on the calendar. After all, this is the famous Morpheus!
If there’s no big promotion, Morpheus generally charges about 3k on weekdays, and the price doubles on weekends, not to mention the summer!
Today’s product is straightforward, with the most practical direct discount on room rates, at least half off, which directly addresses the demand.
This price is genuinely worthwhile; even The Venetian will charge 2k in June and is on its way to 3k in July.
While other hotels are indulging in luxury, Morpheus has taken futurism to the extreme in an unconventional way. Like an alien from beyond, it stands out in the Cotai Complex. If you’re looking for something special to stay in Macau, Morpheus is definitely the first choice.
I dislike describing it with the term “internet celebrity.” Besides its eye-catching appearance, it offers a world-class, unique stay experience.
Morpheus is one of Zaha Hadid’s last works; it is the world’s first skyscraper built with a free-form exoskeleton structure. It took six years to build and cost 1.1 billion USD. The amount of steel used is equivalent to four Eiffel Towers, and the atrium is an impressive 35 meters tall! Upon opening, it was rated by Time magazine as “The World’s Best Attraction of 2018.”
A hotel rated as the world’s best attraction; just staying there is already a pilgrimage site.
As we enter the peak tourist season, June, July, and August are all months when hotel prices soar.
Valid until September 15, covering the entire summer vacation, and there’s no additional price increase during summer, how nice! I think it’s the most cost-effective to use these in summer (when summer comes around, it won’t just be half off).
As usual, non-refundable and automatically refunded upon expiration, and it supports using Huabei to stock up, but repayment is required the following month.
The other hotel next to Morpheus, “The Residences,” also has good prices this time around.
Being next to the ceiling, this hotel is naturally not inferior and offers a different kind of style. However, it is not as popular as Morpheus, so prices tend to be slightly lower.
2) The Residences: one night (breakfast not included), starting from 1299 yuan; for two consecutive nights (breakfast not included), starting from 2499 yuan.
Valid until September 15, 2024. One-night king bed package incurs a supplement of 1083 yuan per night on Fridays and 1429 yuan on Saturdays; one-night twin bed package incurs a supplement of 240 yuan on weekdays, 1313 yuan on Fridays, and 1700 yuan on Saturdays; for the two-night king bed package, the supplement is 1082 yuan for Thursday and Friday, 2511 yuan for Friday and Saturday, and 1429 yuan for Saturday and Sunday; for the two-night twin bed package, the supplement is 479 yuan on weekdays, 1600 yuan on Thursday and Friday, 3012 yuan on Friday and Saturday, and 1891 yuan on Saturday and Sunday. No price increase during summer on weekdays; statutory holidays follow Saturday pricing.
You can purchase the hotel packages by searching for “The Residences Hotel Package” in the Amap app.
Hotel packages on Amap are non-refundable and will automatically refund after expiration, so everyone can buy with peace of mind.
Morpheus and The Residences are somewhat like new money and old money. The former is young and vibrant, while the latter is low-key and serene; there’s no hierarchical difference, as both cater to different demographics.
Next, detailed reports on Morpheus and The Residences will be shared, along with surrounding amenities and Macau’s culinary offerings.
Morpheus
The exterior of Morpheus is surrounded by a crisscrossing metallic mesh structure, with a giant void in the shape of an eight in the middle. The atrium of Morpheus is impressively tall, and there isn’t a single column in sight; this structure is remarkable. Guestrooms are spread across the east and west wings.
Looking up from the atrium, it resembles a kaleidoscope, full of ordered three-dimensional structures, embodying a kind of rational romance, a typical Zaha design.
Many man-made wonders in the world don’t stand up to scrutiny over time. But Morpheus is different; each time I look up at this miraculous structure, I cannot help but marvel at Zaha’s imagination. Inside Morpheus, there’s a thick art book detailing the entire process from project initiation to completion.
The building has 40 floors and a total of 772 rooms.
On the first floor, opposite the hotel reception, there’s a pastry department managed by Pierre Hermé.
Pierre Hermé is a world-renowned pastry master, and many classic pastry recipes originate from him. Which pastry chef hasn’t bought a baking bible from PH? When you come across a dessert shop by a master, you must give it a try.
The other public areas are distributed in both the east and west wings. The west wing has more offerings, so I’ll start with that.
Note that the east and west wings are not interconnected; each room card only allows access to the floor and public areas of the respective wing where you are staying. Hotels in Macau pay considerable attention to protecting guest privacy.
【West Wing Public Areas】
The third floor features the Ducasse and the Bar à Vin.
Ducasse is a Michelin two-star French restaurant led by the legendary chef Alain Ducasse. The gentleman holds the record for the most Michelin stars awarded to a living chef, totaling 21 stars. Dining in his restaurant is definitely a bucket list item. This Ducasse restaurant only operates from Thursday to Sunday for dinner, and reservations are required.
The Bar à Vin is set up as a casual bistro, creatively blending Nordic elements into French cuisine; it can serve as a more affordable alternative to Ducasse.
A single six-course meal at Ducasse costs around 3000 yuan, but at the Bar à Vin, you can enjoy a three-course meal for about 500 yuan without as much pain.
Inside, there’s a cocktail bar, and coming to this “Hermès orange” photo spot, even if you don’t want to dine, it’s nice to have a small drink.
The Bar à Vin serves both lunch and dinner, Tuesday is its closing day.
On the 21st floor is the renowned Tianyi restaurant.
Although it has not yet been awarded a Michelin star, its popularity is not low. During its first two years after opening, it offered varying styles of Chinese Omakase.
However, you know how controversial Chinese Omakase can be; for example, a certain Chinese Omakase in Shanghai has become infamous.
Therefore, Tianyi has heeded advice, adjusted its focus, and is now highlighting seasonal Chinese cuisine, updating its menu monthly. In addition to a carefully curated drink menu, it also offers a tea menu that changes with the seasons.
The reputation of Tianyi has stabilized considerably. It turns out that, compared to flashy styles, traditional Chinese dining truly stands out.
Tianyi only opens for dinner from Thursday to Monday; currently, it is offering the Summer Menu. This set includes: pre-meal bites + 5 seafood dishes + 2 meat dishes + 1 vegetable dish + 1 dessert + post-meal snacks, with an average cost of over 2000 yuan per person.
Macau’s hotels really dig into your wallet!
The 23rd floor features an art gallery.
Here, you’ll find works from artists Mr. Doodle, Daniel Buren, and KAWS.
These three pieces are rather large, and the gallery space is quite airy, making it a great photo spot.
Guests must make a reservation at reception for visiting the gallery, and a dedicated guide will show you around, providing a mostly “private” experience that allows ample opportunity for photos.
The 30th floor is the executive lounge.
Initially, my room did not include executive privileges, so I couldn’t access the 30th floor.
When I got to the elevator, I was stunned by the beauty of the lounge (the elevators in Morpheus are all scenic rides, allowing you to admire the stunning architectural design inside).
The 30th floor could be considered the most beautiful level of the entire building! Since I was there to gather information, how could I not visit the prettiest floor?
So, after some negotiation, my room was granted breakfast privileges. Breakfast isn’t cheap, at 600 yuan per person, and you can’t book just one day; if you stay for several days, you need to book breakfast for all those days.
If you’re staying for two consecutive nights, I feel that booking breakfast for both days is not cost-effective.
This pricing strategy ensures that the breakfast experience will be very comfortable.
The breakfast, costing quite a bit, is worth discussing: the buffet selection isn’t extensive, but the food quality is excellent, all delectable and absolutely worth the calories.
For instance, the stir-fried noodles are paired with generous amounts of crab meat, and the stir-fried vegetables include coral clams; the radish is prepared with scallops and abalone. Great, that’s very Macau.
Then there’s a breakfast menu that lists items you can order. Besides traditional Cantonese dim sum, there are Western breakfast options. The highlight is steak; they seriously ask how you prefer it cooked, and whether you want your eggs sunny-side up or over easy.
A colleague had leftover avocado, and the server specifically asked if there was something wrong with it.
Freshly baked bread is served as well, with servers checking if you need any.
This breakfast experience elegantly feels like a full meal. If you’re only staying for one night, I think it’s worth trying the higher-end breakfast!
The 40th floor features the outdoor pool.
How beautiful can this pool be? Quoting our BD: with a room rate of 3000 yuan, half of that value goes to the pool.
The pool is large, with half of its area having a canopy, but this doesn’t impact its transparency.
Those worried about the sun can hide underneath, while those wanting to soak up the sun can enjoy it outside.
Is there any other pool like this in the world?
【East Wing Public Areas】
Haha, the west wing public areas are so fascinating that I almost forgot to introduce the east wing. When checking in, you can also ask if you could be arranged in the west wing to save effort. Otherwise, you’ll have to come down from the east wing to the first floor and then change elevators to the west wing.
The east wing public areas feature a gym, a spa, a sauna, and a hot tub.
Pressing the elevator button for the fifth floor, it first takes you to the spa; when I went in the afternoon, all ten spa rooms were full.
Then, when you walk from the spa reception down the stairs, you will first see the gym, and towards the end are the hot tub and sauna. Besides the spa, everything else can be used for free.
In fact, the best viewpoints in Morpheus are on the elevators. Whichever elevator you take, you can clearly see the courtyard and the changes on the opposite side.
Another point: the glass and steel structure of Morpheus is kept clean as it is cleaned daily by window washers. The construction was no easy task, and maintenance is even harder. Despite opening in 2018, it remains as fresh as a newly opened hotel!
【Guest Rooms】
The rooms in Morpheus follow a minimalist approach, using various material combinations to enhance richness. There are no hard partitions between the bathroom and bedroom, making the room very bright.
Various irregular lines within the guest room echo the building’s irregular design—irregular tables, bathtubs, and sofas.
The rooms in Morpheus are also very smart; on the desk and bedside tables, there are tablets that allow you to control all operations within the room (adjusting lights, opening and closing curtains, changing TV channels, connecting Bluetooth, playing music).
Room service tasks such as cleaning, replenishing supplies, ordering food, or laundry can all be managed with a few finger taps.
The sound system in the guest room is of club level quality, and although I rarely want to stay in my room, with this audio experience, lying on the bed while gazing at the outside view makes one incredibly lazy.
I had heard that the essential oils in Morpheus are bath oils, so I asked the room service staff how many varieties they had, and that night she brought me three types. As long as you have needs, the hotel will free up these small items for you. Of course, don’t be too excessive; if you ask for too many, you might end up blacklisted.
The rooms have both smoking and non-smoking floors. I don’t smoke, so I chose a smoking floor to see how it went. The front desk had arranged for the room cleaning service to do a smoke removal treatment beforehand and sent an air freshener spray; there was no odor left.
Some touching little details:
The outlets are hidden in the bedside tables, with spare data cables of different ports available. This way, charging can be done inside the cabinet, keeping the bedside table nice and tidy.
If you stay for multiple nights, you’ll receive welcome fruit and a mini-bar, which will be refreshed daily.
These items in the mini-bar are all free, including drinks, beer, juice, capsule coffee, tea bags, as well as instant noodles, potato chips, and almond cake. In the evening, the room service will ask if you want any replenishments.
The glasses provided are simply beautiful.
The vanity area has natural light, and the dressing stool is super large—a thoughtful design every girl understands!
This time we got a great deal for both the luxury king room and the twin room (58㎡), and we took pictures of both. The layouts of the guest rooms are the same, with the only difference being that the king room has a large bed beside two bedside tables, while the twin room has two smaller beds with one bedside table in between.
Photos of the king room:
Photos of the twin room:
However, the price for the twin room is much higher; this time’s promotions are:
Regular king room: 1599 yuan/night, twin room: 1918 yuan/night.
For two-night stays, the regular king room is 2999 yuan, and the twin room is 3799 yuan.
If you’re not too concerned about sharing a bed, it’s better to choose the king room as it’s cheaper by several hundred yuan.
For the prestige suite at Morpheus, we specifically took photos to show you; it sells for 6000 yuan on regular days. It expands to 80㎡, with clear divisions between the bedroom, living room, and bathroom; the bed faces the floor-to-ceiling windows. Its cost-effective ratio is lower than the luxury room; after all, who rents a suite solely for cost-effectiveness? (I silently laughed at my own poverty).
The Residences
As a person’s experiences deepen, they are increasingly able to appreciate the understated Eastern aesthetics of The Residences.
The hotel completed its renovations in March 2021.
Upgraded The Residences features elements of Nuwa and the five elements. Rather than direct, grand patterns or sculptures, the elements are subtly and abstractly integrated, displaying a refined elegance distinctly different from Morpheus.
The Residences has a total of 300 guest rooms, which is half the size of Morpheus, with all public areas and guest rooms located in one building.
On the first floor, there’s the Michelin one-star Japanese restaurant “Sushi Kin Yu” and a Japanese-style bar called “Ran.”
Sushi Kin Yu specializes in Japanese Omakase, sourcing ingredients directly from Japan, focusing on authentic Edomae sushi. For lunch, there are two types of single-person sets available, with the cheapest costing 1000 yuan; dinner costs double that, with better ingredients. It operates for lunch and dinner every day except Wednesday, when it only serves dinner.
The “Ran” bar is a typical Japanese izakaya, featuring classic cocktails and rare whiskeys.
The use of various arched structures indoors is both intimate and modern; there’s also an outdoor garden area, making it nice for cooling off with a drink on summer nights. Live band performances are held every Friday to Sunday from 20:45 to 00:30.
The third floor features a newly opened gourmet steakhouse, as well as a pool, spa, and gym.
The gourmet steakhouse: The decor of this newly opened restaurant is stunning, serving American-style grilled steaks that are first smoked with red oak before being grilled, giving the food ample flavor. The menu even includes American bison, which piques my curiosity—what does a bison roaming the American plains taste like? This place allows a la carte orders, so the average cost depends on your choices.
The outdoor pool at The Residences is quite nice too, with excellent landscaping that gives a nice vacation vibe.
The basic rooms are 60㎡ in size, quite similar to Morpheus at 58㎡. The bathroom and bedroom are separated by a solid wall, making The Residences more suitable for those uncomfortable with open bathroom designs.
Through the window, you get a full view ofThe Venetian, Londoner, and Parisian, gathering the charm of old Europe all in one window. At night, the lights are dazzling.
The layout of the king bed and twin bed rooms at The Residences is quite different.
The king room has a smaller bedroom with a larger bathroom, and the bed faces the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The twin room has a larger bedroom with a smaller bathroom, and the beds are oriented side-by-side.
The tablets found in Morpheus are also present in The Residences.
For our pricing this time, the Residences is about 300 yuan cheaper than Morpheus for a typical one-night stay.
The Residences also has the advantage of being able to add an extra bed, while Morpheus cannot accommodate extra beds.
The Residences’ suite definitely surpasses Morpheus in terms of views! The living room faces the famous Cotai strip, while the bedroom has a view of the mountains and lakes.
However, there are only a few suites, and we cannot secure good deals for those suites (the wealthy can reserve on their own).
In summary, comparing Morpheus and The Residences:
【Morpheus – the darling of the new rich】
Larger in size, with more public areas, the architecture and rooms are more dazzling and photogenic; the pool is amazing, and the hot tub and sauna are significant advantages—its clientele skews younger.
【The Residences – the preference of old money】
Low-key and quiet, rooms have better views, layouts are more organized, and the same area and services come at a slightly lower price than Morpheus.
Dining at the two hotels is trivial since they are located closely together; guests can dine at either and can even visit the nearby Grand Hyatt for more dining options, including our boss’s favorites, The Field and Mezza 9.
If you asked me to choose, I’d say stay at Morpheus on the first night and The Residences on the second, enjoying the contrast between the two aesthetics.
Overview of the City of Dreams:
Macau has six major integrated resorts: Sands, Galaxy, City of Dreams, Wynn, MGM, and Lisboa. Each resort has its specialties; for instance, Sands focuses on giant shopping centers, Galaxy emphasizes water parks, while City of Dreams concentrates on dining.
According to the 2024 Hong Kong-Macau Michelin list, 16 restaurants in Macau earned stars, and City of Dreams accounts for 5 of them, with a total of 8 stars:
🌟🌟🌟 Yu Long Xuan
🌟🌟 Ducasse
🌟 Yue Long Xuan, Adrift, Sushi Kin Yu
The Michelin Plate recommended “Tianyi” and the best buffet in Hong Kong and Macau, “Mezza 9,” which are also at City of Dreams. City of Dreams is truly a heavyweight in high-end dining!
City of Dreams is also a comprehensive player, featuring
