10 Best Macau Hotels with a Casino

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Cotai holds most of Macau’s casino hotels, Taipa has Altira, and the Peninsula casinos are near the old town. On Cotai the casino and the pools share one resort. Pick the area first. A free shuttle from the Border Gate or the ferry takes you to most of them. Here’s where I’d book.

Macau Hotels with a Casino

Cotai or the Peninsula

The casinos sit in three places: the Cotai Strip, Taipa and the Peninsula. Where you sleep sets how far you travel for everything else.

• Cotai Resorts Share Ground: City of Dreams holds Grand Hyatt Macau, Morpheus and Nüwa Macau in one complex. Sands calls The Venetian Macao, The Parisian Macao, The Plaza Macao and The Londoner Hotel an interconnected resort city. You can walk between several casinos under cover.
• Altira and Sands Macao Sit Outside Cotai: Altira Macau is in Taipa, and Sands Macao is on the Peninsula. Neither is in the Cotai cluster, so each trip to the other resorts is a shuttle or a taxi.
• Peninsula Hotels Are Closest to the Old Town: The Historic Centre of Macao holds more than 20 monuments and squares, among them Senado Square and the Ruins of St. Paul’s. Pick the Peninsula if you plan several evenings there.

Walking and Shuttling Between the Cotai Resorts

Cotai has the most casinos linked by walkways. Check which of them share a building before you plan the route.

• The Venetian, Parisian and Plaza Connect: Sands describes The Parisian Macao as connected to The Venetian Macao, and through it to The Plaza Macao and The Londoner Hotel. The Londoner’s own brochure adds an air-conditioned footbridge from its shops to the Venetian, the Parisian and Four Seasons Hotel Macao.
• One Complex at City of Dreams: Grand Hyatt Macau, Morpheus and Nüwa Macau belong to the same complex. Ask the front desk how to reach the gaming floor from your tower.
• Wynn Palace Runs Its Own Shuttle: Wynn Palace links to Wynn Macau by a daily shuttle from its own station. Plan a ride or a short taxi to reach the next Cotai resort.
• Studio City Joins the Light Rail: Studio City Hotel connects directly to the light rail. Use it as the way in and out of the resort instead of a taxi.

Getting from the Border Gate, Ferry or Airport

Most casino hotels run free shuttles, and the hotel you pick decides which arrival points it serves.

• Free Hotel Shuttles Cover the Main Gateways: The Venetian Macao and The Parisian Macao list free shuttles from the airport, the ferry terminals, the border gates and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge port. Wynn lists its own routes to the border gate, the ferry terminal and the bridge port.
• Cotai Water Jet Ferries Land at Taipa: Ferries on the Cotai Water Jet sail from Hong Kong to the Taipa Ferry Terminal, where free shuttles meet passengers. Other Hong Kong ferries land at the Macau Ferry Terminal on the Peninsula, which the Wynn shuttle serves.
• Grand Lisboa Palace and Wynn Palace Routes: A complimentary shuttle from the Border Gate, Hengqin New Port and the Macau Peninsula serves Grand Lisboa Palace Macau. At Wynn Palace, guests transfer for the Taipa Ferry Terminal, Hengqin Port and the airport.

Before You Enter the Gaming Floor

Macau sets its casino rules by law. A few of them catch first-time visitors at the door.

• Under-21s Stay Out: Macau law bars anyone under 21 from entering a casino, and the same law bars them from gambling. Staff are allowed to ask for proof of age and to refuse entry if you decline.
• Non-Guests Walk In: The law does not require a room key. Visitors over 21 walk in unless the law names them, as it does public servants and anyone visibly drunk. Casino operators keep the right to refuse entry.
• Smoking Moves to Lounges: Smoking is banned inside casinos except in designated smoking lounges. Skip the lounges if smoke bothers you.

Beyond the Tables

Every resort runs shows and restaurants. A few are worth planning around.

• A Water Show at City of Dreams: House of Dancing Water plays at the Dancing Water Theater on Level 1 of City of Dreams. It is an aquatic show with aerial acrobatics.
• Gondolas Indoors: Gondola rides run on the indoor Grand Canal and Marco Polo Canal at The Venetian Macao. The canals sit inside the Shoppes at Venetian.
• Taipa Village by Shuttle: The Parisian Macao runs a hotel shuttle to Taipa Village near Rua do Cunha on Friday to Sunday. The village is known for the Taipa Houses, the Carmel church, the Pak Tai and Tin Hau temples and Portuguese desserts.

Busy Weeks and Quiet Weeks

Macau hotels run close to full all year. Holiday weeks push peak days past nine rooms in ten, and weekends cost more than weeknights at the hotels that sell both.

• Holiday Weeks Fill Up: Chinese New Year and the Macau Grand Prix weekend fill hotels beyond nine rooms in ten, and the peak days of the Labour Day and National Day weeks pass 93%. Book these weeks as early as the rates open.
• No Empty Season Exists: The annual average for hotel occupancy sits near nine rooms in ten, and ordinary months such as June and July run close to that. Plan around the day of the week.
• Weeknights Cost Less: At Studio City Hotel, The Parisian Macao, Grand Hyatt Macau and Grand Lisboa Palace Macau, Tuesday rates ran well under Friday and Saturday rates. Tuesday is the cheaper night if your dates move.

Day Trip to Old Macau

The old town sits a taxi ride from every casino hotel. One morning covers its main sights.

• Senado Square First: Senado Square has cobblestones, a fountain in the centre and pastel neoclassical buildings around it. The Leal Senado building and the Holy House of Mercy belong to the same World Heritage list.
• The Ruins of St. Paul’s Next: Walk uphill from Senado Square to the Ruins of St. Paul’s. The tourism office also publishes a separate walking tour that passes St. Dominic’s Church.
• A-Ma Temple and the Fortresses: A-Ma Temple, Mount Fortress and Guia Fortress and Lighthouse are all on the World Heritage list. Add them if you have an afternoon.

FAQs

1. Do you have to be a hotel guest to use a Macau casino?

No, staying at the hotel is not required. The law that governs casino entry lists the groups that are barred, such as under-21s, public servants and anyone visibly drunk. Other visitors over 21 walk in. Operators keep the right to refuse entry, so dress and behave as you would in any resort lobby.

2. What is the minimum gambling age in Macau?

The minimum age is 21, both to enter a casino and to gamble. The law bars under-21s from entering and from gambling, and it covers any space reached only through a casino entrance. Staff are allowed to ask for proof of age at the door and to refuse entry if you decline to show it.

3. Is Cotai or the Macau Peninsula better for casino hotels?

Cotai suits a first visit, because the resorts are close and several are linked by walkways. The Peninsula is closer to the old town: Sands Macao is a 10-minute drive from the Ruins of St. Paul’s, against 19 to 23 minutes from the Cotai hotels. Pick the Peninsula if you plan several evenings in Senado Square.

4. Can you walk between the Cotai casino resorts?

Yes, for several of them. Sands connects The Parisian Macao to The Venetian Macao, and through it to The Plaza Macao and The Londoner Hotel, and the Londoner’s brochure lists a footbridge to Four Seasons Hotel Macao as well. Grand Hyatt Macau, Morpheus and Nüwa Macau share one complex at City of Dreams. Wynn Palace runs its own shuttle.

5. How do you get from the Hong Kong ferry or the border to a casino hotel?

Use the free hotel shuttle from the gateway you arrive at. The Venetian Macao and The Parisian Macao list shuttles from the airport, ferry terminals, border gates and the bridge port. The Cotai Water Jet lands at Taipa Ferry Terminal, where shuttle buses meet passengers. Other Hong Kong ferries land at the Macau Ferry Terminal on the Peninsula.

6. Is smoking allowed in Macau casinos?

Smoking is banned inside casinos except in designated smoking lounges, which the tobacco law allows as an exception to the indoor ban. Casinos are barred from selling tobacco, and the same indoor ban covers every public establishment in Macau. If smoke bothers you, skip the lounges, and ask the hotel about its room policy before you book it.

7. How many nights should you stay at a casino hotel in Macau?

Hotel guests in Macau stay under two nights on average, so a two-night trip is typical. Add a third night if you plan the old town and Taipa Village as separate days. The House of Dancing Water show fits into either plan, and a first-night booking leaves the next day free.

8. Do Macau casino hotels run free shuttle buses?

Most of them do. The Venetian Macao, The Parisian Macao and Grand Lisboa Palace Macau describe their shuttles as free or complimentary. Wynn frames its shuttle as a guest benefit, and its official page does not state whether non-guests are allowed to ride. Ask the hotel before you count on a seat.