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The Banyan Tree Macau Opens, Boasts Private Pools Inside the Rooms

And this is one of the lowest category rooms

In case there was any doubt about Macau being a huge hotel hot spot, a new five-star Banyan Tree has just opened in a massive complex which will also eventually be joined by the Hotel Okura Macau. It's part of the Galaxy Macau complex, but that doesn't mean it's going to be all giant, corporate hotel or anything. We're talking Banyan Tree here, which means all rooms (246 of them) are suites, some with private indoor "relaxation pools," the hotel isn't calling itself a hotel, but a "resort."

Macau's high-class casinos regularly bring in more moolah than Las Vegas these days, and it only makes sense that the accommodations on the peninsula rival (or bet) those in Sin City. If Caesar's can have entire high roller villas, then so can the Banyan Tree Macau, and indeed they do. Said villas are expansive, with entire private pools, spa treatment rooms, entertainment dens...everything a deep-pocketed gambler needs to feel comfy cozy enough to stay on dropping loot.

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Macau Hotels / Okura Hotels / Hotel Amenities / Hotel News / → All Tags

The Hotel Okura Macau Will Be Bonkers, With a Rooftop Wave Pool and More

Remember that time we went to Macau? Yeah it feels like forever ago, mainly because Macau is opening new hotels so freaking rapidly that we've a list so long to check out, it's overwhelming. And today we can add one more for later this year: the Hotel Okura Macau.

Whereas American tourists and other very foreign foreigners to Macau will opt for properties like the Wynn/Encore, Hard Rock Hotel, Four Seasons or the just-opened new Mandarin Oriental, the Okura will target those coming over for a good time from Japan and other parts of Asia. The flagship Okura, after all, is a legendary hotel in the center of Tokyo—one which we fell in love with during our recent trip to Japan—and the plans for its Macau property are plain bonkers.

Here's what we're talking about:

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Hotel Openings / Macau Hotels / Mandarin Oriental Hotels / Asia Hotels / → All Tags

The New Mandarin Oriental Macau is Now Open, but You Can't Gamble There

Where: Avenida Dr Sun Yat Sen, Nape, Macau

Going to gamble or eat a Portuguese egg tart in Macau anytime soon? Perhaps you should swing by the new jewel on the waterfront, the just-opened Mandarin Oriental Macau. With 213 rooms and suites in the hotel, this hotel in the Las Vegas of the East is ready to give others a run for their money.

In particular, this baby sits very very close to the Wynn Macau, which we visited early last year. At the time we also passed by the only Mandarin Oriental Macau at the time, which is now simply the "old one." The new tower has souped up hotel technology, beyond awesome views over the water and to Macau's space needle, and an spa and pool to make up for the fact that this hotel is one of Macau's only non-gaming properties.

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Steve Wynn / Hotel Openings / Hotel News / Macau Hotels / → All Tags

Encore Takes Another Bow, This Time in Macau

Where: Macau, China

Just like he did in Las Vegas, Steve Wynn has opened Encore Macau today to accompany its sister resort Wynn Macau. But the big difference here is that Encore Macau is not an identical twin. The building is actually an all-suites boutique hotel that is connected to the Wynn Macau. But rest assured all the swank, sometimes over the top, interiors you've come to expect from Wynn will be in place.

Accommodations at Encore include 414 suites and villas that offer tasteful elegance in a comfortable, residential setting. Encore introduces two new restaurants to the Wynn dining family, and Bar Cristal's jewel-box décor turns a classic lobby bar into a work of art. The serene Spa at Encore offers treatments in eight private therapy suites, each with its own steam room, sauna and aroma-hydrotherapy bath and shower. The Shopping Esplanade is home to three signature stores—Cartier, Chanel and Piaget—showcasing the finest selections, including limited-edition pieces unique to Encore.

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Hard Rock Hotels / Macau Hotels / Sweet Suites / → All Tags

Hard Rock Macau's Got A Fancy Rock And Roll Suite

Where: City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, Macau, China

If you're a fan of Asian pop music then you're bound to know that Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung is quite a star – they even call him the "God of Songs" in that part of the world. Knowing that, the fact that there's now a Jacky Cheung Rock Star Suite at Macau's Hard Rock Hotel is pretty cool news.

Even if you don't know too much about Jacky Cheung, you'll learn plenty by staying in his suite. You'll be greeted by a video of Jacky explaining both the elements of design in the room and his favorite spots to visit in Macau. The room itself includes plenty of Jacky Cheung memorabilia, including his own white baby grand piano, a microphone, gloves and a CD of his favorite songs. Oh, and there are life-size photos of Jacky Cheung in concert on the walls. On second thoughts, if you don't know him, staying in this room could be a little freaky.

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Hotel Retail / Macau Hotels / Wynn Hotels / Hotel Shops / → All Tags

Can Wynn Hotels' Luxury Shops Survive the Recession?

Where: Rua Cidade de Sintra, Nape, Macau

"I went to the Wynn and all I got was this stupid T-shirt." Without a doubt, this is being heard more often around Vegas as merrymakers head to the city of spending without as much cash. On our last excursion, we opted for a case of mints shaped like the hotel rather than an overpriced T-shirt.

So how will the glut of luxury shops at the Wynns in Las Vegas and Macau get through the bad economy? We're going to guess group therapy.

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Making a Pilgrimage to the Macau Clone of Vegas' Wynn Hotel

Where: Rua Cidade de Sintra, Nape, Macau

We are totally still in Hong Kong, and if there's one huge benefit to staying longer than a week in a new city, it's the opportunity for side trips. Tempted by the possibility of more passport stamps and a ride on a jet catamaran ferry, we hightailed it out to Macau, a former Portuguese property which now turns out both gambling addicts and heavenly egg tarts.

After about $15 USD and a comfortable 40-minute ride out in the South China sea from Hong Kong's downtown port, we headed ashore to what has become the Las Vegas of the East; The Sands Casino towers is a behemoth sitting right off the main drag, and further down the main street you'll find the newcomers MGM Grand and the Wynn along with the old Hotel Lisboa. At one moment you'll be strolling down a cobblestone alley and licking gelato, and the next you're throwing dice a few hundred feet away from a Chanel boutique.

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Four Seasons Hotels / Macau Hotels / Hotel Openings / Hotel Opening Rates / → All Tags

Hotel Opening Rates :: Four Seasons Macau for $335 a Night

Where: Estrada da Baía de N. Senhora da Esperança, S/N , Taipa, Macau, China

We originally thought the Four Seasons Macau wouldn't be opening until October but this newest addition to the Cotai Strip is now open for business after soft-opening yesterday.

Room rates for stays Sunday-Thursday start at around $335. Room rates over the weekends are a little higher at around $385. See? It is just like Vegas.

Now, what's next for Macau? A heck of a lot:

Hotels are due to be built belonging to the Sheraton, St. Regis, Hilton, Traders, Conrad, Raffles, Swiss Hotel, Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, Cosmopolitan Fairmont and Shangri-La hotel chains, which will be in operation in 2010 with a total of 20,000 rooms.