MGM Grand – Macau

Issue 22 – January / February 2009

Architects Wong & Tung International and interior designers Wilson Associates have collaborated in a joint development between Pansy Ho and MGM Mirage to create a casino-hotel very different to its Las Vegas counterpart.

One year on since its grand opening in the central Nam Van entertainment district, MGM Grand continues to set the standard for Macau’s burgeoning hospitality projects. With close to 600 guestrooms, a Six Senses Spa, speciality boutique shops, and a total of 12 restaurants and bars, integrated with extensive gaming facilities, MGM Grand is a destination in itself.

The development was born under the alliance of two prominent industry leaders, Pansy Ho and Las Vegas based gaming giant MGM Mirage.

Pansy Ho, the daughter of Macau’s casino king Stanley Ho, is a gambling magnate and property tycoon in her own right as well as being Managing Director of Shun Tak Holdings, and apparent heir to the multibillion-dollar empire of her father. The combined experience and creativity of this partnership, along with a desire to distinguish this hotel from other MGM properties, has produced an icon on Macau’s skyline at the cost of an estimated USD$1.25 billion.

The 154m tower, designed by Wong & Tung International, is separated into three distinct segments of varying shades of metal. Its shape mirrors the rolling swell of the South China Sea which is reflected in the shimmering glass of the building’s façade. Guarding this jewel is MGM’s symbolic golden lion. Created by Snellen Maurice ‘Snell’ Johnson (1939-2001), one of the most prolific sculptors of his time, the bronze statue sits at a height of 10m and weighs in at 63 tonnes.

A number of celebrated works of art by internationally -renowned artists feature in a gallery-like space in the hotel. A gigantic glass sculpture, created exclusively for MGM Grand by Dale Chihuly, hangs from the lobby ceiling said to symbolise owner Pansy Ho. The ‘Fiori di Paradiso’ is made up of vibrant hand-blown glass pansies and is complemented by a large wall painting composed of 42 vibrant glass tiles behind the reception desk. The artist’s works also showcase in the corridor outside Asia’s first Chihuly retail concept store. Besides this, original works from the master of surreal art Salvador Dali also feature. His masterpieces in MGM Grand Macau include ‘Piano Surrealist’, ‘Dalinian Dancer’ and ‘Woman of Time’.

The inclusion of such pieces was a collaboration between Ho, who has made her own mark on the hotel, and interior designers Wilson Associates. Wilson Associates has a history with MGM having designed The Mansion villas at the hotel’s Las Vegas counterpart in the Nineties.

The design concept for much of this hotel is influenced by the region’s traditional Portuguese heritage. Design Director Heather Boldy explains: “Wilson Associates referred back to the original old buildings in Portugal with specific features coming from details of castles and grand houses found all over the country, bringing opulence and grandeur to Macau like never before. Such details include carved stone architraves, stained glass windows, carved marble, forged ironwork in the architecture, bespoke lighting and furnishings, and courtyard mosaic floor patterns.”

Special attention was paid to the use of a specific shade of blue which appears in traditional Portuguese architecture. The colour is revealed in the stained-glass windows, lanterns, ceramic balustrades, embossed leather, and marble flooring throughout the hotel. It is particularly prominent in the VIP lobby, which takes the form of a walled garden.

The intricately cut floor employs an infinite number of marbles and onyx types handpicked by Wilson Associates’ designers from stone quarries in Europe. One of the most striking is Lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone prized for its intense blue colour.

Boldly describes the overall style of the hotel as Portuguese with a hint of the Orient. “It reveals an ornate richness and attention to detail that is only seen in Portuguese grand houses and castles,” she explains. “This theme was interpreted in different ways throughout the various areas of the hotel and the client gave a very clear direction to incorporate a storyline relating all of the spaces together.”

The link between these spaces and the heart of the resort is the Grande Praça. Two and a half times the size of the Conservatory at Las Vegas Bellagio, the Grande Praça showcases European-inspired architecture. The design of one façade in particular is reminiscent of the central train station in Lisbon. The high glass ceiling allows maximum natural light into the courtyard creating an outside, inside. This concept is unique in Macau and its grandeur inevitably extends to the exquisite western and oriental cuisine of the resort’s 12 themed bars and lounges.

Options abound with signature restaurants such as the Parisian brasserie Aux Beaux Arts, and the open-kitchen Rossio, designed by acclaimed Japanese interior designers Super Potato to feature their trademark earthly elements. Another two outlets in the area are The Champagne Bar and The Russian Room. The Champagne Bar is an intimate ice bar – encased in a two-storey wine cellar – seating only twelve people under a monumental black crystal chandelier.

To add to the distinctive touch of the French corner, there is an open courtyard with a magnificent crystal chandelier designed by Saint Louis for the hotel. ‘Maharadja’ is composed of 70 clear and 70 amber crystal hurricanes, 36 arms and 1,750 pendants on 8 levels, and weighs over 1.5 tonnes.

Other food and beverage options include the Imperial Court, a top-notch Chinese restaurant that serves the finest Cantonese cuisine with seasonal specialties from other parts of China, and the Veuve Clicquot Lounge, which is the first in Macau and features three limited edition loveseats. Designed by Karim Rashid the pink Clicquot loveseat consists of two opposite facing chairs joined in the centre by a pedestal with an ice bucket in the classic Clicquot yellow.

Continuing on, the Grand Praça also provides a link to the 385 gaming tables and 888 slots machines of the Dougall Design Association-designed casino.

In its ongoing development, MGM Grand has more recently launched a Six Senses Spa operated by the Bangkok-based holistic wellness specialist. Wilson Associates has designed the sanctuary according to the five Chinese elements, Metal, Wood, Water, Earth, and Fire. Natural materials from each of these elements have been integrated into the twelve themed treatment rooms providing a sensory journey. The 2,720m2 spa’s facilities include a flotation pool with colour therapy technology, vitality pool with air loungers and ocean views, herbal steam room, snow room, and sauna. The flotation pool contains a salt level of 27 per cent producing similar effects to that of the Dead Sea allowing guests to float on top of the water as they listen to the relaxing underwater music.

Should guests want a break from the resort’s entertainment hub, MGM Grand’s 593 guestrooms offer a safe haven. Split into 468 standard rooms, 99 suites, 24 villas, and two duplex villas, the rooms range from 48m2 to 540m2. Wilson Associates’ design is sophisticated and elegant with a clean palette of blues, silvers, and greens to bring warmth through shadows and texture. Each room features an integrated bathroom and bedroom that can be separated or opened up through the use of curtains.

With a seamless blend of MGM Grand’s illustrious heritage, Pansy Ho and her design team have created a truly opulent destination with the best hospitality and gaming the group has to offer, ensuring that this landmark is here to stay.

WORDS: Catherine Martin

PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of MGM Grand

MGM GRAND
Avenida Dr. Sun Yat Sen, NAPE, Macau
Tel: +853 88028888
www.mgmgrandmacau.com

Rooms:   593 guestrooms including 99 suites and 26 villas
Food:    Six restaurants including Rossio Restaurant and Imperial Court
Drink:    Six themed bars
Leisure:    Six Senses Spa
Facilities:    Grand Praça, and 1,452m2 of convention space