Given its prime location in close proximity to many of Macau's famous attractions, Wynn Macau is an excellent choice for first-time visitors to the special administrative regions of China.
On the drive from Macau International Airport to Wynn Macau, you may feel like you've landed in an IRL Simcity on steroids as all that surrounds you seem to be highly urbanised cityscapes filled with eye-catching skyscrapers as far as your eyes can see.
Wynn Macau, Macau's first Las Vegas-style resort and Nevada-based Wynn Resorts' first foray into Asia, is nothing short of a man-made marvel created for all kinds of indulgences.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The integrated resort stands stylishly in copper, consisting of two buildings namely Wynn Tower and Encore Tower. The former, opened in 2006, is the one with a curved top that looks like an exponential graph and the Performance Lake, where the famous dancing fountains take place (more on it later), in front while the latter stands behind and houses only suite-type accommodation. There are more than 1,000 rooms between these two shiny edifices on top of retail space, about a dozen of F&B outlets, two spas, a casino, a salon and a pool.
I checked in at the Wynn Club entrance of Wynn Tower and was greeted with a sense of arrival and opulence the moment I passed through the revolving door. The cream interior lights up with a huge chandelier in the centre, as well as with gold accents from the floor to the curved ceiling. Pops of colours from flowers and two aquariums housing schools of orange fish add liveliness to the gilded lobby.
The Wynn Tower boasts four categories of accommodation, starting big at 56m² of Deluxe Rooms and capping at 278m² Two-Bedroom suites. I, ahem, stayed somewhere toward the upper echelon inside 185m² of a One-Bedroom Suite on the 20th floor and it was quite a sight to behold.
In keeping with the opulent aesthetic, the interior of the Devonshire Cream colour palette is enhanced with gold accents, bespoke décors and black marble floor tiles. A powder room (in the North American sense of the word) and an in-suite spa room are on either side of the door while the spacious living space with mirrored ceiling looks out to the Nam Wan Lake and Macau skyline, through almost-floor-to-celing windows, but my view wasn't a 10-out-10, thanks to neighbouring skyscrapers. As you do, there's also a proper bar for nightcaps and an L-shaped sofa as a dining corner.
The bedroom with the ensuite bathroom alone is probably bigger than the entirety of an average hotel suite. Luxuriate in a relaxing bath with jets and heated back before getting a restful and luxurious sleep on the king-size bed with Egyptian cotton.
STAYING IN
Wynn Macau gives you plenty of reasons to stay in as it caters to different kinds of enthusiasts from an art aficionado, an epicurean or a label lover. And if these three all apply to you, you can fulfil your interests in one go.
As you explore nearly 5,500m² of Wynn Esplanade, you come across high-end boutiques, restaurants and bars as well as splendid artworks. Indulge in retail therapy (or window shopping) from A, for Audemars Piquet, to V, for Versace, while appreciating exquisite artworks up close.
The exquisite silk-and-wool tapestry The Emperor On A Journey from the early 1700s depicts the European perception of Chinese imperialism then. The emperor is on an elegant sedan chair with a pagoda-esque canopy being carried by four attendants while four guards escort him on horseback. All men wear long and thin goatees but all their regalias and decorative motifs look rather European. Two cloisonne camels stand in a reflective pond overlooking the swimming pool and the garden as a symbolic homage to the Silk Road when the beast of burden was integral in the trade between East and West. There are several more artworks to behold within Wynn and Encore Towers.
Wynn Macau is an epicurean epicentre with a dozen of choices for fine or casual dining, including Wing Lei and Mizumi, both of which earn two-Michelin stars and Forbes Five-Star awards from Forbes Travel Guide.
Mizumi, Macau's only two Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant
Kaiseki dinner at Mizumi is an experience in and of itself. Mizumi, which is a Japanese word for any type of body of water, is decked out with motifs and icons that reflect Japan's culture including a selection of antique obi sashes and a colourful mural of clashing sea waves, which to me feels like a homage to Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave Off Kanagawa but a pop art version of it, behind the sushi bar.
The kaiseki menu read like a cryptic code as it didn't reveal any ingredients that went into each course because the restaurant aims to use the best ingredients of that day. Still, it did pique my curiosity with phrases like "Philosophy Of Charcoal" and "Dialogues With The Shores Of Japan".
An amuse bouche came in the form of tempura white asparagus seasoned with sea salt. It gave a delicious contrast between the crispy skin of batter and asparagus that was tender and almost melted in your mouth. Simple yet delicious.
"Seasonal Introduction", the official first course, was basically lightly grilled lobster served with assorted seasonal vegetables and ponzu jelly. A savoury and refreshing start.
The soup course is named "Umami Of Dashi" and it translated to a ball of delicate and sweet flesh of kegani, horsehair crab from Hokkaido, soaking in a clear soup made of water from Hokkaido, kelp kombu and katsuobushi flakes. Savoury and soothing with a faint yuzu aroma.
"Dialogues With The Shores Of Japan" came in two parts. The "authentic" part was sea bream sashimi with its signature red tint, which had been aged for five to six days until soft and tender, being paired with fresh onion, yuzu paste and soy sauce mixed with mirin and chilli. The "contemporary" part was charcoal-grilled bonito fish, smoked for the extra aroma, to be enjoyed with garlic chip, soy sauce and grated ginger.
"Seasonal Assorted Delicacies", aka hassun, is basically a selection of six dishes in a tasting portion. They were Chawanmushi with uni, Botan shrimp with caviar, Baby squid in small slices with yuzu, Squid with egg, Watercress tofu and pine nut and Foie gras terrine in the form of a macaron. I enjoyed them thoroughly with cold brewed tea.
Up next is "Philosophy Of Charcoal" or the main part of the meal and, you may have guessed it, highlight charcoal grilled delights. representing the ocean part of the course in beltfish, or tachiou, was served on an emerald pool with white asparagus, bamboo shoot, Chrysanthemum petals and peppercorn. Representing the earth part is Kobe Wagyu grilled to medium rare. The marbling meat melted in my mouth but not so quickly that I couldn't appreciate its succulence.
Up next is "Endeavor 88 Tsuyahime rice" topped with eel. The combo of succulent eel and fluffy top rice from Yamagata was complemented with a bowl of red miso soup, pickled yam, eggplant and cucumber salad and sea salt.
"Gift from the Sun" is Miyazaki mango served as a terrine alongside brandy jelly and coconut mousse. The Japanese mango, whose nickname is the egg of the sun, is prized for a good reason as it tasted buttery and smelled so sweet. I would go as far as saying that it topples nam dok mai in my book.
Rounding out the meal was a matcha ice cream, harkening back to kaiseki origins in tea ceremonies. The rich ice cream with gold leaf atop was served on red bean paste at the bottom along with matcha cookie crumble for contrast. I must add that thought definitely was put into the choices of tableware to make each dish a feast for the eyes as well as palate as a kaiseki meal should be.
Another restaurant I must mention is Lakeside Trattoria, next to the Wynn Club entrance. Opened in April, this is the latest addition to the F&B offerings at Wynn and you should head there for Italian delights with a view of the garden and Nam Van Lake. I'm a sucker for hearty pasta and "Nicos" lasagna didn't disappoint. Its surface was crusty and brown and underneath it lay layers of pasta, meat ragu, bechamel sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano. The interior is so stylish with black-and-white checkered flooring, elegant drapery in dark turquoise and Calacatta marble sheathing walls and counters. Definitely ripe for photo ops.
Capping off the night with spectacular shows
After dinner, you can catch awe-inspiring and auspicious shows as a way to cap off the night. Located at the Rotunda Atrium of Wynn Tower, the "Tree Of Prosperity" combines Chinese and Western astrological symbols, music, video and light design. The six-minute spectacle starts when the carved ceiling featuring ornate reliefs of 12 Chinese zodiac animals slowly opens to reveal a school of carp swimming and leaving trails of sparkle, which form a Chinese letter that turns into countless butterflies. As they flutter away, the ceiling opens once more to make way for a giant chandelier to slowly descend as the globe on the floor opens up to reveal the namesake tree comprising 2,000 branches and 98,000 leaves of 24-karat gold and brass. It grandly rises up to meet the chandelier while itself being slowly rotated to show off its splendour. The carps return to spell another letter before spelling-binding spiralling patterns are shown before the tree descends down while the zodiac animals return. You don't have to stay at Wynn Macau to enjoy this show for free. It takes place once every hour from noon to 10pm. See it in motion here.
Another must-see is the famous dancing fountains at Performance Lake. It's not just one but a dozen shows as these dancing fountains are choreographed and lit specifically to a song, ranging from Shrek 2's Holding Out For A Hero or Cabaret's Money, Money. It takes place every 30 minutes from noon to 10pm on Mondays to Wednesdays, every 30 minutes from noon to 7pm on Thursdays to Sundays and every 20 minutes from 7-10pm on Thursdays to Sundays. See it in motion here.
GOING OUT
Wynn Macau's location affords guests close access to various historic and cultural attractions, including Unesco World Heritage Sites. The very obvious choice is the Ruins of St Paul's, which practically has become synonymous with Macau. This is where you'll be in awe in front of the world-renowned stone facade that survived a big fire. Virgin Mary nonchalantly stepping on a seven-headed Hydra can be spotted near the top right, looking quite badass. Another Unesco World Heritage Site to hit is A-Ma Temple to pay respect to the Chinese sea goddess Mazu and ask her to grant your wishes. The temple is said to accidentally gave birth to the name Macau. When the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast outside the temple they asked the natives what is this place called and they replied A-maa-gok (The Pavilion of Mother) and somehow it got garbled into Macau. An ancient example of Chinese whispers, perhaps?
On the opposite end of exploration, if you want something exciting and adrenaline-pumping, then check out Macau Tower where you can truly enjoy Macau's skyline from more than 300 metres above sea level. If you dare, bungee jumps from its outer rim at 233 metres above the ground, one of the world's highest bungee jumping points.
FINAL VERDICT
While Wynn Macau feels like a destination in and of itself with plenty of things to enjoy, it also affords guests convenient access to many famous attractions of Macau, putting you close to the heart of Macau's history where Portuguese and Chinese cultures co-exist. If a superb stay is what you seek, Wynn Macau is it. Wynn Macau offers various luxurious stay packages, especially for those who seek epicurean experiences. Visit wynnresortsmacau.com.
*All photos courtesy of Wynn Macau except for food at Mizumi
