Post-National Day Trip Recommendation | Experience a Modern Life at Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau Without Going Abroad!

There are surprises everywhere in Macau's hotels, and that's absolutely true. The unique geographical location makes this place a cluster of hotels. With only 32 square kilometers, Macau is like a hotel marketplace. To attract travelers, each hotel goes all out to create its own uniqueness. This intense competition has turned Macau into a paradise for vacations. Hotels are no longer just places to sleep; they offer food, shopping, sports, photography, art... anything you can imagine might be available in one hotel. People ask me why I love traveling to Macau so much. It's because after many trips, I return to the basics—from rushing to check in at various spots to choosing a place for the ultimate experience. You'll find that you don't need to do much homework for this place; it's truly about relaxing your mind and enjoying the utmost.

Since I moved to Guangdong, Macau has become my most frequent destination. If not for the restriction of only being able to go once every two months, I might as well live there. Although my passport hasn't been used for two years due to the pandemic, every trip to Macau gives my confined heart a release. Last time, I decided to make staying at every hotel in Macau my new goal, and I quickly checked off the newly opened Grand Lisboa Palace. Actually, the Grand Lisboa Palace resort has three hotel towers: Grand Lisboa Palace, the Versace Hotel, and the Karl Lagerfeld Luxury Hotel (Karl Lagerfeld is the late fashion designer 'Lagerfeld' from Chanel). Since the latter two are still under renovation, let me first show you the Grand Lisboa Palace hotel.

The moment you step into the room, see how many little details reflecting Macau's history and culture you can find. The whole room features bold colors, a modern and chic contemporary Chinese design that subtly blends Chinese and Western artistic charm.

The Chinese printed cushions on the bed, the hanging artworks in the entrance, the handles on the cabinet drawers, and the Portuguese tile wall on the side of the dressing room all delicately depict Macau's past and present. The furniture and artistic decorations in the room skillfully mix natural wood, porcelain, lacquer, and brass, highlighting Chinese elements without losing a sense of fashion. Truly, every detail reflects Macau's local culture.

Waking up early in the morning, the scenery outside the window already stunned me. The architectural style in sight references the 'Chinoiserie' art style popular in Europe from the 17th to 18th centuries. On the basis of Western architectural design, it incorporates auspicious Chinese cultural motifs such as 'dragon', 'phoenix', and 'lotus'. The blend of Chinese and Western cultures is a major charm of Grand Lisboa Palace.

Women should treat themselves well, especially during travel. A beautiful day begins with in-room breakfast service. After staying for three days, I could try all the rich breakfast options at Grand Lisboa Palace: Chinese, American, Australian, etc. Waking up to breakfast is truly blissful!

After breakfast, you can go for a swim in the 25-meter indoor heated swimming pool at Grand Lisboa Palace Macau. The pool's design also blends Macau characteristics with Baroque style. There is also an outdoor heated pool where you can swim while enjoying the European garden views of the 'Green Victory Garden'.

Let me tell you a secret: there is also a hidden small garden at the entrance of the gym. You can exercise while enjoying the exquisite view, and it's also a great spot for taking check-in photos!

Just as hotel facilities in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou mostly serve business people, the many artworks in Macau's hotels once again confirm the slow-paced life here. At the Grand Lisboa Palace, you often see guests stopping to admire and discuss artworks in groups, which is why I call this place 'a hotel in an art museum'.

East Wing Lobby — 'Macau Glory' by Ma Ruolong: Using the traditional art of Portuguese tiles to depict Macau's social culture and historical changes from the 16th century to the present. It tells the story of Macau over the past five hundred years with representative characters and elements... The East Wing Lobby is currently not open yet, so there are very few visitors, often giving a feeling of having the place to yourself.

East Wing Lobby — 'Paradise — East Sails of the Island' by artist Huo Kaisheng: Fine lines depict the prosperity of old Macau, telling the story of Macau's central role in maritime trade during the Age of Sail and its important role in promoting cultural exchange between East and West.

East Wing Lobby — 'Bright Dawn Tomorrow' by artist Ma Ruolong: Combining traditional Chinese and Portuguese architecture, it represents modern Macau's Grand Lisboa Palace, the Macau Tower welcoming Macau's return to the motherland, and the Grand Lisboa symbolizing Macau's future prosperity. These three landmarks signify Macau's development process.

East Wing Lobby — 'West Exploring East / East Exploring West' by Constantine: Depicting the East in Western eyes and the West in Eastern eyes. These two paintings are very interesting, with many elements to see—besides castles, royal consciousness, historical figures, you can also see elements from the works of artist Dalí.

Opposite the West Wing Lobby Lounge — 'Untitled I and II' by Ma Weisi: Abstract paintings created with ink, tissue paper, and acrylic, creating a rich space for imagination.

East and West Wing Lobbies — Bohemian Crystal Flowers: Hand-blown, inspired by the lotus, the regional flower of Macau.

Lobby Lounge — Bohemian Crystal Tree: A sparkling 'tree' specially designed for the Lobby Lounge, with hand-blown glass leaves shimmering, creating a dreamy and enchanting atmosphere.

I was already attracted to the Green Victory Garden from my room. The garden is surrounded by three distinctly styled towers of the resort. A magnificent giant dome sits at the center of the garden, surrounded by a Baroque-style hedge maze, pools, and European-style colonnaded walkways. I couldn't wait to go down and take photos! At night, the garden lights up brilliantly. Remember to book a higher floor so you can enjoy the view from your room. Note: The garden is only open to hotel guests.

The European-style colonnaded walkway is located next to the Zi Zhu Shan restaurant, not at the same entrance as the garden. Remember to wear a light-colored French-style outfit to take a set of photos here—it feels like you're in Europe!

Last time I came to Macau, I just checked off the three-Michelin-starred restaurant '8' at Grand Lisboa, and I was still depressed that I couldn't book the French restaurant Tian Chao (Robuchon au Dôme) this time. Fortunately, Grand Lisboa Palace has many specialty restaurants to taste. Staying at Grand Lisboa Palace for three nights, I had a different dining experience each day, and I feasted! Due to historical reasons, Macau has the most authentic Portuguese cuisine, so you must try the Mesa restaurant.

The Portuguese name 'Mesa' means 'table', symbolizing the Portuguese tradition of gathering and sharing. The moment I walked into the restaurant and saw the black-and-gold design, the eye-catching specialty bar, the chandeliers shaped like Chinese birdcages, and the armchairs decorated with traditional Chinese openwork carving, I knew the designer was extraordinary. Sure enough, this restaurant was personally designed by the late fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld, displaying his unique style and color preferences everywhere, including chic geometric patterns and interwoven lines of black, white, and gold, very much in the style of Chanel.

Be sure to find a seat with a view of the 'sky ceiling', so you can look up and see the LED screen on the restaurant's ceiling, like a skylight connected to Karl Lagerfeld's Paris studio—a rare and splendid view.

Must-order dish: Spicy mackerel cone with sauerkraut and smoked mayonnaise. When it's served, it's covered with a dome. I thought it was filled with nitrogen, but when they opened it, there was real smoke. The marinated mackerel tartare is paired with fresh ingredients, lightly pan-fried with lemon juice, placed in a crispy cone, and smoked, resulting in a rich flavor.

Mini wagyu burger: An appetizer and snack to go with drinks, with my favorite pickles, one bite at a time, very refreshing. Portuguese-style grilled octopus with potatoes and garlic: The Portuguese name 'Lagar' refers to the wooden barrel used to press olive oil, which shows its fragrant olive oil aroma. The grilled octopus is accompanied by a large amount of olive oil, garlic, and coriander sauce, served with roasted potato chunks—a very unique flavor.

Must-order dish: Charcoal-grilled Angus sirloin, medium-rare just right, very tender. Compared to large steaks, this small and exquisite steak suits a girl's appetite better.

Mesa is one of the restaurants in Macau offering the largest selection of Portuguese wines. The restaurant also employs a resident sommelier from Portugal, so even if you don't eat, you can just order a drink at the bar. In addition to a wide variety of sparkling wines and spirits, the signature cocktails carefully crafted by the bartenders, inspired by and named after Macau's UNESCO World Heritage sites, are also a must-order.

When I came to the Tea House, I joked with my mom that I didn't feel much of old Guangdong in Guangdong, but I experienced it in Macau. This Tea House was personally created by the renowned Hong Kong designer Alan Chan, blending nostalgia with trendy creativity. With unique design elements and materials, it creates a stylish and warm new look for the tea house. The wall at the entrance of the tea house is also a popular check-in spot. The golden theme wall is made of three-dimensional characters carving the names of well-known dim sum.

Entering the restaurant, the private room we booked is designed based on the classic scene of an old-style tea house: in the morning or afternoon, tea lovers would bring their birdcages to the tea house to enjoy tea and leisure. These traditional features are all reinterpreted by the designer. Lively bird-shaped decorations adorn the ceiling, birds in flight on the walls, and an art sculpture made of Chinese birdcages, creating a unique surprise.

As a northerner eating Cantonese food, I had to get used to drinking soup before the meal. The fresh ginseng and yam stewed old pigeon is very nourishing. The air conditioning in Macau hotels is quite strong, but after a sip of soup, my body immediately warmed up.

My favorite dish — Golden Crispy Shrimp Balls: This dish is modified from traditional Cantonese cuisine. Large prawns are sliced open on the side, stuffed with smooth and bouncy shrimp paste, fried until crispy, then stir-fried with salted egg yolk sauce. The rich flavor of salted egg is irresistible. Pan-fried salted fish meat patty: Even I, who don't like fish, ate it happily with no fishy taste. Steamed eggplant and bone-fragrant sole balls are also worth trying.

For desserts, the tea house's red date cake and almond crispy fried milk are a bit too sweet for my taste. You can try other desserts.

Zi Zhu Shan is the buffet restaurant at Grand Lisboa Palace. The restaurant has 18 different themed food zones! The seafood area at the entrance looks like a small seafood market. You can directly pick various fresh seafood and tell the kitchen your preferences for cooking. In the evening, the restaurant has an outdoor barbecue area, where you can enjoy the beautiful views of the Green Victory Garden while tasting delicious food — simply relaxing.

Must-get dishes at Zi Zhu Shan: Traditional nourishing soups, Brazilian roasted beef ribs, herbal tea, Chinese cooling tea (five-flower tea / herbal tea), signature non-alcoholic specials including various fruit-based beverages, ginger milk curd, serradura (Portuguese-style pudding), etc.

The dessert area at Zi Zhu Shan is simply my favorite!

Macau is like a backyard garden, a place to release fatigue and stress. You just need to take a weekend, come here to grab a few long-awaited Michelin stars, or find a luxury hotel like I did, then retreat fully satisfied after eating and drinking. That's the right way to travel! Note: Currently, to enter Macau, you only need to provide a nucleic acid test report within 7 days and a visa endorsement (from low-risk areas), no quarantine required.

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Travel Diary Contents: 1. Checking off Grand Lisboa Palace Hotel 2. Art Appreciation: 'A Hotel in an Art Museum' 3. Popular Photo Spot at Grand Lisboa Palace: Green Victory Garden 4. Unmissable Portuguese Cuisine at Grand Lisboa Palace: Mesa 5. Tea House: Take You Back to Old Guangdong 6. Bustling and Joyful Market: Zi Zhu Shan

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