Macau is Asia’s gambling capital, there are no two ways about it, which is why it has earned itself the name “the Monte Carlo of the Orient”. There are 33 land-based casinos, of which The Venetian Macau is the biggest by far. It goes without saying that Macau’s tourism revolves solely around gambling, which makes for nearly 50% of the economy’s source of revenue. There are over 3400 slot machines and 800 tables on the premises of the casino, a truly impressive offering by any standards.
Owned by the Las Vegas Sands, The Venetian casino space spreads across 546,000 square feet and it’s divided into 4 gaming areas: Golden Fish, Imperial House, Red Dragon and Phoenix. A 39-story high masterpiece, with over 3000 guest rooms and the impressive Cotai Arena with 15,000 seats used for sports events and entertainment, The Venetian is the biggest casino in the world and Asia’s largest hotel resort. Having said that, you can imagine why the total cost of the building was over $2.4 billion and I have to admit that the joint venture between Aedas and HKS has truly designed and created one of the greatest buildings in the world.
The Venetian has won its first award the very same year of the opening date, in 2007 – Best Hotel in Macau, by Finance Asia Business Travel Poll and that was but the beginning of a long line of international recognitions and nominations. Speaking of which, 2014 has been a truly glorious year for the Venetian, having gathered 33 awards, among which ‘Macau’s Leading Casino Resort’, by the World Travel Awards, ‘The Best Luxury Resort in the World Reader’s Choice Awards’, by Travel + Leisure India, The Winner of 2014th Entertainment Sector by Sina.com / Weibo and many others. But last year’s awards seem to speak louder than all the others: ‘Best Hotel in Macau’ by DestinAsian Magazine and ‘Best Luxury Resort’ by Travel + Leisure India & South Asia.
But what I was personally really impressed with are the private gaming rooms in the Paiza Club – an exclusive club which caters to VIPs alone. These rooms bear the name of some of the greatest Asian cities and regions, such as Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The amazing architecture and the luxurious furniture will make you feel like you have been teleported to a different era. You can imagine that the croupiers at the tables are just as classy as the surroundings and their manners and professionalism beats that of Las Vegas dealers by far if there is even room for such a comparison. So, if you get a chance to see this magnificent place, don’t pass on it, because this is indeed a once in a lifetime experience.