Est.: Aug. 28, 2007
Updated: Dec. 12, 2009

MGM Grand Macau

Last update: August 12, 2009

Quick Facts

• Address: Avenida Dr Sun Yat Sen, NAPE, Macau
• Phone: (853) 8802-8888
• Web site: mgmgrandmacau.com

The MGM is a large deluxe hotel and casino on the Macau peninsula, next door to the Wynn. It opened in December 2007 as a joint venture between MGM Mirage and Pansy Ho, daughter of Stanley Ho (source).

I visited the MGM in August 2009. Everything was clean and new. The atmosphere is elegant and subdued. Over the speakers they played Guns N' Roses songs, but sung by a woman who sounded like Sinéad O'Connor. Thanks, I still can't get that out of my head.

I had lunch at the Square 8 restaurant, which had a good variety to choose from. The two dishes I tasted were fine. It feels and tastes a lot like an American restaurant. The MGM gave me an HK$ 88 comp (worth about US $11) for playing an hour of blackjack at HK $400 average bet.

Unlike the MGM in Las Vegas, the MGM Macau has four levels of player cards, based on points. Nobody could tell me how much you had to play at the table games to earn a point. I figured out that for every $100 you bet you earn one point. It takes huge amounts of play to advance through the levels.

The MGM ties with the Wynn for the best blackjack rules in Macau, by allowing resplitting of aces. However, they have a ridiculous policy of offering insurance whenever the dealer has a 10-point card showing. I could forgive them if they paid a reasonable 11 to 1, for a 7.4% house edge. Instead they only pay 2 to 1! This results in a house edge of 76.8%. I found that bet to not only be insulting, but bad business, as no player in his right mind would take it.

35 stories high.

Main entrance, to the hotel.

Another entrance, to the casino side.

One of many golden pandas.

Yet another entrance to the casino. This one is across from the Wynn entrance.

Another panda.

And another.

Pandas in the courtyard.

More pandas.

And more. Trust me, there were several others I didn't take pictures of.

The courtyard. This looks much like the Masion courtyard at the MGM in Las Vegas, where the big whales stay.

The hotel lobby ceilcing is covered with Dale Chihuly glass bowls, just like at the Bellagio.

Lobby hallway.

One of many Chihuly pieces. There was also a Chihuly store.

Hotel front desk.

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