Macau often gets a bad rap for its one-note gambling industry, heavy on the glitz and lacking in glamour with its innumerable, cavernous casinos that blend into a maw of fake gold and too many ersatz rococo facades. Yet, one hotel has been quietly bucking this trend for the past ten years on the north coast of Taipa, deliberately removed from the soulless Cotai Strip further south where the Venetian, Wynn Palace and Studio City can be found.
I say ‘quietly’ because – unlike MGM, Galaxy and Sands, which regularly host the concerts of has-been boy bands and flashy awards ceremonies – Altira Macau has focused on the essentials of good hospitality, in the process earning the coveted Forbes 5-Star honour for ten years running in what amounts to a hugely impressive feat that only five other hotels in Asia can boast of. What it lacks in exposure may in fact be a boon for Hongkongers looking for a “nearcation,” as it offers a quiet respite for those usually put off by the par-for-the-course gaudiness of Macau’s other resort options.
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Design
Entering the hotel, guests might first be puzzled as to why the lobby is located at the very top of the building on the 38th floor, although once the elevator doors open, all doubt is dispelled. Surrounded by double-height, floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides, the lobby takes advantage of the hotel’s stunning waterfront location and views across the harbour to downtown Macau, creating a sense of dreamlike architectural levity.
Macanese designer Peter Remedios – whose portfolio includes the interiors of Hong Kong’s Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Zaha Hadid’s Morpheus, and the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto – imbued Altira’s guestrooms with a minimalist touch, often resorting to the interplay of natural materials as opposed to any florid embellishments, and never detracting from the view, which is available in all guestrooms. The basic Waterfront View room clocks in at a generous 581 square feet, complete with a living area equipped with banquettes, and what must be one of the largest entry-level bathtubs in any hotel in the Greater Bay Area. At a daily rate of HK$1,200 in the off-season, this is an absolute steal.
Dining
Altira’s three premium restaurants are world-class establishments in their own right. There’s Ying, a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant, and Aurora, a Forbes 5-Star Mediterranean restaurant that opens up onto Altira’s expansive 10th-floor patio. However, we were partial to Tenmasa, a branch of a Tokyo tempura institution which boasts of a Forbes 5-Star rating of its own. Its tempura omakase course is best enjoyed in the private tempura bar, where chef Takenori Noguchi coats an assortment of seasonal produce with the house batter before frying them in a copper-domed tempura fryer. The amadai with yuzu zest and salmon roe was a high point, as was the A5 Kagoshima wagyu with Hokkaido uni.
For more casual settings, guests can head to Monsoon for pan-Asian food, or Kira for hotpot and teppanyaki. Special mention goes to the complimentary in-room breakfast, which Altira nails with an extensive menu that covers Western, Asian and Macanese options – made all the better from the privacy of your room.
Wellness
Altira’s location in an unremarkable neighbourhood leaves little to do outside of eating, relaxing in your room, and perusing its wellness facilities which, to their credit, make it hard to escape the hotel premises. The world-class spa spans two floors and comes brimming with facilities such as vitality pools, crystal steam rooms, saunas, an ice fountain, Rasul and experience showers. Couples can also decamp to a couple’s treatment room that comes with an ocean-facing jacuzzi large enough for two.
Meanwhile, the indoor infinity pool rightfully stakes a claim as one of the best pools in Macau, its waters blending seamlessly with the skyline beyond. Pop your head underwater to experience soft music emanating from submerged speakers, and lay back on one of the loungers with a drink from the pool bar to continue soaking in the view after your swim.
Verdict
The outdoor patio at Mediterranean restaurant Aurora.
By the nature of Macau, Altira also has a casino on-site although it caters to the high-roller crowd and thus remains quite low-key in the grand scheme of things. Rather, the hotel’s pre-eminent qualities lie in its restrained design, the impeccable service and the perfectly framed view – qualities that might not scream loud enough to catch the attention of the gambling crowd, yet conversely attract design-lovers and those who appreciate subtler forms of elegance.
Altira Macau is currently offering a series of special packages in celebration of its 10th consecutive year earning the Forbes 5-Star award. For more information, click here.
Avenida de Kwong Tung, Taipa, Macau; (+853) 2886 8888, altiramacau.com
