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• The casino is your average Macau gambling hall, with a large mass market table game section surrounded by 1,000 or so slot machines in the $1 per spin range with VIP tables available in private lounges above.

Macau (or, “the Las Vegas of the East”, as it’s sometimes
called) is an unusual and fun destination for gamblers looking
for something more exotic than Las Vegas or Atlantic City. It
provides a very different experience to those locations, and is
well worth a visit if you have the opportunity.

Altira Macau & Mocha Slots Hall main page: This casino can be found in Taipa, Macau. Altira Macau & Mocha Slots Hall has a total of 111 slots and 170 table games for your enjoyment. WCD also books hotel rooms in the major casino resorts in Taipa.

Travelling to a destination such as Macau is probably going
to cost you a significant sum of money, so you’ll want to make
the most of your trip. That’s exactly why we’ve put together
this guide. We’ve provided some basic information about Macau,
including the entry requirements, along with details on all the
gambling available. We’ve also written about some of the casino
venues and a few of the other things there are to do and see.

About Macau

Macau is a peninsula off the southern coast of China, not far
from Hong Kong. It was part of Portugal until 1999. Since
China’s re-acquisition of Macau, tourism has tripled from 7
million annual tourists to almost 22 million tourists.

Macau is happy to have visitors from English-speaking
countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New
Zealand. All you need is a passport.

Most of you are probably going to Macau to gamble, so its
unlikely youd be interested in staying for more than 30 days.
But if you are planning to stay that long, youll need to apply
for a visa. If youre from the UK or Ireland, you can stay up to
90 days without a visa.

Much of the increase in the tourist industry is the direct
result of gambling deregulation in 2002. Even though it’s called
the Vegas of the East, it’s still a relatively small and quaint
gambling destination—at least compared to Las Vegas.

Consider the number of hotel rooms available in each
destination. Las Vegas boasts of over 148,000 hotel rooms in the
city; Macau only has 19,600. But even though the destination has
only around 15% of the hotel space available, their gambling
revenues are twice as much as Las Vegas each year.

The mix of cultures provides a unique experience in gambling
travel. The food and architecture differ from what you’ll find
anywhere else in the world. One might expect it to be similar to
Hong Kong, since the two destinations are so near each other,
but that’s not the case at all.

In fact, you’ll probably see two different sides of Macau.
After all, twenty years ago, it resembled nothing more than a
sleepy little village with a few beaches. Some of that
atmosphere remains, but alongside that is the hustle and bustle
of new development spurred by the massive interest in gambling
and tourist accommodations.

Macau offers more than just gambling. It’s also a well-known
destination for shoppers—in that respect, it IS much like Vegas
and Atlantic City. The sight-seeing in Macau is of an entirely
different nature. It’s also an affordable vacation, assuming you
can keep your gambling under control.

Spending Money in Macau

If you’re used to visiting casinos in the United States,
you’ll know that everyone does business in US dollars. In Macau
though, you have to make adjustments for the local currency.

You have two currency choices when traveling in Macau:

• Patacas
• Hong Kong dollars

Patacas are the local currency. They’re analogous to a
dollar, as they’re made up of 100 avos, the Macau analogue to a
penny. Like most countries, the money in Macau comes in the form
of coins and banknotes, although lower denominations of patacas
are coins rather than notes. Where in the United States we have
$1 and $5 bills, in Macau, you would use a coin for 1, 2, or 5
patacas. They have banknotes starting at 10 patacas and going up
to 1000 patacas. The local abbreviation for patacas is MOP$.

Hong Kong dollars are worth slightly (about 3%) less than
patacas, but the hotels, casinos, restaurants, and shops in
Macau ignore that 3% and just treat Hong Kong dollars as having
equal value to patacas. If you’re planning to spend part of your
trip in Hong Kong, you might as well get all your foreign
currency in Hong Kong dollars. Patacas are not accepted in Hong
Kong, but Hong Kong dollars are accepted in Macau. If you’re
planning to spend your entire time in Macau, you can use either
form of currency. The abbreviation for Hong Kong dollar is HK$.

Hotels generally list their rates in HK$, while most other
places tend to use MOP$.

Gambling in Macau

If you’re going to Macau, the chances are you’re planning to
do some gambling. Asian cultures, China especially, love
gambling. As a result, much of the traffic in Macau casinos
hails from Taiwan and Hong Kong. Casino games are far and away
the most popular form of gambling, with poker some way behind.

Casino Games

You’ll have over 30 different casinos to choose from, but
probably about half of them are owned by foreign investors. So
even though some of the sights and sounds of Macau are going to
seem exotic, many of the casinos will seem strangely familiar.
Like Las Vegas, you can find luxury casinos or more low-rent
gambling halls, but all of them have unusual rules for gamblers
from the West. We’ll list some of the most notable casinos later,
and also explain all about the games available.

Poker

Texas Holdem is available at some casinos in Macau, but not
all of them. The action is loose and aggressive, with most
players staying in for the flop on almost every hand. This
changes the texture of the game dramatically. If you can adjust
to this difference, you can probably profit from the holdem
action in Macau.

Major Casinos in Macau

As we’ve already mentioned, there are over 30 casinos in
Macau. The following are some of most notable ones.

The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel on Cotai

is one of the largest casinos in the world, with 546,000 square feet of floor space
and over 3,400 slot machines. They also feature over 800 table games.

City of Dreams

is another must-see, with over 1,000 hungry tigers and over 370 table games.

The MGM Grand Macau

is similar in size to City of Dreams.

The Wynn Macau

is a popular casino, but it’s also a legitimate tourist attraction
because of the “dancing fountains” in the casino’s Performance Lake.

Grand Lisboa

is notable for being the first casino in Macau to offer Texas hold’em.

Please note that you’re not allowed to take photographs in
Macau casinos. This is a common enough rule in casinos even in
the United States, although it’s not as rigorously enforced in
many destinations.

Casino Games in Macau

Most of the traditional casino games you’re used to in Las
Vegas and Atlantic City are available here, including baccarat,
blackjack, roulette, and hungry tigers—or, as we call them, slot
machines. Fan tan and sic bo are also more popular there than
they are here. Here is some information you should know about
some of the more commonly played games.

Best Casino In Macau

Blackjack

The blackjack games in Macau are some of the best in the
world. If you use perfect basic strategy, you’ll face (at most
casinos) a house edge of only 0.16%. This makes blackjack in
Macau one of the best casino games in the world. In fact, unless
the MGM has changed its rules, you can play against a tiny house
edge of 0.09% there.

Some of the favorable rules offered at most Macau casinos
include:

• Players can double on any two cards
• Players can double after splitting
• Players can split up to four hands—with the exception of
  aces, which can only be split once
• Players can take early surrender unless the dealer has
  an ace

Some casinos offer more favorable rules than others. For
example, the MGM and the Wynn allow players to re-split aces,
which give the player an additional 0.08%. Most casinos uses six
decks, but you can find casinos which only use five decks. This
only adds 0.01% to the players’ expectation, but every hundredth
of a percentage counts.

Some casinos offer less favorable rules, too. For example,
the Galaxy casinos only allow the player to split up to three
hands.

Baccarat

Baccarat is the most popular gambling game in Macau casinos.
It’s played by the same rules you’ll see in other casino
destinations. Over half of the table games in a Macau casino are
devoted to baccarat, and almost 90% of the casino’s revenue
comes from the game. Compare baccarat’s popularity to the
popularity of slot machines in the United States, which account
for 60% to 70% of the casinos’ revenue. That should give you an
idea of just how popular baccarat is in Macau.

3 Card Baccarat is an unusual variation of the game, possibly
unique to Macau. It uses one standard deck of playing cards.
Face cards are 0 points, while all of the other cards are worth
their ranking in points. The player and the dealer both get
three cards.

The best hand possible is three face cards. If no one has
that hand, the hands are scored just like they would be in a
traditional baccarat game. The player with the most points is
the winner. In the event of a tie, the face cards act as tie
breakers; the hand with more face cards wins. If the player and
the dealer tie AND have the same number of face cards, then the
hand is a push.

You also have more bets to choose from in this version of the
game. You can take the player bet, which wins if the player hand
beats the dealer hand. This bet pays out at 1 to 1, but there is
a 5% commission. The house edge on the player bet is 2.41%. The
player wins 48.11% of the time.

You can also place a bet on what the dealer’s total will be.
You can bet on any of the ten possible scores a dealer might
wind up with, 0 through 9. All of these bets pay out at 8 to 1,
although the house edge varies dramatically based on which total
you bet on. The following chart shows the house edge for each
dealer total bet:

Obviously, the only dealer total bet worth making in 3 Card
Baccarat is on a dealer total of 0, but even that has a higher
house edge than a bet on the player.

You can also bet that there will be a tie. This bet pays out
20 to 1, but a tie is less likely in this version of baccarat
than usual–both the dealer and the player must not only have
the same number of points, but also must have the same number of
face cards in their hands. The house edge on this bet is
atrocious at 20.8%.

But believe it or not, that’s not the worst bet in 3 Card
Baccarat. That distinction belongs to the “Three Faces” bet.
This one pays out at 16 to 1, but your chance of winning is only
1 in 100. This bet has the highest house edge of any casino game
bet we’ve ever seen: 83.08%.

Big Six is unusual in United States casinos nowadays, but
it’s still common in Macau. It looks a little different there,
though.

In the USA, the wheel is labeled with denominations of
currency, but in Macau, they use colored numbers instead. You
can choose from any of the following 7 colors, with the
following payouts:

• Orange – even odds
• Purple – 3 to 1
• Green – 5 to 1
• Blue – 10 to 1
• Yellow – 20 to 1
• Either of the Logos – 45 to 1

The house edge on this game is ridiculously high. On the
orange, purple, and green bets, you face a house edge of 7.69%.
Blue has a house edge of 15.38%. Yellow has a 19.23% house edge,
and each logo has a house edge of 11.54%–you have to choose
which logo you’re betting on.

Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker is more widely played in Macau than it
is in Vegas. It’s not going to replace baccarat there anytime
soon, but it’s still very popular. Game play varies little from
the United States, although some of the payouts differ. You
should check out the pay tables before you start playing, to
make sure you know what to expect.

Fan Tan

Fan Tan is a casino game only available at the larger
casinos. It’s played on a large table with white buttons. The
dealer also uses a cup and a wand as props. Almost sounds like a
magic trick, doesn’t it?

The game starts with the dealer putting a bunch of buttons
under a cup. The players then place bets on how many buttons are
under the cup. The buttons are counted off into groups of four,
and then the bets are paid off based on the numbers 1 through 4.
The game pays out at true odds, but the casino takes a 5%
commission.

Multiple betting options are available, each of which has an
exotic name. These are as follows.

• A Fan is the basic single number bet. It pays out at 3
  to 1. The house edge on the Fan bet is 3.75%.
• A Nim bet is a bet on two numbers, but one of those
  numbers has to be considered a “push”. The winning number
  pays 2 to 1. The house edge on this bet is 2.5%.
• A Kwok is a bet on two numbers, but with this bet, you
  don’t have to choose a number as a push. This pays out at
  even odds, and the house edge is 2.5%.
• Nga Tan is a bet on three numbers. Again, you have to
  choose one as a push. This pays out at 1 to 2, and the house
  edge is 1.25%.
• The She-Sam-Hong is to the Nga Tan what the Kwok is to
  the Nim. (I never thought I’d ever write anything like that
  sentence in my life.) You bet on three numbers, but you
  don’t have to choose one as a push. This pays out at 1 to 3,
  and the house edge is 1.25%.

Don’t forget that a 5% commission is taken out of your
winnings. That’s not reflected in the payouts above, although
the house edges listed do.

Pai Gow

Pai Gow is harder to find in Macau than you would expect.
We’ve seen at least one report online that indicated it was
harder to find in most Macau casinos than it is in Las Vegas.
The rules of etiquette for Macau Pai Gow are intense, too.

It’s played standing up around a table. Players get hands
made up of what look like dominoes, which they then have to set.
But the unusual thing about the game etiquette is that you’re
not allowed to look at your tiles. You have to feel the number
of pips on each tile by using your fingers. Also, you have to
pick up your tiles one at a time.

Keno

Keno might or might not still be available in Macau. The most
recent reference we could find to the game in Macau on the
Internet was dated 2012, and it said that keno was only
available in one casino, the Lisboa. It’s played the same in
Macau as it is in Las Vegas, with 80 balls, 20 of which are
drawn at random in each game.

Macau keno does offer an additional betting option –
High/Low/Middle. With this you’re basically betting on whether
the balls will fall into one of those three categories.

• High: Majority of balls are between 41 and 80.
• Low: Majority of balls are between 1 and 40.
• Middle: 10 of the balls are high, and the other 10 balls
  are low.

Sic Bo

Sic Bo is a popular dice game in Macau casinos. It’s rarer in
casinos in the United States, although some casinos here have
it. The standard version of the game is found there, but Macau
also offers an unusual version of the game called Yee Hah Hi
(Fish Shrimp Crab). It uses multi-colored pictures on the sides
of the dice instead of pips.

The symbols used include the fish, shrimp, goard, coin, crab,
and rooster. The colors used include red, green, and blue. All
of the usual Sic Bo bets are available at the Yee Hah Hi tables,
but you’ll also find three additional bets based on the colors.
You can bet on whether or not all the dice come up the same
color, two of the dice come up the same color, or if one of the
dice comes up as the color you choose.

Sic Bo can be a lot of fun, but the house edge is relatively
high. The best bets on the table (small/big or odd/even) offer a
house edge of 2.78%.

Other Games

Casino War is a simple game that most
Americans are familiar with. In Macau, it’s usually played with
six decks. It features the same options and house edge as the
American version of the game.

Craps is available in Macau, but it’s not
popular. It’s played almost exactly the same in Macau as in the
United States. In fact, the dealers even call the game in
English.

Fortune Three Card Poker is just another
name for Three Card Poker. It’s more popular in the USA than
Macau, but it’s easy to find at most larger casinos there.

Mah Jong Pai Gow isn’t a common game
anywhere– not even in Macau–but you can still find it in some
of the older casinos there. It’s played with Mah Jong tiles. The
dealer doesn’t play, but she does take a 5% commission from all
the winners.

Mah Jong Pai gow is similar to baccarat. Players bet on the
banker or the player. The house edge is 1.25% for the banker bet
and 3.75% for the player bet.

Roulette is readily available in most Macau
casinos, and they only offer single zero roulette, which makes
the game a better deal than it is at most U.S. casinos. The
house edge on Macau roulette is 2.70%.

Slot machines can be found in Macau casinos,
but they’re not popular there like they are in the United
States. In fact, slot machine revenue in Macau casinos is less
than 1% of their total gambling revenue. That represents a
tremendous cultural difference.

Slot machines in Macau are called, aptly enough, “hungry
tigers”. Their payout percentages are lower than you’d normally
see in a Las Vegas or Atlantic City casino.

Video Poker is not popular in Macau, and you
have few choices of games. The following video poker games are
available:

• Bonus Poker
• Deuces Wild
• Double Bonus Poker
• Jacks or Better
• Joker Poker

You won’t generally find very good pay tables for these
games, either. 7/5 and 6/5 Jacks or Better are common. On the
other hand, progressive jackpot games, including video poker,
are more common in Macau than elsewhere. If you can find a video
poker game with a high enough progressive jackpot, the payout
percentage can go up significantly.

Summary

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Macau offers gamblers from the West an opportunity to see how
culturally different gambling can be in other countries. It’s
hard to imagine a casino, or a city of casinos, which only sees
less than 1% of its revenue from gaming machines. It’s also hard
to imagine the insane popularity of baccarat. It’s worth the
trip just to get a taste of this kind of gambling mayhem.

Before you go, you might want to take a look at the following
pages, where we provide more useful information on visiting
Macau

Recommended Hotels in Macau

There are plenty of places to stay in Macau, and we can help
you choose the right one for you. We’ve listed a range of the
best hotels in a variety of categories.

Macau Casino Directory

In this directory we have provided details on a number of
Macau casinos. It includes information on the gaming and other
facilities available at each venue.

Non-Gambling Activities in Macau

Macau is not just for gamblers, and there are some other
things to do and see. We’ve detailed some of the best
non-gambling activities on this page.

INTRODUCTION

The two tower Landmark Hotel opened up fourteen years ago in 1997, which is a lifetime in Macau. Its casino, Pharoah's Palace, is no spring chicken either, having began operation in 2003. The gaming industry in general doesn't treat older venues very well and in this case neither Landmark nor Pharoah's Palace have escaped its wrath. They're pretty far down the list now when one thinks of premium Macau properties.

Image gallery

LOCATION

Proceeding into Macau's downtown from the Ferry Terminal, Pharoah's Palace signals the beginning of the western part of the Amizade strip. The President is its closest neighbour on the right while Starworld is just across the street.

PHAROAH'S PALACE CASINO

Phoaroah's Palace has an excellent range of games given its size. I think it's a good example of what more Macau gaming houses should be. It's fine to have most of the tables be Baccarat, but at least offer a nice selection of games on the other tables. In too many Macau places it's Baccarat or bust, which gets very boring after awhile.

A lot smaller than I expected, the gaming at Pharoah's Palace is limited to a single, albeit fairly large room, located on the third floor. The casino resembles the inside of a pyramid, with the main point of attraction being the large statue of a Phaoroah King and Queen facing the entrance doors. Sitting nobly the royal pair tower above the casino floor, keeping watch over their kingdom of loyal gamers, looking slightly bemused at the sight of it all. Elsewhere the walls are brown and bricked, made to look intentionally old while five or six huge beams rise from the floor to the ceiling, apparently acting as the room's main supports. Colorful murals of Egyptians and their sacred animals adorn the walls as do rows of hieroglyphics. I think I saw some that said, 'Our mathmeticians had it worked out years ago man, always bet the dealer in Baccarat! Or you'll be deader than Tut!'

The casino has a roomy relaxed feel to it, with 65 tables neatly grouped according to game and adequately spaced. Minimums are uniformly low with no tables on the main floor exceeding $500 and many at $100. There's a slot section on the right hand side composed of 54 slot machines with limits ranging from 2¢ to $1. Another slot area to the left of the Phaorah King and Queen is currently closed for renovations so I couldn't get their numbers.

The Premium Club is the Pharoah Palace's high limit quarter with five $1,000 tables and one table at $2,000. The elevated roped off area under the Pharoah King and Queen is another haven for high rollers with three $1,000 tables.

A non smoking section of six Baccarat tables can be found beside the slot section. Minimums for these tables are all $100.

In and around Pharoah's Palace are two VIP Baccarat clubs and one Orbit slot machine lounge. I don't think they're affiliated with Pharoah's Palace but I'll include their information anyway.

Mingjun — seven-table VIP lounge. Inside is done up similarly to Pharoah's Palace. Tables go from $1000-$3000.

Club Elegance — nine-table VIP lounge. Minimums of $1,000/$2,000/$5,000/$10,000. Also has a bar and a small three-table net lounge. Inside is better looking than Mingjun's.

Orbit Slot Lounge — About 160 slots with machines ranging from 5¢ to $5. Electronic Roulette, Sic Bo and Baccarat are available for $5, $10, and $30. Also has a interesting looking large screen animated horse race game called Royal Grand Prix Derby.

PHAROAH'S PALACE GAMES

A nice selection of games is available at Pharoah's Palace.

Unless otherwise stated, normal Macau rules and payouts apply to all games.

• 3 Card Baccarat — $50 minimum bet.
• Baccarat
• Commission Free Baccarat — Players don't pay the 5% commission in exchange for only getting paid 50% on a won 6 dealer bet.
• Blackjack — Plays by old Lisboa rules, which makes it the best Blackjack game in town. Cards are also dealt face down and players can touch their cards. If they're playing two hands though, they can't touch both hands, only one.
• Caribbean Stud Poker — Cheap 50-1 payout on the royal flush. Side bet is only $20. When I was there the jackpot was an embarrassingly low $800000. Shouldn't it start at a million at least? Minimum bet is $50.
• Roulette — $20 minimum bet.
• Sic Bo — 5 different bets available.
• Slots — Around 54 in total. Limits from 2¢ to $1.

PROMOTIONS

Player Card — The Pharoah's Palace player card is a glorified shopping card only good for 10% discounts in Macau restaurants and shops. There's no way to accumulate points on it through gaming, nor is it related to casino promotions in any way. It's still important to have however because you can't get into the casino without it.

VIP Card — Staff told me there is a Pharoah's Palace VIP card but one has to gamble for two hours first at $5,000 per hand to be eligible for it. Getting information about what happens after you have the VIP card was like pulling teeth. I do know that card holders are eligible for free rooms at the Landmark as well as food vouchers and massage coupons. But I don't know how much they have to bet, or for how long, to score those comps.

HOTEL

Landmark is a large two tower hotel complex with guest rooms in both wings found between floors 7 and 22. Floors 19 to 22 in the West Wing are classified as Noble Club Floors. Guests staying there enjoy priority check in as well as use of the Noble Club Lounge, which includes complimentary food and drink perks. All told the hotel has 451 rooms and suites.

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Room rates in the winter season are as follows:

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As you can see, it's very affordably priced for being such a large place. Rates fall right in between budget places like the Fortuna and President ($650 Sun-Thu) and more expensive nearby mega properties like the Grand Lisboa and Starworld ($1700+ Sun-Thu).

POOL

Landmark's pool is located is the fifth floor Recreation Area. Although not very large, the pool is indoor and heated, so it's open all year round. The deck area is swank and styling, with a good color scheme and smart design. The plants on the side are a nice touch too.

RESTAURANTS

The Landmark Hotel, with its West and East towers, is a bit of a pain to get around in. Finding these restaurants wasn't easy, as I was constantly going from tower to tower. It didn't help either that some elevators went to some floors while others did not. At least two or three times I could say I was legitimately lost.

Landmark's four restaurants have a good mix of Western and Eastern dining. Prices are pretty standard in the two eateries on Level one, but their two compatriots on the higher floors will have you reaching for your wallet.

Varanda — Varanda does Portuguese and Macaunese fare on the western side of Level one. Snack, sandwich and soup dishes are all $50 to $80 while main course meals are over $100. Hours are from 7 am to 1 am.

Royal Orchid Chinese Restaurant — Located in the eastern part of Level one, Royal Orchid Chinese Restaurant serves Shanghai style food. Seafood is expensive but most meat and vegetable dishes settle into the $68 to $78 range. Simply decorated, its menu is huge. Hours from 11 am to 3 pm, and 6 pm to 11 pm.

King of Kings Restaurant — King of Kings is right outside the Pharoah's Palace casino on Level 3. Small small place it has a wide variety of different styled cuisine with meals done in Shanghai, Cantonese, Chaozhou, and Western style.

Kiwato Japanese Restaurant, which used to be on the first floor, know operates out of King of Kings, so that's why half the menu is Japanese. Most meals on both menus go from $88 to $128.

Petrus Restaurant — Serving Cantonese fare, Petrus breaks the bank with set meals going for $638, $688, and $888. Main dishes meanwhile are $100 to $300. Located on the 5th floor.

Landmark Bakery — Located on the ground floor, Landmark Bakery serves sandwiches and sweets at very reasonable prices. Sandwiches are $16 while slices of cake only go for $12. I tried a doughnut for $6 that tasted like it was a day old, but had a better experience with the the $7 strawberry danish, which was fresh and fine.

HEALTH CLUB/SPA

The Landmark doesn't have any free spa amenities. Access to the 5th floor sauna, steam room, hot tub and jacuzzi require payment, even for hotel guests. The only facilities guests may use on the house are the pool and gym.

Landmark's gym is more than acceptable with a good selection of cardio equipment and heavy duty weight machines. The room is also three or four times larger than many other gyms found in Macau hotels. Getting a full workout there won't be a problem.

The gym is found in the 5th floor Recreation Area.

I should note that the Recreation Area also includes a putting green and a children's arcade, but neither are free. The putting green, which is way too flat, is $23 for 30 minutes while arcade games start at $2 per play. A Golf Simulator machine was broken and unavailable for use at the time of my visit.

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ENTERTAINMENT

For being called the Vegas of the East, entertainment in Macau is sorely lacking, and the Landmark is no exception. There's not a single venue anywhere in the building that has a stage, and we're talking about a 451 room hotel here.

BARS

Landmark has two bars for your drinking pleasure.

The Cave — Located in the basement, you can access The Cave through Landmark's lobby. Dark, cool and damp the bar is decorated just as its name suggests, like the inside of a cave. Beers start from $38 while cocktails are a little bit more expensive, going for $45 to $65. A fast food snack menu has about 15 different things with most priced between $58 and $64. Cuban cigars are also available for $178 to $328. Open from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.

Poolside Bar — Situated on the fifth floor, Poolside Bar is a bit of a misnomer. The only alcoholic thing on the menu is a Pinocoloda, going for $52. Other drinks offered are tea, coffee, and juice. If you're hungry, fast food bar fare like wings and fries is available for around $50. Also serves desserts like cake and ice cream. Business hours are from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m..

SHOPPING

Landmark has quite a large shopping arcade with luxury stores found on three floors in all. Patek Phillippe, Hugo Boss, Rado, Omega, Piaget, Franck Muller, and more peddle their high end watches, bags, shoes and clothes. I went into Hugo Boss and was blown away by the price of a simple sweater and jacket combo, with the price tag a whopping 20,000 patacas. Without the Hugo Boss label, I wonder if they could even get 2,000 for it?

SUMMARY

Despite its age Landmark is clearly one of the better deals in town. Its shopping selection and restaurant choices are both excellent, while the pool and gym facilities outshine many found in more expensive hotels. (Think Starworld, Grand Emperor or L'Arc) The only point of criticism is in the lack of free spa facilities, but for $1,200 a night Sunday to Thursday, you can't really complain too much.

Pharoah's Palace is a good little casino that's perfect for low limit gamers who don't play that often. There's good variety in the games while the blackjack rules are the best in Macau. More serious players or high junket rollers should look elsewhere though, because Pharoah's Palace is doing next to nothing in terms of comps or with their dead chip program. It's too bad, because if they took care of their players a little better, then they'd probably have more of them. That goes double for staff working the membership information desk. It's like no one told them that gambling is a service industry.

QUICK FACTS

• Landmark Hotel and Pharoah's Palace Casino
• 555 Avenida da Amizade, Macau
• Tel: (853) 2878 1781
• Fax: (853) 2878 6611
• E-mail: info 'at' landmarkhotel.com.mo
• Website: www.landmarkhotel.com.mo
• No of Rooms: 451
• No of Tables: 65
• No of Slots: 54

Link to the official Landmark web site.

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