Macao’s iconic Hotel Central will reopen its doors for trial operation on 1 May after undergoing roughly five years of renovation.
Located on Macao’s main thoroughfare, the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (commonly known as San Ma Lo), the hotel was originally built in 1928 and was once the tallest and most opulent building in the city.
However, with the loss of its casino concession and the emergence of more modern competitors during the 1960s and 1970s, the structure fell into disrepair until it was purchased by Simon Sio, the chairman of Lek Hang Group, in 2016. To date, he has invested more than HK$2 billion. The 65-year-old proceeded to restore the hotel to its former glory, with construction launching towards the end of 2019.
The newly renovated hotel consists of 114 rooms, which are housed between its 5th and 10th floor. Rooms on the 5th and 6th floor have a 1920s theme, while those situated on the 7th and 8th floor have a 1930s design. The look of the accommodation on the 9th and 10th floor, meanwhile, will incorporate elements from the 1940s.
[See more: The newly revamped Hotel Central has won a design accolade]
In terms of dining, the hotel features an updated version of the original Cantonese-style Palace Restaurant, which has been reimagined as a smart eatery that serves classic international dishes.
The 11th-floor rooftop will also be open to the public, with a sweeping view of Macao’s historic centre.
Rooms cost between 888 patacas to 2,790 patacas per night. As part of its soft opening, the hotel is offering a promotional package from 30 April to 30 June, with two nights on offer for 1,576 patacas, including breakfast and mini-bar consumption.
Sio meanwhile hopes the hotel will become a place for visitors to learn more about the history of the area and intends to set up an exhibition space on the ground floor with displays about the area’s past.
