Andaz Macau, the first Andaz hotel in Macau and the largest globally, welcomed its first guests last month. The 715-key hotel, with direct connection to the new Galaxy International Convention Centre and the 16,000-seat Galaxy Theatre complex, is a luxurious sanctuary where Portuguese allure, Chinese craftsmanship, and maritime mystique converge. Yet unlike many traditional hotels in Macau that boast colourful and ornate interiors, antique-inspired furniture, exaggerated patterns, and showy water fountains, Andaz Macau is anything but.

The hotel opts for an understated luxury aesthetic, weaving a captivating tale of a local art collector’s sanctuary envisioned by EDG Design. Known for its creative expertise with boutique brands, the award-winning strategy, branding, and interior design firm took charge of designing the entire hotel, including public spaces, food and beverage outlets, guestrooms and suites, the gym and pool, and a fully functioning co-working studio with private offices and executive boardrooms.

Intricate details and a vibrant kaleidoscope of colours are tastefully employed throughout the interiors. These are complemented by a carefully curated collection of artifacts, paintings, commissioned installations, and bespoke objets d’art. This design narrative is a nod to Macau’s rich colonial history and influences.

To ensure design continuity, hand-tufted carpet and embossed panels featuring oversized Portuguese motifs adorn the vast Andaz Lounge on the sixth floor. Graceful arcs of matted brass fins mimic the strokes of a masterful brush, defining each zone with modern finesse and elegance. Additionally, custom-designed feature walls are a mesmerising canvas of patterned leathers and fabrics, bedecked with precious stones and mother-of-pearl inlay.

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In order to create this expansive lounge, EDG Design connected a series of rooms, transforming them into a living art gallery. Each corner reveals moments of astonishment, delight, and interaction, reminiscent of strolling through a captivating art exhibition.

Yet the piece-de-resistance of Andaz Macau is the ‘Macau Steps’, a multi-sensory staircase that showcases over a hundred videos that narrate the history of the city. The staircase is flanked by towering three-storey shelving with the surrounding space intentionally left open to facilitate overflow of guests for the adjacent Andaz Bar and Lounge. This approach also created a larger-than-life space, inviting guests to savour moments of wonder at every turn.

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Andaz Kitchen, the hotel’s culinary jewel, provides a sensory feast with live cooking stations nestled in marble-covered Portuguese azulejo tiles. Flexible buffet counters gracefully convert into dining tables during a la carte service. The vibrant colour palette, featuring aquamarine blue, sunset orange, and canary yellow, pays homage to Macau’s maritime heritage and the preferred hues of local churches. An extended section known as Andaz Studio offers a ‘room within a room’ experience catered for private dining, events, and parties that can host up to 80 guests.

At Andaz Macau, the guest rooms are categorised into three types: Standard, Junior Suite, and Two-Bay Suite. These open-plan spaces are adorned with marble-topped dining tables, sumptuous leather armchairs, and upholstered sofas. Custom-designed light fixtures and stitched leather headboards and nightstands add an extra layer of indulgence and character. The bathrooms offer an oasis of space and light, with white marble counters and floors, matte black fixtures, sculptural freestanding bathtubs, and smart glass panels that provide high-tech privacy.

Images courtesy of EDG Design

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