March was my month of many short trips with hops to nearby towns for leisure. And that included 3 separate brief stay in Macau all courtesy of Galaxy Macau. I drove on the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge for the first time, getting us from home to hotel in less than 2 hours with a more pleasant drive that I expected. I still do prefer the ferries as far as Macau transport option goes, but at least now we have a choice to go by "land" if we so choose.
Andaz Macau opened late last year, right around the same time as their other hotel property (Raffles) and their conference facilities (Galaxy Arena and Convention Center under the same roof as Andaz), and I stayed there for 2 nights. They put me in one of their standard rooms, which was spacious and comfortable with the open air view. I
had a great time at Andaz Singapore a few months ago and their Macau property followed the same style of casual chic with awesome amenities and facilities that well catered to frequent travelers.
My favorite was their bathroom with a soaking bathtub, plus their signature well-stocked mini-bar which came for free. The room was not perfect if you need to do some serious work – the only desk in the room was kinda small and barely fit my laptop – but it’s adequate.
I didn’t get a chance to check out their pool and gym the first time but managed to take a break from work to enjoy some of those in my second stay. The indoor swimming pool was small compared to the size of the hotel but perfect if you happened to go on a weekday when no one’s there – that’s what’s like when I was there. (Plus I believe they also have a much spacious pool facility shared by all other hotels in the Galaxy complex)
Andaz Kitchen is their only restaurant with all-day dining options. Breakfast was amazing with great selections of Chinese and Western dishes and I love that choice of mixed juices served in bottles and the freshly made Shanghainese pan-fried dumplings. During the day, Andre Lai, the local-born executive chef at the hotel, presented a mixed menu with standard dishes that one would find in every hotel coffee shops plus those steeped in Portuguese and Macanese traditions. The Polvo a Lagareiro, with tender pieces of octopus served with creamy mashed potatoes and tomato confit, and the Portuguese baked rice with duck and sausages were both great.
The Andaz Bar right outside the restaurant with a long bar counter and couch seating was great for chilling and chatting, and for trying out some of the creative cocktails with East-meets-West combination of ingredients.
The hotel was perfect if you happened to be there for concerts as Galaxy Arena is right downstairs so you could literally pop in and out in a snap. Yes I did have a wonderful time at the concert one evening.
The Galaxy complex in Cotai is also one of the closest to the famous old town of Taipa lined with restaurants, street food stalls and souvenir shops. It's only a quick 15 minute walk if you manage to find the right exit. That certainly is a plus especially on weekends as transportation in Macau on this side of town and during peak days could be a hassle.
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