After a few days of visiting Hong Kong, nothing better than to spend some time in Macau. Only 45 minutes by ferry from Hong Kong, Macau is easily accessible. The ferries offer two stops, either at Taipa, where The Ritz-Carlton Macau hotel is located or at the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, where it is possible to visit the historic city which is really worth seeing.

Formerly a Portuguese territory until 1999, Macau is now a Chinese special administrative region. However, the heritage of the Portuguese culture is still very present in the architecture of the buildings and monuments of the old city.

The Ritz-Carlton Macau is located in the “Galaxy Macau” resort at the top of the Cotai Strip. An Asian version of Las Vegas!

For this reservation, the price in dollars is more attractive than in Marriott Bonvoy points. As the hotel is a category 6, the rate is between 40,000 and 60,000 points per night, depending on the season.

The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points to stay for free at over 7,000 hotels worldwide is to be a Marriott Bonvoy American Express (and/or Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express^MD Card) cardholder.

In addition to the great welcome bonus on both cards, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on all purchases and 5 points per dollar at Marriott locations.

And each year, you’ll earn a free hotel night certificate (35,000 point value) as well as 15 Elite nights towards your Marriott Bonvoy status.

Alternatively, you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points with American Express Membership Rewards credit cards. You can transfer Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points at a rate of 5:6 (50,000 Membership Rewards points = 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points).

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We arrived by cab from the old town of Macau. It takes an average of 20 minutes to reach The Ritz-Carlton Macau.

The staff took care of us at our arrival. The number plate of the cab was documented, in case we had a problem such as forgetting a personal item. The hotel lobby is beautiful, made entirely of sumptuous marble.

The reception is on the 51st floor and looks more like a lounge. The formalities were very quick, and the receptionist reminded us of all the benefits we were entitled to, including a transportation service. We were able to take advantage of this to go to the show The House of Dancing Water that we had booked.

We choose to stay at a Premier suite with access to the club. Please note that this Ritz-Carlton has only suites.

The suites are located between the 32nd and 52nd floors and deliver a view on the Galaxy complex. The suite measures 82 square meters and is very well maintained. It is divided into three areas: a large lounge, a bedroom area and a bathroom area, as large as the lounge.

We were welcomed with balloons and a birthday cake. We had slipped a note at the time of the reservation that we were celebrating an anniversary.

The suite is tastefully decorated with high-quality furniture.

The bathroom is made of marble and beautiful mosaics. It is equipped with two sinks, a shower and a whirlpool bath that we greatly appreciated after a long day of walking!

The suite has two toilets, one in the bathroom and a second one at the entrance. The toilets are high-tech, with a heating option!

Like most luxury hotels, when we returned to the room, we had slippers at the foot of the bed and the bed opening.

The arrival to the Club is done by a dedicated elevator. There is always someone to greet you on arrival and departure. The Club is not very big, and the atmosphere is very intimate.

The Club offers breakfast, hors d’oeuvres, afternoon tea and desserts. As we had access to the Club, we did not have to go to a restaurant. There is a wide variety of salads and dishes cooked to order by a chef.

The service was impeccable and personalized, and although the Club was like a buffet service, there was still a team of waiters on hand to assist and serve cocktails.

In fact, on our previous visit to the lounge, we ordered cocktails (which were delicious), and when we returned, the waiter asked if we wanted the same.
The little bonus of the Club is the Veuve Clicquot champagne at will!

We used the concierge service to book our tickets back to Hong Kong by ferry. To do this, the hotel charged us 10% of the total cost of the tickets as a service fee. It was very convenient because we didn’t have to go anywhere; someone picked up the tickets for us.

We enjoyed the pool on our last day, and even more because we were alone. There are two large pools with one for swimming laps and a whirlpool.

Like the bathroom, the pool is made of a beautiful blue and gold mosaic. The pool staff was at our service and anticipated all our needs: water bottle, installation of towels on the deckchairs and sunscreen available.

The locker room is equipped with a useful device for wringing out your swimsuit.

If you make purchases in the bars and restaurants of your hotel, do not forget to charge these expenses to your room bill. So you’ll earn up to 17.5 points per dollar based on your Marriott Bonvoy status!

And when you check out, pay with your Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card to earn 5 points per dollar!

My stay at The Ritz-Carlton Macau was unforgettable. The hotel is very well maintained, close to the attractions, and we received professional service. I would definitely go back on a future trip.