Location
The Grand Lisboa Hotel
Macau, China
Dr Stanley Ho, Managing Director of Sociedade de Jogos de Macau recently hosted the official opening ceremony for the Grand Lisboa, SJM’s new flagship leisure and entertainment attraction.
The spacious, contemporary Chinese style Grand Lisboa Casino – located adjacent to SJM’s Casino Lisboa, with its 35 year heritage in Macau - is set to become a new top attraction for Macau visitors and residents alike with its bold, elegant architectural design and rich array of entertainment facilities.
Featuring nine floors of leisure adventures, the Grand Lisboa offers five floors of gaming with over 240 tables where guests can enjoy a variety of games including Baccarat, Caribbean Poker, Blackjack, and Macau’s unique Fan Tan. Furthermore, the venue will open with more than 480 slot machines located throughout the casino, and has SJM’s first virtual Sic Bo and Baccarat games. For guests looking for alternative pursuits, there is a live Sports Bar on the 2nd Floor, which offers the chance to bet on live sporting fixtures including football and horse racing, plus a stage with free live musical performances throughout the day.
Food lovers and wine connoisseurs can explore a wide variety of international cuisine to suit all tastes and budgets through any of the Grand Lisboa’s six restaurants. Most notably, Grand Lisboa’s Don Alfonso 1890, which offers not only fine Italian dining created by chef Alfonso Iaccarino, one of the highest ranking Michelin-starred chefs from Southern Italy, but it also boasts one of the best wine cellars in Asia, sharing its cellar with Casino Lisboa’s Robuchon a Galera, holder of Wine Spectators Grand Award for the last two consecutive years.
The interior décor was designed by Khuan Chew. The portfolio of Ms Chew includes Dubai’s world famous Burj Al Arab and the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. It combines an eclectic fusion of modern and traditional Chinese design to create a light and relaxing environment in the main gaming arena. It incorporates contemporary luxury reflected in the use of thousands of crystals adorning the ceiling throughout the venue, a fountain, the Urn, in the Grand Lisboa lobby which sparkles with 580,000 Swarovski crystals and gold plated leaves, and large decorative crystal balls. This complements the traditional opulence of the deep tread carpets and elegant soft furnishings. It also features a themed Treasure Trove section on the lower level gaming area with a range of slot machines as well as gaming tables.
The distinct and iconic architectural design for the Grand Lisboa was inspired by the lotus symbol of Macau combined with the flamboyancy of headdress plumes of Brazilian dancers and the exquisite intrigue of a Fabergé egg. At night, the base is a kaleidoscope of colours thanks to 1.2 million light emitting diodes (LEDs) on its surface.The Grand Lisboa is one of Macau’s tallest buildings with 52 storeys. In phase two, it will open a 430 room hotel.
“Grand Lisboa will offer our guests a truly memorable and unique experience. Stylistically, a daring and contemporary entertainment attraction, it remains true to our history and heritage within the Macau market, while reflecting the progressive direction of the organisation,” explained Dr Stanley Ho.
The Emirates Palace – Abu Dhabi
An enchanting landmark that's a wonder to behold for all who venture through its magnificent gates. You can breathe the air of luxury that fills every corner of this serene paradise and feel the promise of a majestic experience fit for a king and deserving of an emperor. The Palace boasts 302 Grand rooms and 92 magnificent suites each combining the ultimate in luxury with state of the art technology.
Each of the exceptional rooms and suites provide guests with uncompromising indulgence. These include 302 Grand rooms, 40 splendid Khaleej & Khaleej Deluxe suites, 4 Royal Khaleej suites, 16 three-bedroom Palace suites divisible into a total of 48 one-bedroom individual suites.
The Grand rooms, Khaleej & Khaleej Deluxe Suites & Royal Khaleej Suites are divided equally within the East & West Wings. Both Wings enjoy their respective Reception area, Beach Access, Swimming Pool, & Fitness Center.
The exclusive Palace suites are located in the centre of the Palace section itself and therefore provide the guest with ideal location whether for business / leisure requirements.
Inside every room & suite, the decor is a masterful blend of Arabian regal splendor and the latest technology. Decoration includes acres of gold leaf and the finest marble. The guest is given command of all room & suite appliances including lights, air conditioning & in room entertainment systems via a touch screen hand held control.
Palace Conference Centre is the most luxurious and technologically advanced meeting facility in the region. The conference facilities include an Auditorium & Ballroom accommodating 1100/2400 guests respectively and an extensive range of over 40 meeting rooms including a Media Centre and Business Centre.
In addition, six large terraces and a variety of pre-function areas provide many possibilities for breaks, cocktail receptions and banquets. Set on 85 hectares of beautifully landscaped gardens with several open lawns, Emirates Palace offers spectacular outdoor venues for gala dinners and events.
Exedra Hotel Boscolo – Roma
In the most beautiful cities of Italy and Europe, there are a few extraordinary places in which timeless elegance, sophisticated style and Old World courtesy are vibrantly alive. These lasting concepts are also accompanied by a deep respect for another very precious aspect: your valuable time.
You'll find all these things and more by visiting Boscolo Hotels OfficialWebsite.
Discover Boscolo Hotels, the superb line of magnificent five-star luxury hotels, and B4 Hotels, the elegant line of fine four-star hotels with excellent service and true comfort.
The building in which it is housed was built in the 19th century by Gaetano Koch, as part of the urban renovation project providing for the creation of the semi-circular piazza dell'Esedra (which today is called Piazza della Repubblica). Two identical buildings in the Neoclassical style were erected, as a backdrop to the square, one housing government departments and the other now housing the hotel.
The latter building, however, has a much older history, rooted in Imperial Rome: important remains of the Baths of Diocletian (298-305 A.D.), in fact, can still be viewed in the basement floor (-1) of the hotel, between the Business Centre and the Meeting Rooms. The hotel itself has aptly been named for the huge "exedra" that was a characteristic feature of the Roman baths and which is mirrored in the present-day layout of the square.
From the hotel windows facing the square, and the marvellous hotel terrace on the top floor, our guests can enjoy a superb view of the square itself and of the church of Maria Regina degli Angeli, Mary Queen of Angels, the interior of which was designed by Michelangelo, under a commission from Pope Pius IV, in 1561.
The Boscolo Hotel Exedra also preserves the so-called "Clementine Wing", resulting from the refurbishment, in the 16th century, of the bath's "calidarium", which was transformed into public grain warehouses. Today, these premises, which are a part of the hotel, still feature their original accurately restored wood beamed ceiling.
Staying at the Boscolo Exedra is an opportunity also to admire an important contemporary artwork, the majestic preparatory cartoon depicting the personification of Geography by Mario Sironi (1885-1961), featuring an upright seated woman, almost as if on a throne, with a globe at her feet dominating the picture.
Boscolo Hotel Exedra opened in 2003, following the extraordinary refurbishment and renovation project involving the architect Maurizio Papiri and the designer Adam D. Tihany. Thanks to the Boscolo Group, Piazza della Repubblica and the surrounding areas have also benefited from this major urban regeneration, which has greatly enhanced the appeal and attraction of this part of the city.
Murano Restaurant – London
In late Summer 2008, Angela Hartnett unveiled an exciting new project, Murano.
Combining contemporary elegance and exquisite cuisine, Murano opened on Thursday 21st August 2008 in the heart of Mayfair, 20-22 Queen Street, London W1J 5PR.
The dining room and bar, designed by Richmond International, sets the mood of sophistication and chic glamour. Murano’s classically tailored interior features a number of painted fresco panels which act as a backdrop to the traditional blown glasswork light fittings, specially commissioned as sculpted chandeliers for the restaurant. The colour palate of the restaurant is charcoal grey, cream pearl, pastel celadon with hints of electric cobalt blue.
As well as the intimate forty person capacity dining room, Murano also offers a raised private dining area allowing guests to enjoy a direct view into the working kitchen. No doubt the most coveted table in the restaurant it seats up to ten guests who can witness the drama of service and the theatre of the kitchen.
Angela, alongside head chef Diego Cardoso, has created a menu with a strong Italian accent, reflecting her family roots. A la Carte dishes include Braised beef cheek agnolotti and langoustine and shrimp risotto. A set lunch and tasting menu are also available.