The day started with the journey from Hong Kong to Macau with the speed ferry. After the arrival in Macau we checked-in at the hotel where we had a short period of time to prepare us for the visit of the Galaxy hotel and casino. The Transfer from our hotel to the Galaxy was quite impressive as we started to notice that Macau is like the Vegas of Asia. As we were passing the bridge we started to see the Galaxy. There was no chance to miss the hotel as the complex was HUGE.
At the Galaxy we met Mr. Chan Chee Pong who is the Facility Manager of the Galaxy and we were just in time to see the diamond show at the entrance: The lights went off and loud music started to play as the big fountain started with the water choreography. All of a sudden, the chandelier came down and a big wall started to rise to cover the fountain. As the chandelier went up again and the wall started to disappear we saw the highlight of the show: The biggest diamond we have ever seen!
After the Diamond show we headed to the meeting room, where we enjoyed a good cup of coffee and some delicious snacks. The team of Mr. Chan Chee Pong presented us, what it takes to give the customers the best experience possible at the Galaxy. The Presentation started with the concept of the hotel. There are 5 world-class luxury hotels under one roof. After that they gave us insights of the table games, electronic games, facility management and surveillance. Some of the facts we heard were very interesting and sometimes also funny.
Next stop on our schedule was a tour through the different hotel concepts inside the Galaxy. Every hotel has its own design and they also smell differently. The highlight of visiting the different hotel was the Ritz Carlton at the 51 level. Every detail in this hotel was perfect and you could also smell that the rooms in the hotel have to be expensive! We had a breathtaking view over the whole complex and we enjoyed being there.
As we left the Ritz Carlton we had the opportunity to take a look inside a private villa inside the complex. It was a one-bedroom villa with a private pool (which is cooled down!), a private jacuzzi (42°) and a private massage room. In front of the villa is a small kitchen for the employees to prepare the food.
As we headed back to the hotel we passed several luxury shops inside the complex and Mr. Chan Chee Pong showed us one of a few cinemas. Now it was time for one of the most important things: Dinner. Mr. Chan Chee Pong invited us for dinner ant the food was delicious. Instead of choosing menus we were served different dishes. It was more like all you can eat. Some tales are telling, that this was the best food that we had at our trip in Asia.
For the brave (or dumb?) of us was it time to try our luck at the casinos. We started at the Galaxy but moved then to the Venetian hotel to check the casinos there. Surprise surprise: Most of us lost their money but there was one lucky guy to multiply his bet by five times! Congrats on that Mr. Bänninger!
Lastly, I want to say that it was a great pleasure for us to visit Macau and especially the Galaxy hotel. It was exciting to see what it takes to run such a huge complex and how their business model works. When I asked how many employees are working at the hotel the response was 16’000. Just imagine that: This is the population of a city in Switzerland! It was a short stop in Macau but maybe this is better for our bank accounts. Next stop is Hanoi in Vietnam.