In Macau, it’s difficult to create something over-the-top spectacular because each of the preceding properties has been so grand. So when Charles Lee, senior architect with the Gensler firm, was given the task, he turned to what may be the most spectacular city in the world: Paris.

Now, Paris has been the inspiration in several iterations, most notably at Paris Las Vegas, a Caesars Entertainment property. So Lee took it even higher, taking into consideration the other Macau properties under development at the time, including Studio City, Wynn Palace and MGM Cotai.

Lee’s design didn’t disappoint. He gathered a team of 50 people with a goal of creating a property respectful of its model and authentic down to the finest detail. From the dramatic centerpiece Eiffel Tower to the delicate floral designs and pastels borrowed from Les Jardins des Tuileries, guests truly get a sense of the City of Light as they walk through the doors.

The grand lobby is inspired by Palais Garnier, capped off by a massive dome in the rotunda evocative of the L’Hotel National des Invalides, one of the most exquisite domes in all France.
The pool deck was modeled after Marie Antoinette’s tower in Versailles, and the retail shops are recreations of the famous shopping boulevards of Paris. The porte cochère resembles the famous Paris train station Gare du Nord, and the rotunda’s elegant bronze and gilded Fontaine des Mers welcomes visitors with a dramatic vista.

But the Parisian Macao is no boutique hotel. With 3,000 rooms and suites, the facility features the finest elements of the best integrated resorts. It also features expanded meeting and convention area (conveniently located near the huge Venetian meeting space); a 1,200-seat theatre (currently featuring a Michael Jackson-themed show, Thriller Live); and more than a dozen restaurants. More than 170 unique shops can be found at the Parisian, including many famous French brands not available anywhere else in Asia.

And with connections to the rest of the Venetian complex, guests have access to more than 650 stores, 150 restaurants, four- and five-star hotels, two additional theaters and the 15,000-seat Cotai Arena.

With the Parisian, Sands China has once again raised the bar on expectations.

Owner: Sands China
Architect: Gensler USA
Rooms: 3,000
Investment: $2.5 billion