Venetian Free Shuttle Bus.

From Sands Hotel and Casino, I took advantage of the free shuttle bus Venetian Macau Hotel where I can leave my backpack at West Lobby Wing of the Hotel. West Lobby is where the shuttle bus will alight and pick up passengers and aside from that, here you can find the shuttle terminal for other hotel free shuttle’s like the Galaxy Shuttle and City of Dreams Shuttle.

Getting to Venetian Macau is simple-you can either take the free shuttle from the Airport, Macau Ferry Terminal or from the Gongbei Border. The place is best to explore whether day or night but expect to do alot of walking here as the place is HUGE.

The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel has become one of the biggest landmarks for gamblers throughout Asia. Controlled by Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands (LVS), the Venetian was the first giant casino to open on Macao’s Cotai Strip, an area of reclaimed land offshore from downtown Macao.

It took us less than 30 minutes to reach Venetian Macau from Sands Hotel and Casino. I rushed to the baggage counter in West Lobby so I can move around freely. The baggage attendant is a Filipino so I didn’t encounter any problem when I left my bag. I just handed it to him and asked if I am a hotel guest and he handed over a baggage claim tag that I have to present later. This is just 1 thing I loved about Venetian-they allow anyone to leave their baggage even though you are not a guest.It’s an answered prayer for backpackers who just aimed to explore Macau on a day trip. Anyways, So after getting my claim tag I started roaming around the grandeur Hotel. I have to admit that this is my first time to sneak inside a Hotel Casino as I am non a fan of gambling and anything that is of waste of money. I know that is a Venice inspired Hotel and Casino but apart from that I really don’t know what to do here and what to expect since I don’t gamble.

Venetian Hotel Front View

The Venetian is classy & impressive from the moment you see the grand building structure from the main road, it sits there prouder than all the other buildings.

The Hotel is Surrounded by a Man Made Lake.

This Venetian Macau resembles the Venice watercity in Italy,

Nowhere else in Asia will you find the finest in luxury suites, world-class shopping, sensational entertainment and irresistible dining- all under one roof. It has become a certified attraction drawer in Macau from that it became open to the public-inside the hotel you will mostly find Rich Chinese Mainlander’s and some Asian’s.

Venetian Hotel Lobby Entrance

The Venetian Macao is the largest building in Asia and fifth-largest building in the world by area at 10.5 million square feet (980,000 square meters). Officially opening on August 28, 2007.

 The Venetian combines hotel, gambling, retail, exhibition, conference, sports and theatrical facilities. create an integrated resort experience for visitors. The main leisure area also houses multiple swimming pools, Jacuzzis, a luxurious spa and the fitness center.

PACQUIAO AND RIOS POSTER

There were several posters of Pacquiao and Rios the time I went there-since the fight will be held in this Majestic Hotel for 1st time in history. Tickets though are a bit pricey but for boxing enthusiast this will be worth every penny. I came to Venetian around 1st week of October which 1 month away from the Live Fight.

The 1st hour in Venetian, I was just taking my time and walked slowly to fully adapt the Venice feel. The sight is just mesmerizing…and one of its kind. I feel like i was teleported in Europe with all the intricate European inspired design evident in all corners of the hotel.”Napa nga-nga lang talaga ako sa ganda ng hotel na eto”

In One of the Hotel Hallway

My feet dragged me to this quiet hallway and I just can’t help but be amazed. I wish someday I can have the luxury to stay here even for 1 night and I think it would be an awesome experience. I am allergic to staying on Hotel but for this one I think I’m gonna need to pass on sleeping in bunk bed in guesthouse just for 1 night. These are the times when I wish I was born with the silver spoon on my mouth.

Apart from the Casino, the Venetian Hotel also offers hotel accommodation to gamblers from around the world.These rooms come in a variety of different price ranges so there is something for all visitors.

With 3,000 rooms available, each suite is split-level and at least 750 square feet or larger (70 square meters). Larger units approach 2,000 square feet in size and feature gold leaf and Italian marble in the bathrooms. No information was available on the Presidential and luxury suites but one can only assume them to be quite lavish.

Oh My God…

In Venetian Macau there are two main areas—the tourist area and the casino area. In the tourist area, there are the Venetian styled buildings, canals and plaza. The most amazing thing is that all of these are on the third floor. The Grand Canal Shoppes is also on the third floor and is the largest indoor shopping mall in Macau with an area of 22 acres and with more than 350 stores. They are all internationally renowned names with clothes, jewelry, accessories and other goods. The famous brands and the duty-free advantage combine to give all the best shopping experience.

Indoor Shopping Mall Inside Venetian Hotel.

There are over 350 brand name retail stores at the Grand Canal Shoppes taking up 1.6 million square feet of retail space. If you still can’t get enough of the shopping experience in Hong Kong and your credit card has still huge limit then you’d go GAGA checking out each stalls. There is a HUGE array of shops to choose from for Shopaholics but just make sure you bring enough money for purchases as the price tags are really expensive although there were few stalls selling  bargain items. Too bad.. cause I didn’t go inside any of stalls as I didn’t really come here for shopping experience but it was really tempting.

Another Angle from the Inside.

 Shops open till about 10pm, making it a good stop before hitting the tables. This place is just amazing. Imagine, Venice inside a building!

The painted sky that hangs over the Venetian Macao’s canals is truly breathtaking and many visitors are surprised that it’s not actually real.

It never gets dark inside.

There is approximately 1 million square feet of retail and dining areas in the Grand Canal Shoppes, strategically positioned along streetscapes reminiscent of historical Venice. The convention centre and meeting room complex occupy some 1.2 million square feet, while the 15,000-seat CotaiArena hosts a wide range of entertainment and sporting events.

Nasa Italy na ba ako??

Even though it was indoors, the color of the ‘sky’ changed as night drew near. I wonder, if it rains outside, if they also show a rainy ‘sky’ inside?

An Alley of Branded Shops.

The man-made blue sky can produce sunrise and sunset effects under the control of a computer. So it somehow kinda hard to figure out if it is day or night if you are inside the Venetian Hotel not unless you step out of the hotel premises.

Feeling ko anytime dudungaw si Juliet.

The cloudy sky ceilings appears to move when you also move and start walking. Inside the Venetian Hotel are Venice themed romantic streets and canals.

Staircases Set Up Over The Canals.

Standing over one these staircases will give a great view of the man made canals and the gondola boats passing by. The Venetian canal district comes complete with gondolas, gondoliers and canals with ceilings painted to photorealistic perfection to create an internal sky.

The Gondola Ride.

Though the gondola may have originated in Venice, Italy ,but you don’t have to wait for a trip to Europe to ride the traditional, flat-bottomed row boat. The Venetian Macau offers Italian gondolas with serenading gondoliers gliding through the San Loco, Marco Polo, or Grand Canals. The casino has 51 gondolas with serenading gondoliers that ply the waters of the Venetian’s three indoor canals and outdoor lagoon

The sweetest treat for your partner..

Tickets priced at 118 Macau Pataca (MOP) for adults and MOP 88 for kids are available at Boutique di Gondola (shop 2301) and Emporio di Gondola (shop 2660).

Daily Canal Opening Times

One of the Costumed Artist.

For non players there is a complete level3 wherein you can visit and can enjoy various shopping experience, gondola rides, a good ambiance etc. etc. For those who wish to see level3 live in action, start from St Marks square wherein there are shows every 2 hours, go around and you might see some costumed artists, some live band, a huge collection of shops offering almost any brand in the world.

Venice parin ba ako or Rome na…

The Venetian Macao is not only a hotel which offers luxury suites, but also comprises shopping, entertainment and dining.In every part of the hotel you will see alot of costumed performers very much willing to have your photo taken with them. Some of them will play some tricks or create a funny gestures to give smiles to those who are watching them. This guy wearing gladiator inspired costume is not a local but the costume looks good on him.

If you want to see an amazing and breathtaking performance, you can go downstairs to the first level. Here you can go to the ZAİA Theatre to enjoy the ZAİA Show as presented by the Cirque Du Soleil as a permanent show.

Food Court inside the Venetian Macau.

Need Some Energy Now..

It was definitely a distance to walk from one end to another. You’d probably need some roving scooters inside. After 2 hours of non stop walking and photo snaps, I had to take a break from brisk walking to eat some Portuguese delicacy in the food court. I can hear my stomach making sounds which means I needed to eat. I think I did 3 rounds around the food court as I can’t decide which cuisine to pick. But since I am in Macau so I opted to try one of the famous delicacy-it’s like a chicken stewed in coconut milk and some curry.Macau was once colonized by Portuguese so most of the food choices are of influence by Portuguese. Although nowadays Macanese Food has become a fusion of Chinese and Portuguese Cuisine-more on curry,coconut milk and lot’s of spices.

It tastes like Chicken Curry.

Here you can find an array of food cuisines such as Chinese, Japanese, Western food and snacks among which there is the largest restaurant in Asia with more than 1,000 tables.

The Venetian offers over 30 restaurants with cuisines from around the world. Their world-class catering facilities are capable of catering a 5-course banquet for over 10,000 guests!

Based on experience the hotel staff including those in the food court has a level of English understanding close to non existing. So if you order your food choice it can be a hassle as they cashier lady doesn’t speak English-so what I did is just point out the photo of the food I want from the menu.

There are many popular local food delicacies can also be found here like (pork burger and macau egg tart, which saves a lot of time than hunting them around macau. You are eating in a food court inside a famous hotel so expect that the prices of food can be a little higher and of course it less authentic rather than buying it from the street side stores.

Amazing Spiral Staircases in the Casino Area.

The interior design is fascinating. It gives you a feeling that you’re really in Venice.

The Venetian Macao also features an upscale and unique entertainment experience, over 300 prestigious boutiques, 35 world-class restaurants, Asia’s premier spa retreat, first-class entertainment or sporting events in 15,000-seat The Venetian® Arena and 1,800-seat The Venetian® Theater.
The convention and exhibition facilities consist of a 75,000-sqm exhibition space and 25,000-sqm convention and meeting halls, with a 6,500-sqm pillarless ballroom and 108 flexible meeting rooms.

The Pristine Decorated Ceiling.

I finished my meal in less than 30 minutes on purpose. I realized that I’ve only explore half of the Venetian Hotel and I still numerous sites to cover for the day. So I started walking with full stomach.

And my feet brought me to these golden spiral staircase leading to the casino area. From the staircase is as near you can take photo’s-because camera is not allowed in the casino hall. There are 4 entry points to get to casino and all of em are supervised by guards. They will ask you to keep your cameras inside your bag as part of security procedure before they can let you in.

Kaching-Kaching Time..

There are lots of action here with dancers and variety acts performing as you gamble, and attentive waitresses dropping off bottles of free water as you play. The casino is visually stunning with it’s high vaulted ceilings and wide open walkways, it was a pleasure to simply walk around and take in the sites

If you’re going to/passing by the casino, make sure you have an ID with you, as they do ID inspection to see if you’re legally allowed in the casino.

The casino is located in the first level of the building, the casino is divided into four areas – the Golden Fish, Imperial House, Red Dragon and Phoenix. There are altogether 850 gaming tables and more than 4,100 slot machines with baccarat, blackjack, roulette and other gambling games. Due to the local laws, youths under 18 years old are prohibited from entering the casino area.

Smoking is not controlled making it not pleasant for non- smokers.

Being a non gambler type, I did not spend much time in the casino area cause in the 1 s place I have no business here except for sneaking out 4 bottles of distilled water which you can get for free. The place is crowded and it gets too loud-it’s like watching a movie scene from a Chinese Mafia Movie where gang lords play their best bet on the casino table. For the sake of experience you can try to play the slot machine and spend 100-200 HKD, well who knows you might go home BIGTIME.

The casino’s in Macau are of the biggest importance because it contributes to the big percentage of the GDP of Macau and provides jobs to may locals.

Hallway to the Hotel Lobby.

It’s a totally different universe within the massive and pompous Venetian.

Grandeur Design at the Lobby of Venetian Hotel.

I got tired of seeing shoppes,gondola and casino so I headed to the last stop inside the Venetian Hotel. I went to see the hotel lobby to see for myself how the hotel guest’s are welcomed and what sort of architectural surprise awaits them.

Next to the beautifully engineered canals is this part of the hotel. It was really AMAZING. Those yellow tame lights give the dramatic look to the structures on the lobby and even on the paintings on the ceiling. It’s like going in Italy in a snap.

Reminds me of the Sistine Chapel in Italy. Every corners in the entrance lobby is good place for photo ops. The yellow gold structures are just dramatic and full of artistry

Roofs have beautiful carvings ,paintings you can constantly look up to.

Magnificient structures, painstakingly crafted backdrop are just everywhere.

 A stroll around the resort gives you a glance of luxury—and a somewhat weird combination of facilities, attractions

I can’t help but admire. It was nothing like what I saw in my whole life. At 2PM, I headed back to the West Lobby again to continue my trip to the rest of the hotel casino trails in Cotai District. had trouble finding our way out, but I guess it is designed that way. I can’t recall how many times I got lost inside Venetian Hotel but it was numerous times as far as my memory can tell. I wish I could have more time here in Venetian, even a full day tour in the Venetian does NOT sound ridiculous at all !!!

This photo was taken when I was on my way to Macau Airport inside the Venetian Free Shuttle. My last hotel stop for the day is Venetian Macau because it is where I took my ride going to the airport and I have to claim my baggage for my flight back to KL at 10 PM. The trip happened like a breeze and when I boarded the free shuttle that’s where I started feeling tired and exhausted. But overall this trip is one of the most memorable so far and one of the cheapest day trip I ventured.

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE VENETIAN:

– The volume of sand used in the reclamation of land for The Venetian Macao, is enough to build one of Egypt’s largest pyramids

– They poured enough concrete to fill 318 Olympic swimming pools

– As many as 11,000 construction workers and 990 trucks entered the site each day. Twenty-two mobile cranes, 41 crawler cranes and 552 mobile platforms were operating on site at the same time during construction

– The total size of The Venetian Macao is equivalent to 56 football fields. That’s big enough to park close to 100 Boeing 747 jumbo jets!

-Notable sporting events held at the Venetian include: NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic (Oct. 20, 2007), Andre Agassi vs Pete Sampras (Nov. 24, 2007), and Ray Mercer vs Derric Rossy (Jan. 26, 2008)