AAnonymous UserThis was my second stay at Studio City Macau. I originally chose it hoping my kids could experience the indoor water park, but due to a packed schedule, we ended up not going and focused mostly on shopping.
The hotel's location and amenities are definitely convenient, but the weekend premium is just too high. This time, the Celebrity Tower room cost nearly 2800 RMB. Compared to my previous stay in the Star Tower, I didn't feel any corresponding improvement in service despite the room upgrade. The overall service was quite average, definitely not up to five-star hotel standards. There was no attentive service, not even basic turndown service. It felt very procedural and impersonal.
Honestly, if you're just going for the water park, you could totally stay at another hotel with better value for money and just buy individual tickets to the park – it would be more cost-effective. This hotel might be acceptable when prices are under 1000 RMB on weekdays, but paying almost 3000 RMB for one night really isn't worth it; the value for money is pretty low. I made a spontaneous decision when booking because my child had SATs, and there weren't many rooms left even three weeks in advance. If you're taking the SATs at the Escola Kao Yip exam center, I'd recommend New Oriental Landmark Hotel. It's just a short walk through an underpass to the school. I redeemed points and only paid a little over 600 RMB per night, saving more than 500 RMB – excellent value! It's in the old district, so it's not as bustling as hotels in Taipa, but it has King Cafe downstairs, which is perfect for kids rushing to an exam in the morning.
Compared to many hotels in tier-3 and tier-4 cities in mainland China, service is becoming increasingly thoughtful and personalized. In contrast, these major five-star hotels in Macau still have a significant gap in service awareness and warmth. My overall experience was mediocre, and I wouldn't particularly recommend it. Just choose according to your needs.
I also want to specifically mention the deposit issue. I checked in on March 14th and authorized the deposit via VISA. I've been back in Shanghai for several days now, and the deposit still hasn't been refunded. After inquiring with Ctrip, I was told I'd have to wait a month for it to be returned. This is the slowest deposit refund I've ever experienced in all my hotel stays, both domestically and internationally. Many places no longer even require a deposit, yet this hotel, with a 2800 RMB per night room, still charges a 1000 MOP deposit and has such a slow refund process. It's truly inexplicable and greatly detracts from the overall experience. And speaking of last year, we stayed here in February too, and compared to the New Year decorations last year, that moving red zodiac snake installation was absolutely stunning and created such a great atmosphere, whereas this year it was just a plain white carriage, much more uninspired in design. There was none of the thoughtfulness or highlights of previous years, and the overall impression was significantly worse.
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