MACAU – W hotels have been known for their energetic ambience, amplified by the booming party music in the lobby, and equally loud interior design since the first property was launched in New York in 1998.

But like many of its fans, the brand is growing up.

While it is still about enjoying life and having fun, the lifestyle hotel concept is going about it in a less in-your-face fashion and emphasising elegance and sophistication.

And among the first to embody this new direction is W Macau – Studio City, which opened on Sept 8.

While the Chinese Special Administrative Region is known for being a gambling enclave, the W property here does not come with its own casino, but instead bills itself as a lifestyle brand.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the 40-storey hotel is a departure from the older properties.

For example, while some of the brand’s original DNA can still be seen in its lobby where swathes of lights flow across the room like twinkling stars, the energetic music is less thumping and the volume less headache-inducing. 

Elsewhere, including the rooms, designs are less dizzying while remaining youthful and trendy.

I am among the guests staying in the property on its opening day. It is, however, in the aftermath of Typhoon Saola that had swept southern China just days earlier.

While Macau is not flooded like nearby Hong Kong, the constant rain during the three days I am there means all outdoor activities have to be cancelled.

But there is more than enough to do at the hotel exploring its restaurants, bars, spa, fitness centre and indoor pool.

It is also part of the new phase of the expansive Studio City integrated resort, which has its own shops, restaurants and the largest indoor water park in Macau. And for those who cannot resist trying their luck while in the city, there is a casino too.

The rooms

The Studio City integrated resort boasts an Art-Deco design reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour, and updated elements of that can be seen in the decor of W Macau – Studio City’s 430 rooms and 127 suites in the brass fittings and lit mirrors.

You get a view of the city centre or the Cotai Strip that Studio City is in, including the outdoor section of the integrated resort’s Water Park.

There is also a Bluetooth sound system in every room, which I appreciate when I travel because connecting it to the playlist on my smartphone helps to channel a sense of familiarity despite being far from home. 

The restaurants and bars

There are four food and beverage outlets in the hotel catering to different tastes and times of the day.

Breakfast is served at Hawker Hawker, its all-day dining restaurant inspired by the local street food and marketplace culture that is seen in the eclectic and colourful lights and neon designs above the food stations.

Besides Western brekkie staples such as toast, bacon and eggs, a larger section is devoted to Asian fare that includes Indian curries, nasi lemak, steamed dim sum and an impressive four types of porridge and congee.

My favourite is the live station for cart noodles, a popular hawker dish in Macau and Hong Kong where the noodle soup can be topped with a big selection of ingredients.

Here, you not only get sliced pork and prawns, but there are also curry fish balls and stewed beef tripe.

There is a choice of chicken or tomato soup, so you can customise a very different bowl each morning.

Breakfast costs 358 pataca (S$61) on weekdays and 388 pataca on weekends.

Diva is the Chinese restaurant on the 40th floor serving mainly Cantonese cuisine.

The dining room, which follows the curve of the building, looks out to a stunning view of Macau. But, chances are, your attention will stay riveted on the refined culinary creations most of the time.

The delectable dim sum includes a well-executed steamed shrimp dumpling with gold leaf (98 pataca), as well as a sea cucumber and assorted seafood dumpling (118 pataca) that looks uncannily like a spiky sea cucumber.

The poached baby spinach in fish broth (148 pataca) is a winner too, but the dish I remember best is an unusual braised crystal noodle with shrimp in spicy sour broth (128 pataca). The springy translucent strands of noodles go so well with the appetising soup.

Next to the restaurant is the hotel’s main bar, Blind Tiger, which comes alive in the later part of the day when guests gather for pre- and postpandrial drinks.

Mixologists whip up handcrafted dark spirit cocktails behind the apothecary-inspired bar counter, and you can also find a good selection of limited-edition Japanese and Scottish whiskeys.

Those who wish to start drinking earlier can head to the day-to-night coffee and cocktail bar called Living Room located next to the lobby on the ground floor. There is also a food menu featuring Chinese-Portuguese-inspired bakes.

Play and relax

Wet is what the hotel calls its, well, wet area, which is designed to look like a place where a Hollywood movie magnate in the 1950s could hold his pool parties. It includes an indoor swimming pool, a jacuzzi and a cool-down pool, as well as a sauna and a steam room.

Fitness buffs can work on their muscles at Fit, a gym filled with serious-looking equipment and weights, plus a row of treadmills waiting to help you shed any weight you gain during your stay.

But my most-anticipated activity is a detox massage treatment (from 1,280 pataca) at Away Spa. The masseuse’s firm strokes smooth away the day’s cares and, soon, I find myself snoring gently as I enter a state bordering slumber – the best indication of a good massage.

Studio City

The hotel is part of the second phase of Studio City, which opened seven years ago.

Besides boasting shopping streets and a wide range of food and beverage outlets, the integrated resort also houses an indoor and outdoor water park that is touted as one of the largest in the world.

There is a casino too. After all, this is Macau, the gambling capital of Asia.

Eateries and attractions are connected indoors through a short walk, just like the shops and restaurants in Marina Bay Sands.

For example, the casino, which has multiple entrances, is just a two-minute walk from the W hotel lobby.

The water park is about 10 minutes away, as is Pearl Dragon, a one-Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant made up of a maze of wide corridors and private rooms.

My lunch here is amazing with dishes like steamed lobster with egg white and aged hua diao wine (888 pataca). And the double-boiled snow goose soup with matsutake (228 pataca) is an eye-opener as it is the first time I encounter the wild fowl. But the long cooking time has coaxed most of the flavour from the meat. The broth, though, is really sweet.

Hot tip: Hidden in the Blind Tiger bar is the W Sound Suite, a small recording studio designed for travelling bands and musicians to record their work in an inspiring locale. It is a signature of the W brand, but not present in every property.

The one in Macau is its first in Greater China and guests can channel Ariana Grande or Jacky Cheung and lay down some tracks with the professional-grade sound equipment. More information, including prices, will be available when it is open for booking.

W Macau – Studio City

Where: Avenida de Cotai, Macau, China, 999078
Rooms: 557, 37 sq m for Wonderful room to 257 sq m for Extreme Wow Suite
Rates: Starting at an average of 1,254 pataca for a Wonderful room
Info: www.wmacaustudiocity.com

• A former food journalist with The Straits Times, Wong Ah Yoke now spends his time eating and travelling.
• The writer was hosted by W Macau – Studio City for its opening.
• Suite Life is a series on destination hotels and their locales.