Macau, sometimes referred to as the “Las Vegas of the East,” is no stranger to over-the-top hotels. But the latest buzzed-about property is in a category all its own. For one thing, the architecture is mind-blowing: Morpheus was designed by the legendary, late Zaha Hadid, the first woman recipient of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. Inspired by jade artifacts, the building—more akin to a sculpture—is the world’s first high-rise building supported by a free-form exoskeleton steel structure. The statistics are staggering: 30,000 tons of structural steel, 516,000 square feet of facade glass, and 538,000 square feet of aluminum cladding were used in the construction.
Morpheus is the new flagship hotel for the City of Dreams, an entertainment complex in the heart of Cotai that offers dining, shopping, casino gaming, the Club Cubic and “The House of Dancing Water” (billed as “the world’s largest water-based extravaganza.”) Slated to open in spring 2018, Morpheus will have 780 guestrooms, suites and sky villas. There will be 12 panoramic elevators, providing views of the impressive interior architecture. There will also be two sky bridges across the 115-foot-high atrium.
Here’s another reason why Morpheus is the talk of the town: French culinary icon Alain Ducasse is said to be at the helm of a trio of dining outlets, including a gastronomic restaurant, bar and a fusion eatery called “Voyages by Alain Ducasse.” Oh, and did we mention the sky-high infinity pool? It’s perched on level 40, a whopping 425 feet above the ground.