Raffles at Galaxy Macau began trial operations on 16 August 2023, according to an announcement reported by the Macau outlet Exmoo (力報)1. The property is the seventh hotel brand at Galaxy Macau and adds about 450 luxury suites to the resort1. Galaxy Macau announced in July 2023 that it was presenting Raffles at Galaxy Macau together with Accor, with the trial opening to be followed by a grand opening before the end of the year1.
The hotel sits on the east side of the resort, with a glass sky bridge on each floor connecting the two wings of the tower1. Including Raffles at Galaxy Macau, the Raffles brand lists 18 luxury hotels worldwide, dating from its founding in 18871.
The report said more restaurants, bars and a spa will appear with the grand opening before the end of the year1. Among the food and drink planned are a sushi kappo restaurant developed by sushi master Masaaki Miyakawa, one of five sushi chefs in Japan to hold three Michelin stars, and a teppanyaki restaurant he will also run1. The brand's Long Bar, described as the gin bar that draws most attention at each Raffles hotel, will open in Macau, designed by Joyce Wang, and will serve a Macau-specific cocktail called the "Macau Sling" created by bartender Li Zhennan of Asia's 50 Best Bars1. The Raffles Lobby Bar will include a champagne and oyster bar serving a Macau-exclusive "Million Dollar" cocktail, a drink the report says was created by legendary bartender Ngiam Tong Boon in 1910, five years before his better known Singapore Sling1.
"「澳門銀河TM」宣布與雅高集團於今年7月攜手呈獻澳門銀河萊佛士"
What it means for players
Raffles at Galaxy Macau is a hotel, not a separate casino, and the report does not say it will hold its own gaming floor1. For anyone gambling in Macau, the practical effect is more rooms, restaurants and bars inside the Galaxy Macau complex on Cotai, which already operates a casino under the territory's licensing rules. The report gives no details on table minimums, game mix, entry requirements or whether the new hotel changes anything about access to the existing Galaxy Macau casino floor, and none of that has been reported1. Visitors planning around the property should note that the 16 August date is the start of trial operations, not the full opening1. General rules on who may enter Macau casinos and what they can play are covered in our guide to gambling in Macau and our overview of casinos and integrated resorts in Asia.
What happens next
The report says a grand opening will be held before the end of 2023, at which more restaurants, bars and a spa will be introduced1. No specific date for that opening is given1.
