Macao’s Hotel 13 is reopening under a new name tomorrow

Macao’s Hotel 13 has been rebranded the 13 Palace and is scheduled to begin trial operations tomorrow after undergoing a recent renovation that saw its exterior colour scheme shift from red to gold. 

According to local media reports, the five-star hotel, located in Coloane, will be offering around 100 guest rooms during the initial trial period, with room bookings currently hitting roughly 50 to 60 percent. 

Speaking to reporters yesterday, the executive director of the 13 Palace, Lui Ka Hei, said the current plan was to open the hotel in phases, with 50 to 60 rooms being made available in the first stage. 

Lui noted the operator intends to add around 10 extra rooms each week, and is eyeing to launch full operations by the end of July. He said the management was not in a hurry to begin fully open for business primarily because it wanted to prioritise service quality.  

He expressed hopes that the hotel’s new image would be able to “turn around past stereotypes” and offer a unique option in Macao’s high-end leisure tourism market. 

In the long run, Lui said the operator hopes to develop the 13 Palace into a cultural tourism landmark that integrates accommodation, fine dining, art, culture, banqueting and leisure in one place. The goal is for the hotel’s distinctive qualities to attract more overseas travellers and enrich Macao’s tourism offerings, lengthening the stay duration of visitors. 

He also said his team was currently busy with preparatory work such as the final testing of equipment and the training of personnel. 

Information from the 13 Palace’s website indicates that the hotel is equipped with 199 suites that cover an area between 2,000 and 10,000 square feet. 

[See more: Two Hilton hotels open at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Terminal 3]

A number of restaurant options are also available, offering cuisines such as Cantonese, Chiu Chow, Italian and Japanese. There is also the Chairman’s Bar, a Baroque-style establishment. The hotel’s other major offerings include a spa, limousines, and 24-hour butler service. 

Aside from being ultra luxurious, the 13 Palace has also set several world records. During an event yesterday, the hotel was awarded the Guiness World Record for the most elevator lobbies in a hotel. The establishment also holds the Guinness record for the tallest semi-indoor vertical garden in the world. 

Originally established by Hong Kong businessman Stephen Hung, the former Hotel 13 has had a rocky history, experiencing funding and construction setbacks prior to its opening in 2018. 

After launching, the hotel struggled to become profitable due to its remote location, inability to secure backing for a satellite casino, outlandish design and the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The hotel’s original owners eventually declared bankruptcy in 2023, after suspending operators in February 2020. 

Attempts were made to sell the hotel in subsequent years, with Rio Hotel chairman Loi Keong Kuong and family buying up the property for HK$598 million (US$72 million) last year. 

Despite the hotel’s troubled history, Hung recently visited the 13 Palace, posting on Instagram earlier this week that he was “happy to be back.”