Back in May 2016, I was comped a stay at one of Banyan Tree’s Reserve Pool Villas. While it was an amazing experience, I chose not to write about it at the time for a few reasons:
- YTHK was on hiatus at the time, as I had exams, and had managed my time terribly
- I had forgotten to bring my camera with me (this was right after I switched away from using my phone to take pictures), so all my pictures were on my iPhone 5, which has subpar camera quality (I had yet to own the Canon Powershot G3 X that I have now)
- By the time I had finished with all the reports that I had backed up (the Korean Air flight from Incheon to Hong Kong that I took on February 15th, 2016 was finished on June 2nd, 2016, and I still had a couple reports that followed), it was way beyond May, and I didn’t see much value to the report at the time
- I arrived the villa at 10:30 PM and departed at 7 AM the next morning for a math competition, then returned home alone to study for my exams, which meant that I couldn’t really give a full review of the experience (as I had no time on the actual hotel “grounds”)
- I was comped the stay, which meant that there probably would’ve been a credibility hit
The Banyan Tree Macau Entrance to Villas
That said, I would still love to offer a sneak peek at this exclusive villa that we stayed at in Macau, as it was a hotel room that I probably won’t forget in the near future. I still hope to return so I can give an actual review with higher quality photos, so I apologise in advance for the substandard photo quality.
So, What’s The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Pool Villa Like?
The Banyan Tree Macau has rooms inside a main building, but it’s probably most well known for its villas. Their villas are located next to the hotel, as part of the grand complex that the hotel is – you get driven to your room in a golf cart upon request, though I ended up walking my way back to the main entrance when I was leaving.
(Terrible picture of) The Banyan Tree Macau Golf Carts to Villa Rooms
I’d say that being driven to my room in a golf cart on an outdoor hallway with skyscrapers towering nearby has to be one of the most unique experiences that I’ve ever had.
The Banyan Tree Macau Villa Hallway
The Banyan Tree Macau Villa Hallway
Our villa, Gardenia, was also room 507, located around 100m from the hotel grounds. Apparently the room retails for HK$12,000/night, and it definitely showed.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Entrance
After entering the big doors with a key card, there’s another open-air entryway that leads to the actual room, which I believe also had to be accessed with a key card.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Entryway
The actual living room is massive – it featured a communal table, a desk and chair facing away from the room, a sofa, and a TV.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Living Room
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Living Room
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Living Room
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Living Room
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Living Room
The bedrooms were at each wing of the room.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Road to Bedrooms
The bedroom that I stayed in for the night featured two twin beds, the other of which was occupied by my sister Hailey. The bed was plush and comfortable, though the WiFi reception wasn’t great from the room – it’s probably the biggest complaint I have about the room. You know a room is massive when its individual WiFi reception can’t be reached from certain parts of the room.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Bedroom
Our bathroom setup was impressive, with a enclosed toilet and a separate shower and tub, both of which were excellent in quality (the shower had great water pressure, etc.), though the setup paled in comparison to the master bathroom.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Bathroom
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Bathroom
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Bathroom
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Bathroom
The master bedroom wasn’t bigger than the other bedroom. I’d say that the bedrooms probably weren’t the most glamorous part of the entire experience.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Master Bedroom
The bathroom, however, was stunning beyond words, featuring double sinks, an enclosed toilet, a shower, and a massive tub, as well as a separate vanity area.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Master Bathroom
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Master Bathroom
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Master Bathroom
I mean, as if one shower wasn’t enough, there were two.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Master Bathroom Shower
As you’d expect, the quality of the toiletries throughout were excellent, coming in hotel-branded jars.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Bathroom Toiletries
I thoroughly enjoyed the size of the room, as well as the quality of everything. However, it’s worth noticing that my parents experienced a leak in one of the bathrooms shortly after I left the property, which bothered them throughout the night.
I’ve had a few rooms in my life that came with private pools, though nothing as ridiculous as this. We had a full-size pool to ourselves, which came with a jacuzzi, as well as some poolside seating. Amazing, amazing, amazing.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Pool
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Pool Jacuzzi
It was pleasant to sit on the L-shaped couches (not pictured, unfortunately) and browse on a Friday night near the pool next to The Galaxy Hotel – an experience I probably won’t forget in the near future.
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Poolside Seating
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Poolside Seating
That wasn’t it. The room also featured its own pantry, complete with its own minibar (I don’t think it was free, though).
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Pantry
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Pantry
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Minibar
And as if the room wasn’t extra enough, it came with a massage room. What are we supposed to do with so much space (apart from, of course, hire a masseuse)?
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Massage Room
The Banyan Tree Macau Reserve Two Bedroom Pool Villa Massage Room
If I’m Not Splurging For A Two Bedroom Pool Villa, What Are The Hotel Grounds Like?
I wasn’t able to actually visit much of the hotel grounds, though if I can in the near future, I definitely will report back. The hotel itself is nice, though I wasn’t able to tell much apart from the lobby, which is well designed for the most part, and connected to the Galaxy complex.
The Banyan Tree Macau Lobby
The Banyan Tree Macau Lobby
The Banyan Tree Macau Lobby
I also used the breakfast spread the morning I left, which was extensive in quantity and everything was tasty.
The Banyan Tree Macau Breakfast Spread
The Banyan Tree Macau Breakfast Spread
The Banyan Tree Macau Breakfast Spread
Bottom Line
I didn’t do much research before the stay (I expected to be comped into an entry level room, not a reserve pool villa), I was blown away by what I received. Is the room worth HK$12,000? Probably. Would I splurge for it with my own cash, should I be able to afford it? Probably not. However, I’m grateful to everyone at Banyan Tree who was involved in gifting the stay to Mr. Tong and my family.
I’m bummed that I didn’t get to spend much time at the resort, and I certainly will look for opportunities to do so in the future if I have the chance. I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to provide quality pictures of the stay, and promise to do so shall I have the chance to return. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed the few pictures that I had.