ERCHED on the reclaimed Cotai coastline like some stacked jewellery boxes, the unmistakeable outline of the MGM COTAI offers a hint of the wonders within. All comers are immediately caught in a whirl of whimsy, video walls, curvaceous golden artwork and watchful lions decked out in all manner of colour. It is a show. And it is vast, stretching from the ballrooms (up one level) to one side, and the restaurants arrayed on the other.

The space is intended for people movement and, while the vibrant colours, ‘floating dolphins’ and stalactite clouds precariously suspended above the sunlit atrium canopy all create a sense of fun, this is a robust MICE hotel geared for exhibitions, conferences and grand events. Yet, it would not seem so. The atmosphere is friendly and bright, most unlike traditional conference hotels. The canopied Spectacle is the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof, a Guinness World Record. It is indeed a spectacle with its shape-shifting LED walls that keep changing scenes.

The hotel’s true magic emerges in the MGM Theater for up to 2,000 seats, loaded with hi-tech entertainment and one of the largest LED screens for wraparound immersion. Think a stage as big as three tennis courts.Other MICE facilites include bright, high-ceiling, 860sq m 600-person ballroom that offers eight projectors for corporate events and an alfresco Vista for 250 persons. Across the pools is The Mansion, an exclusive by-invitation oasis with 27 private villas.

Its nine outlets include the One-Michelin-star Sichuan fine dining Five Foot Road and Aji with its contemporary international fare. Expect spa and beauty treatments, fitness, art exhibitions and one-of-a-kind entertainment at MGM COTAI. One of the top Cotai conference hotels and firmly geared towards suits and CEO handshakes, it remains a sensory feast for families and friends looking for great moments. MGM COTAI is shortlisted in this collection for its combination of style, remarkable meeting facilities and a visual Wow factor.