A troubled ultra-luxury hotel in Macao is re-opening for a trial period intended to showcase its service quality and premium facilities. The former Hotel 13 has been rebranded as 13 Palace, given a gold paint makeover, and is undergoing a phased opening “to turn around past stereotypes,” said executive director Lui Ka Hei.
The 13 was the brainchild of Hong Kong businessman Stephen Hung, but suffered a series of setbacks, including construction issues and financing, even before its original, delayed launch in 2018.
Located in Macao’s Seac Pai Van, Coloane, a wooded area reclaimed from the sea for housing and commerce, Hotel 13 was once billed as the world’s most luxurious hotel, having cost over US$7 million per room to create. Hung said at its inauguration that it would lay down “a new world standard for ultra-luxury hotels through its native brand, The 13.”
Even the establishment’s most basic accommodation, the “Villa du Comte”, featured Baroque detailing, sculptures, and deluxe fabrics. The villa-style suites had private elevators, Roman baths and colonnades, and offered private butler service and transport thanks to a fleet of bespoke, Rolls-Royce Phantoms—painted red to match the hotel itself.
The hotel’s garishness was, however, considered part of its downfall. It also failed to become profitable due to its distance from Macao’s gambling district and its failure to secure its own satellite casino licence. It suspended operations in early 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, underwent bankruptcy in 2023, and, after earning a renewed five-star deluxe licence from the Macao Government Tourism Office, was acquired by Rio Hotel chairperson Loi Keong Kuong for HK$598 million (US$72 million) in 2025.
Now, with a new gold look and a suite of Guinness World Records under its belt (it holds the title for the most hotel elevator lobbies, and a green wall which is the tallest semi-indoor vertical garden in the world extending from the fifth to the 20th floor), the hotel team is looking to tap into the surging premium travel segment.
That effort includes leaning into the hotel’s location, close to non-gambling attractions, including a nearby golf course and Macao’s Giant Panda Pavilion, to reel in affluent guests from across mainland China, as well as Japan, Korea, and other Southeast Asian source markets.
The fine dining offer at the 13 Palace embraces Cantonese, Chiu Chow, Italian and Japanese cuisine and hospitality venues include the Baroque blue glass Chairman’s Bar, while luxury spa facilities, limousines, and 24-hour butler service for its 199 suites remain de rigeur.
It is hoped that the phased opening of between 50 and 100 rooms to start with will build momentum and a reputation on social media channels. Hotel sources said room bookings are currently at 50 to 60%, though online reservations do not yet appear to be accessible internationally.
