In Macau - the buying never stops - Nor does the gaming YSH pops in for a one-night stand at the Wynn Resort.
It's Monday afternoon, a slow day for most places, but not for Macau. The ferry from Hong Kong is packed with mainly Chinese passengers and a handful of flag-following Japanese tourists (yes, they do still exist).
A man wearing an A. Versace-emblazoned jacket whips out his fancy new digital camera and starts snapping pictures of his friends. Across the aisle, a woman puts on her make-up and compares her latest cosmetic purchases with her friends. In between speaking, she makes loud sucking noises on the bon-bon she has in her mouth.
The taxi queue is long. We stand behind a well-built young man obviously home from the Asian Games in Doha. His baggage tags give him away. He is probably the only one in the queue not headed for one of Macau's casinos which together have surpassed Las Vegas in terms of gaming revenues.
Our destination is the new Wynn Resort. As we arrive in our taxi, which has seen better days, a fleet of limousines roll past us to the separate entrance for the high-rollers – the Wynn Club.
Room with a view – the bright lights as seen from my room (right).
Put squarely in our place, we stand humbly in the queue to check-in. There's plenty to catch our eye as we wait. The lobby is all red, gold and glitzy. A blood red chandelier that reminded me of Ursula, the octopus witch in "The Little Mermaid" takes centreplace in the corridor. Behind the check-in desk is a gold-sequinned mural that even Paris Hilton would have wanted a chunk of.
We walk up to a couple of staff behind the counter who gesture us towards the girl standing at the other end. "Check in is over there," they say. We should have seen the "Front Desk" sign that's placed right in front of the girl. They are rather particular about territory here.
Especially about items in the minibar. "If you remove items for more than one minute, you will be charged," said the girl who checked us in.
Intrigued, I check out the minibar as soon as I got into the room. Items of snacks are very neatly lined up on the counter above the minibar. A sign reinforces the one-minute warning, with the additional advice that should you feel the need to buy your own snacks and drinks, the hotel will be happy to provide you with a different fridge.
Wynn obviously knows the local tricks.
He has also been generous with space. The bathroom is spacious – built for two. The bed is big enough for four at least. I like the colours – more muted than those in the lobby, warm and bright, lots of browns and oranges.
The Lisboa with its flashing lights (Pictured left)
I draw open the curtains and reel back, almost blinded by the light. Across the road, the Lisboa (pictured right), as ugly as ever, is emblazoned with flashing lights. It's like an ageing woman determined to dress up like a Christmas tree. Behind it, a building has green and red lights crawling up and down, up and down, up and down …
Almost hypnotised, I tear my eyes away only to see Wynn's big, bold, flashing signature on the billboard in front of his palace. A giant television screen urges you to spend with him. Every now and then, a water fountain in front of the hotel shoots, sprays and dances as Celine Dion screeches "I Need A Hero".
Whether she's referring to Wynn, I don't know but I've been to Macau a few times in the last two years – since it started what everyone calls its transformation – but this is the first time I have seen a glimpse of its future. Las Vegas meets the Orient.
Wynn Resort has definitely lifted the state of play a notch. The lobby is filled with luxury brand shops. No A Versace here, only the genuine stuff. The only shoppers are Chinese.
In the casino, the only gamers I can see are Chinese as well. And they are younger and more female than I recall from my last visit to a casino in Macau. A cloud of blue smoke hangs in the air. There is a no-smoking section, the only casino in Macau to offer such a haven. I fear though it is too small a hold-out against the tidal waft of nicotine.
My American friend and I are no gamblers but it being her birthday, we decide to give it a try. She hands over a note to the croupier and gets told off by the supervisor in Chinese. "You have to put your money on the table." Wrist slapped in front of everyone, she nevertheless places her bet. She loses.
We move on to the slot machines. It takes us a while to figure out how they all work. We make $4 and we cash out.
Bored, we walk out, HK$96 poorer. Wynn won't get rich off us, for sure. We spot him doing the rounds. Two young Western girls sidle up to him. He shakes their hands and exchanges pleasantries. But you can tell he is a man on a mission. He's scoping out his own joint to see what improvements he can make.
He's already ordered a few changes to be made. He changed the flooring days before opening, the fast food area is going, to be replaced by more gaming tables, the lobby lounge is closed and will re-appear as an ultra lounge called Tryst which will give men a chance to spend lots of money to drink and be seen with beautiful women.
Wynn knows what makes men part with their money – greed and ego.
We head off to the Il Teatro bar for a nightcap but it's so empty you could spot a fly in there. We go up to our room. I love the iPOD docking port, the first time I have stayed in a room with such a gadget. We order room service and make our own party.
Some people have started to call Macau "Party Town" but for now, until more of the big boys arrive, the only party is really the one played with chips. In that respect, nothing's really changed in Macau.
At the airport, there are more branded shops. I see plenty of cigarettes, liquor and cosmetics on offer. There is however not a single store selling newspapers, magazines or books.
In Macau, it seems, between the shopping and gaming, no one has time to read.
On the Thai Air Asia flight to Bangkok, I see a man wearing the same A Versace-emblazoned jacket as my photographer friend on the ferry. I don't think both bought their jackets at Wynn or the airport though.
The SHY Report
A regular column on news, trends and issues in the hospitality industry by one of Asia's most respected travel editors and commentators, Yeoh Siew Hoon.
Siew Hoon, who has covered the tourism industry in Asia/Pacific for the past 20 years, runs SHY Ventures Pte Ltd. Her company's mission is "Content, Communication, Connection". She is a writer, speaker, facilitator, trainer and events producer. She is also an author, having published "Around Asia In 1 Hr: Tales of Condoms, Chillies & Curries". Her motto is ‘free to do, and be'. Contacts: Tel: 65-63424934, Mobile: 65-96801460Yeoh Siew Hoon's other writings can be found at www.thetransitcafe.com . Get your weekly cuppa of news, gossip, humour and opinion at the cafe for travel insiders. 
