The night John Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen met Donatella Versace, Daisy Ho, K-pop star Taecyeon and Thai actor Blue Pongtiwat at the grand opening of the Palazzo Versace Macau
- The Palazzo Versace Macau hosted John Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen, fashion icon Donatella Versace, Taecyeon and Blue Pongtiwat as it opened its opulent doors at SJM Resorts’ sprawling Grand Lisboa Palace complex
- Designs from Versace ateliers were on display, including dresses worn by 90s supermodels Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen
Macau is forging ahead with plans to future-proof its reputation, looking to go well beyond its past as a former Portuguese colony and it’s present-day reliance on casinos. Proof of progress can be found in the recent slew of luxury resort openings backed by high-profile figures.
The latest endorsement comes from legendary fashion designer Donatella Versace, whose namesake hotel – Palazzo Versace – just launched in the city to great fanfare. Its grand opening party on March 23 was anchored by a bevy of A-list talent with K-pop star Taecyeon of 2PM and Thai actor Blue Pongtiwat among the famous faces in attendance, and ended with an intimate performance by award-winning American singer John Legend.
“I love to bring together cultures and traditions from all over the world,” Donatella says of her latest venture, which sits within SJM Resorts’ Grand Lisboa Palace complex. “For me, this collaboration is what makes something truly beautiful. Here at Palazzo Versace Macau we had the same idea – to bring together signature elements of Versace such as the Medusa, with symbols rooted in local Chinese custom such as the dragon and the chrysanthemum. They are all different symbols of strength, grace and beauty – qualities that are also at the heart of Versace.”
Only the second Palazzo Versace in the world (the other is in Dubai), Palazzo Versace Macau might just be the most convincing vote of confidence in the city’s future yet. Daisy Ho, chairwoman and executive director of SJM Holdings, says timing was everything when it came to planning the hotel’s grand opening, after the pandemic dampened celebrations for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau’s opening in 2021.
“If we had done it last year, let’s say six months after The Karl Lagerfeld [another hotel also in the Grand Lisboa Palace complex], it would be a completely different story because it would become just another hotel opening,” says Ho. “It’s not just a hotel. It’s all about the experience.”
