Hotel Review: Macau: Pousada Sao Tiago

The pousada – a Portuguese term for "inn" – is built into a stone fortress erected by Macau's European colonizers in 1641, and the property still boasts original stone stairs and fortress wall, a chapel once used by the conquistadors, and blue azulejo tiles including some heralding the famous vision of the Virgin Mary by three Portuguese children at Fatima.

But the draws to this landmark setting are more than historic. Under the chandeliers in fine dining restaurant La Paloma, they serve up Mediterranean dishes -- tasty tapas such as freshly sliced mountain-cured ham and Iberian cheeses or skillets of saffron-spiced seafood-brimming paella -- and fine Portuguese wines are poured, such being touches of Europe difficult to find elsewhere in Asia.

Outside on the tree-shaded terrace, near the the fish pond and fountain, locals gather round tables at sunset seeking quiet escape over cocktails and port as Chinese junks sails by and the day's last color washes across the sky; the boutique hotel is also popular for wedding and receptions.

And those who stay in one of the dozen suites, each with balcony, can even more fully savor all the inn's charms: here amid understated elegance, it's the details that wow – from the floors made of leather to the bathroom walls tiled with abalone; the steambath shower in each suite are spa quality and the comfortable mahogany beds can coax even hardcores insomniacs into dreamland. The TV over the sink, the Hermes toiletries, the jacuzzi bath, the complimentary refreshments in the minibar, the chauffeur service to pier or airport in Mercedes, and the secluded swimming pool are a few added pluses.

But part of what makes the plush inn so popular in Macau is actually a result of what it is not: in this rapidly growing territory of flashing neon lights, slot machines and hotel lobbies filled with stilettoed and mini-skirted hostesses, this intimate pousada is one of very few sleeperies that doesn't have a casino, further giving this hideaway the feeling of being an exclusive cliff-top escape. One final bonus for those suffering a fear of heights in this city of skyscraper hotels: with only three floors, Pousada Sao Tiago is elevator-free.