Guest Houses In Macau

A guesthouse is an inexpensive type of accommodation for foreigners, who stay in Macau for one month or longer, and who want to avoid the hassle and the expense of renting and furnishing a conventional apartment. Some guesthouses also offer weekly contracts.

There are many guesthouses in Macau, but due to new regulations of the Macao Government you should have looked for a hostel online before arriving in Macau. The MSAR government does not allow hostels or B&B to open in Macau. In 2010 it passed a law on “Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation” which states that “People who provide guest accommodation to the public in premises other than hotels (including residential, commercial or industrial premises) and without a legal hotel licence can be regarded as providing illegal accommodation”.

A website of the Macau government explains that “At present, there is no legal ‘family hostel’ or ‘B & B’ (Bed and Breakfast) in Macau … All legal hotels, guest houses or inns have a license issued by the Macau Government Tourist Office, and the license should be placed in the accommodation premise”. This means that hostels are de facto outlawed.

The rate for a dormitory bed in an average Macau guesthouse is about MOP$ 80 to 100 per night, while the rate for a double room ranges roughly from MOP$ 150 to 250 per room per night. Generally speaking, the low-budget traveler is likely to get a better value for his money in Macau, than in Hong Kong.

Guest Houses In Macau
The problem is that the choice of guesthouses in Macau is not nearly as vast as it is in Hong Kong. There are some small, privately owned guesthouses in Macau (they are also called "villas" locally) but many of them seem to be shabby and dirty. Nontheless, some guesthouses and hostels in Macau are clean, friendly and reasonably comfortable and these are the ones we are going to tell you about..

An important "tip" for booking a Guesthouse in Macau: Many of Macau's guesthouses would not have a single English-speaker among their staff... It is, therefore, advisable for you to send them a fax in English some time before arriving... This way they'll have enough time to find an English speaker who can translate your fax to them and help them reply.

3 Star Guest House
2 Star Guest House
By living in a guesthouse, a foreigner has the opportunity to closely experience Macanese everyday life, buy food and household goods in Macanese supermarkets, dispose of garbage in the correct way, etc.