The renowned gold-covered floor at Grand Emperor Hotel in Macau has been removed, sold, and replaced with concrete. The hotel generated approximately $13 million from this known gold and made this strategic choice as a result of the rising cost of gold and the subsequent impact of the economy.
Originally, the Grand Emperor Hotel established its reputation through over-the-top high-end luxury with opulent European-themed decor, luxurious rooms, high-end restaurants and top-notch concierge service giving it an extravagant image in the center of Macau. The gold lobby floor is not just an ornamental ceiling but was part of the hotel’s branding.
However, now that times have changed and the hotel’s parent company, Hong Kong-based Emperor Entertainment Hotel Ltd., sees a strategic financial opportunity. With global gold prices reaching record highs, holding onto 79 kilograms of decorative gold makes it less a glamorous statement and more a form of idle capital.
As a result, they have sold everything, all of their decorative gold, to a refinery in Hong Kong. According to the company, the funds it received will help bolster their financial situation and will allow them to explore future investments as they reconsider their business model.
In order to get a more comprehensive view of what still is going on today in Macau, we would want to remember that only in Macao is gaming legal. In fact, Macau was the world leader in revenues from casinos in 2025; that would indicate that things will be different moving forward.
Since there have been pressures from Beijing to decrease gaming” (the revenue from gaming) in regards to increasing revenue, many casino operators have started changing the way that they run their businesses. There have been changes in regulations and and operations of these businesses. Finally, in October 2025, Grand Emperor officially closed its casino.
In terms of what the company’s plans moving forward are, one of new entertainment and recreation spaces instead of gaming. For example, the main lobby of Grand Emperor will be renovated to fit the theme of the future to it and no longer carry the current theme of gold and ornate capital.
The company provides a statement about how the materials that were used to create the antique lobby no longer fit with the direction of the hotel as it evolutes into the future. Basically, the future of luxurious will no longer have solid gold floors.
It’s ironic that the same trait of the hotel that historically brought about its fame is now its greatest source of financial support; The gold that represented excess is, in reality, the source of financial support required to change things.
Even though the floor was removed, this also signifies something much greater; the City of Macau’s Hotel Industry is evolving, removing old signs, and defining a new meaning for luxury as it relates to today’s challenged economy.
