When I first came to Macau in the 1980s, this was the flashiest hotel in town. Hard to believe that now, as it lives in the looming shadow of sister property Grand Lisboa, which currently takes the cake as the gaudiest property in town. Today, Hotel Lisboa is a retro icon, a Chinese interpretation of '60s Las Vegas—you'll know it by the odd peacock-like decoration on its roof. Expanded over the years, it has a confusing layout (I always get lost), countless restaurants, displays of owner Stanley Ho's priceless art collections, and women on the hunt for a bit of business from gamblers stumbling out of the casino. You just can't beat the Lisboa for atmosphere. Rooms give choices, too, from standards in the older east wing to deluxe rooms in the Royal Tower decorated with either Western or traditional Chinese features. Free drinks in the fridge and free in-house movies are meant to keep gamblers happy and in the house, but downtown is only a 5-minute walk away and buses to the outlying islands pass nearby. This is a unique choice in the heart of Macau, but it's so hopping busy you won't get much help from the overworked front-desk staff—presuming, of course, you can find them.