Macau Sauna Service Charges Explained

When people compare Macau saunas, the thing they usually miss is not the room-type difference — it is the service charge. Two venues with near-identical listed prices can differ by more than ten percent at the counter, and that ten percent is never printed in large type.

The rate at each of the seven venues

Venue	Service charge	Settled total on a MOP 1,500 room
Majesty Spa	Service charge and tourism tax counted inside the listed price	1,500
Excellent Sauna	5% service + 5% tourism tax, counted inside the listed price	1,500
East Castle Spa	Service charge and tourism tax counted inside the listed price	1,500
Empire Sauna	Plus 5% service + 5% tourism tax	1,650
Manhao Spa	Plus 5% service + 5% tourism tax	1,650
Shang Pin International Spa	Plus 10% tourism service charge	1,650
Number Nine Spa	Plus 10% service charge	1,650

(The table applies one shared listed price to show the arithmetic. It is not each venue’s actual entry tier — for those, see the seven-venue comparison. Figures are the boards as at 18 September 2026.)

Three venues settle at the listed price, and for the same reason: the charge is already counted inside it. At Majesty Spa, Excellent Sauna and East Castle Spa the service charge and the tourism tax both sit within the listed number, so nothing is added at checkout. All three do levy the two — this is all-in pricing, not a waiver, and the difference is only where the money sits. The other four add ten percent on top; only the labelling differs. Some split it into “5% service + 5% tourism tax”, others simply write “10%”. The total is the same.

East Castle changed the shape of its pricing in September 2026: the service charge and the tourism tax moved from “added on top” to “counted inside”, and every tier gained a fixed gratuity that is compulsory and paid to the therapist rather than a discretionary tip. The MOP 2,288 – 6,688 range we publish already has that gratuity inside it, so what you see is the settled figure.

Get the currency right first

This is where visitors lose money most often, and it is easier to fix than the service charge.

Prices are listed in Macanese patacas (MOP). Hong Kong dollars are accepted almost everywhere in Macau, but nearly always at 1:1 — and the HKD is worth roughly 3% more than the pataca. Settle a MOP 1,650 bill in Hong Kong dollars and you have quietly paid about fifty patacas extra. The larger the bill, the larger the gap.

Pay in patacas where you can. If you only have HKD, treat that 3% as a hidden surcharge when you compare venues, or the comparison is wrong before you start.

Why the labels differ

Macau venues itemise “service charge” and “tourism tax” separately on the bill. From a guest’s point of view both are money above the listed price, so add them together and stop there. The naming does not change the total.

One distinction does matter: add-ons and service charges are different things. Add-ons are optional extras you select; the service charge is a percentage of total spend. The complimentary add-ons on a booking through this site vary by house — two at Empire, Manhao, Shang Pin, Number Nine and Excellent, one at Majesty and East Castle, and none at Clube Rio, which is a business KTV and runs no add-on menu — and none of them remove the service charge.

How to compare without getting it wrong

A simple method: take the three all-in venues at their listed price, multiply the four ten-percent venues by 1.1, then sort.

The resulting order is often not the order you get from listed prices alone. A venue with a lower list price but a ten-percent charge can easily end up costing more than a higher-listed venue whose price already has the charge inside it.

What is already included

The good news: food and drink usually are not extra. In-house dining and soft drinks at all seven venues are generally covered by your in-venue spend. At Empire, the steak, seafood, noodle dishes and beer are all included — only spirits and wine are billed separately. At Majesty, steak, fresh fruit and cold beer are served without a cap.

So the only things that genuinely need adding up are the service charge and whatever extras you choose yourself.

Ask for the total before you go

The easiest approach is to ask for the all-in total including service charge when you book, rather than asking “how much per session”. Specify room type, length of stay and add-ons, get one number back, and there is no gap when you arrive.

Booking through this site waives the entrance fee and includes free door-to-door transfers. Prices are identical to walking in — the venue pays the commission — so asking us for the total gets you the same answer as asking the venue. WhatsApp, Telegram or LINE all work, replies come through late at night, and there is no deposit and no personal details required.