Ballad of a Small Player - Colin Farrell (2025) - Residence of the Portuguese Consul, Macau

Most of my regular readers will know this place by its former identity: the Bela Vista Hotel. However, since the Handover in 1999 the building has been repurposed as the residence of the Portuguese Consul General. They must have pulled some strings to use it for the production and the Consul does get an acknowledgement in the credits. Doyle heads here when Dao-ming disappears and tries to get his friend to repay a debt he owes him so he can run away to Hong Kong.

The Dragon from Russia - Sam Hui (1990) - Hotel Bela Vista, Macau

Another place that has cropped up a few times on here over the years is the Bela Vista Hotel. It was a tourist favourite in the 80s and 90s and I even got a comment from the old manager many years ago on my old history blog - he tantalisingly asked me what I wanted to know about only to never return. What a pity because I'm sure he had some fantastic stories. The building is now occupied by the Portuguese Consul to Macau and has been that way since the Macau handover in 1999. Bruce Lee fans (who often read my blog) will probably remember it appearing briefly in Ahna Capri's home video shot during the filming of Enter the Dragon in 1973.

Anyway, this is where Yao and May go to celebrate Christmas before they are interrupted by the police.

Pedicab Driver - Sammo Hung (1989) - Hotel Bela Vista Driveway, Macau

In one scene, Cake (Lowell Lo), takes a passenger up a really steep hill and can barely move his legs to turn the pedals. This scene was filmed on the driveway that leads from Avenida da República up to the former Bela Vista Hotel (now the official residence of the Portuguese Consul). I don't think the drive has a name but it looks pretty much the same today as it did back then, although the aerial google views show that it has a new surface on it - perhaps done prior to the 1999 handover when the hotel became the Consul's residence? (I'm just guessing though).

The Last Time I Saw Macao - João Rui Guerra da Mata (2012) - former Bela Vista Hotel, Macau

So even though Da Mata is supposed to be at the Club Militar, the film makers have bamboozled me a bit by intermingling the club footage with the interior from the Portuguese Consul's residence - the former Bela Vista Hotel.

The reason I recognised the staircase in the following shots was because the same one appeared in Pierce Brosnan's Around the World in 80 Days, which I covered several years ago. I have no knowledge of the production of this film, but I get the feeling the club was not up for anyone filming inside and the Consul probably welcomed his fellow compatriots with open arms, but I'm just guessing.

The initial image is of the road up to the building. The camera is located on one of the hairpin bends on Calçada do Bom Parto where we can see up to the former hotel and down to the main road. This is one of the establishing shots used for the Club Militar footage.

After the external shots of the Club Militar, and then the cheeky through-the-window shots, we are given these images of what most people would assume to be a staircase inside the club, but obviously now you know differently. If you click on the Around the World in 80 Days link above, you'll see the same columns and banister (as well as entrance stairs).

Around the World in 80 Days - Pierce Brosnan (1989) - Bela Vista Hotel, Macau

Now that I have finally got round to looking at the locations in this mini-series (I've had it in my drawer for about 2 years but only just mustered enough energy to sit through all 4.5 hours trying to spot HK locations, so please forgive my tardiness), I can finally provide us all with some shots of the interior of the Bela Vista. Thankfully it's had a bit of a clean up since 1989.

Noble House (Mini series) - Pierce Brosnan (1988) - Hotel Bela Vista, Macau

Here's a picture I have had to use before when I did a full post on another one of Macau's famous hotels. In this case it is the Bela Vista. At the time of filming this was still operating as a hotel (and commentator Neil MacDonald who later worked with Pierce Brosnan on Around the World in 80 Days told us that this hotel was a major filming location for that later series) and it wasn't until over 10 years later - following the 'handover' of Macau to China in December 1999 - that it was first used as it current occupation as the residence of the Portuguese Consul in Macau.

In the screen grab, the Rolls Royce is driving its occupants along the Avenida da Republica, at the time it was a seafront road, but even that small bit of sea we can see above has now been enclosed into what is now known as Sai Van Lake.

The sea wall remains unchanged however, and here is a Streetview grab from the other side of the new lake. You can see the, now, Portuguese Consul's residence centre screen to the right of the lamppost.