Macau is fast transforming itself into a popular family-friendly destination with a variety of hotel accommodation packages and activities specifically designed to keep younger guests entertained.
Despite my personal preference for boutique hotel stays, getting away for a night with organised fun at the core of the family agenda was remarkably enjoyable.
My 11-year-old, Francesca, and I set off on our 24-hour mother-daughter escape, taking the jet ferry trip to Cotai in just 90 minutes and arrived at the Sheraton Macao Hotel - a vast 3,896-room establishment within the Sands Cotai Central resort.
Our Dragon Adventure package included a character-themed family suite, a "How to train your dragon" adventure camp based on DreamWorks' two animated films of the same name, and a Shrekfast with the DreamWorks Gang the following morning.
The adventure camp was the highlight of our stay with its five "dragon-training zones" dedicated to different interactive and creative activities for children aged between four and 12 years of age.
Francesca started with having her face painted to create a colourful Viking-inspired look. Looking the part with the help of a few temporary dragon tattoos, she then moved on to decorate her own Viking helmet. Other craft activities included creating a dragon out of cardboard and learning how to use a (plastic) sword and shield.
The space was professionally decorated to recreate the film's Viking village and included a realistic entrance area where children could pose for photographs while they appeared to be flying through the air on the back of Toothless the dragon. Activities were well planned, with plenty of proactive and helpful trainers on hand.