The synthesis of two new polyaminocarboxylate macrocycles incorporating one or two intracyclic phenol units (HL and HL, respectively) is described. The 12-membered HL macrocycle leads to soluble and stable mononuclear Ln complexes of [(L)Ln(HO)] composition (Ln = Eu, Tb and Gd) in aqueous solutions. In Tris buffer (pH 7.4), the [(L)Tb(HO)] complex displays a suitable efficiency for sensitized emission (η = 48%) and a high luminescence quantum yield (Φ = 22%), which is worthy of note for a bis-hydrated terbium complex. Besides, luminescence experiments show that bidentate endogenous anions (citrate, carbonate, and phosphate) do not displace the two inner-sphere water molecules of this complex. In contrast, the possible presence of LMCT states causes the europium complex to be weakly luminescent. The [(L)Gd(HO)] complex is characterized by high relaxivity (r = 7.2 s mM at 20 MHz) and a very short water residence time of the coordinated water molecules (τ = 9 ns), promising values for the realisation of macromolecular systems with high relaxivities. Thus, the Tb and Gd complexes of the HL macrocycle exhibit several improvements in terms of luminescent (lower excitation energy, higher brightness) and relaxometric (shorter τ) properties compared to the corresponding LnPCTA complexes, where a phenol moiety substitutes a pyridine ring. On the other hand, the 24-membered HL macrocycle including two phenol units in its structure leads to dinuclear complexes of [(L)Ln] composition. Its terbium complex shows a long luminescence lifetime (2 ms) and a high quantum yield (43%) in aqueous solutions, making this compound a new promising candidate for time-resolved applications.