Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
  • Marina Bay Sands resort opened in 2010 and is one of the most recognizable hotels in Singapore.
  • The property features over 2,200 rooms, celebrity chef restaurants, and the famous rooftop infinity pool.
  • Rooms start at $600 in 2023, with the most expensive being the chairman suite for $17,000 per night.
Marina Bay Sands is only 13 years old but has grown to become one of the most popular and recognizable attractions in Singapore.
view of marina bay sands in Singapore
Overlooking the country's picturesque Supertree Grove, the massive, three-tower hotel is home to over 2,200 guest rooms, delicious food, and endless shopping.
A view of Marina Bay Sands from the canopy walk between the Skytrees.
A view of Marina Bay Sands from the canopy walk between the Skytrees.
On my recent trip to Singapore, I toured the resort to see everything it has to offer — take a look.
Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore — rooftop picture of me with trees, pool, cabanas, and view of the city.
Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore.
MBS opened in 2010 and is owned by Las Vegas Sands — a company famous for its "integrated resorts" that feature all-in-one hotels with rooms, dining, shopping, meeting space, and gambling.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. Casino in Macau
The Venetian casino resort in Macau, which is owned by Las Vegas Sands.
Singapore’s resort is probably the company’s most spectacular, having been designed by famed architect Moshe Safdie.
Marina Bay Sands.
MBS has seasonal decorations, like the bunny statue for the Chinese New Year.
It consists of three towers, all of which are connected by a long walkway of restaurants, shops, and decor. The resort's assistant director of communications, Dawn Wang, explained the buildings are sloped, with Tower 1 being the widest and Towers 2 and 3 being more narrow.
The sloping buildings viewed from inside.
A view of the sloping buildings viewed from the inside of the resort.
The design is intended to mimic two playing cards leaning against each other to create a house of cards, which was Safdie's inspiration for the building.
Singapore skyline Marina Bay Sands hotel singapore travel Shutterstock
You can see the "playing cards" from this view of the building.

Source: Marina Bay Sands

I enjoyed the unique design, which also featured huge windows and impressive plants and trees — all of which are real, according to Wang.
The sloping building viewed from the inside hallway on floor 1.
A view of the slopes tower.
She also said the building is focused on sustainability, pointing out that the ceiling design creates natural light and the rooftop features a large solar panel system.
The natural light coming in from all angles.
The natural light coming in from all angles.
While there are several entry points to MBS, stopping at tower 1 is the most efficient for check-in as this is where the main lobby is.
The main lobby of MBS with bunny statue.
Here, guests can get their room key from the front desk…
The check-in desk with colorful backdrop.
…or talk to the concierge.
The concierge desk at MBS.
When heading to the rooms, there are several sets of elevators, which are being upgraded with a new elegant interior, Wang explained.
The elevators with flower painting.
We got out on floor 10, and it was cool looking down at all the plants and decor below.
Looking down at the ground floor of the MBS towers from floor 10.
There are three room "collections" at MBS, including original, luxe, and signature.
On my tour, I was not able to see any of the rooms because they are being renovated as part of the resort's $1 billion upgrade project announced in early 2022.
The resort's current two-bedroom accommodations.
The resort's current two-bedroom accommodations.
Guests will find all of the rooms and suites in Towers 1 and 2 redesigned by the end of this year, according to MBS.
The bathroom in the chairman suite at Marina Bay Sands.
The current bathroom in the chairman suite.

Source: Marina Bay Sands

However, some original rooms will still remain, featuring luxuries like a large TV, plenty of storage, city or garden views, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The resort's current deluxe king garden view room.
The resort's current deluxe king garden view room. This is part of the "original collection."

Source: Marina Bay Sands

Currently, a stay in a mid-tier "luxe collection" room costs $1,360 per night in March or about $3,230 for a full weekend.
The Sands Suite living room at MBS.
The current Sands Suite living room at MBS, which is part of the "luxe collection."

Source: Marina Bay Sands

The most expensive accommodation — the four-bedroom chairman suite — goes for $17,000, before any potential renovations.
The chairman suite living room at MBS.
The current Chairman Suite living room, which is part of the "signature collection."
The resort's huge investment is on top of the multi-billion hotel expansion announced in 2019, which will see the addition of a fourth tower and a large entertainment arena.
MBS' current theater.
The current theater at MBS.

Source: Marina Bay Sands

Considering Marina Bay has attracted celebrities like Katy Perry and David Beckham, the arena is expected to host a wide variety of VIPs and top artists.
Katy Perry attends The 56th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 09, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Katy Perry held a press conference in the infinity pool of MBS in 2010 after its opening.

Source: Marina Bay Sands

While the upgrades are all expected to be complete by 2026, the hotel already has plenty to offer. Starting on the ground floor, there are myriad shops for guests to enjoy….
The gift shop at MBS.
…bars and lounges, like the 24-hour Renku Club...
The 24-hour Renku bar and lounge at MBS.

Source: Marina Bay Sands

...and fine-dining restaurants, like Blossom and Rise. In total, the MBS property houses over 60 eateries, many of which are by celebrity chefs, like Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen.
Blossom restaurant on the main floor of MBS.
Connected to the main floor via walkways are other attractions like the ArtScience museum, which has a virtual reality exhibit...
Visitors in the VR gallery at the ArtScience Museum.
Visitors in the VR gallery at the ArtScience Museum.
...as well as a four-level casino, theater, and nightly light and water show.
MBS' nightly light and water show with green, purple, and blue lights.
MBS' nightly light and water show.
But, the crown jewel sits on the resort's 55th floor — the world's longest rooftop infinity pool.
On the rooftop of MBS overlooking cabanas and the pool.
The pool stretches a whopping 492 feet, which is about the length of three Olympic-sized pools or two Airbus A380 aircraft, Wang told Insider.
The pool at MBS overlooking the city.
Some may remember the pool from the movie Crazy Rich Asians, which featured a team of synchronized swimmers dancing in the water in the film's final scene.
Crazy Rich Asians
The final scene of the movie on the 55th floor of MBS.
I was happy to find the water was warm and only about four feet deep. There were seats in the pool to relax, or guests could swim to the edge and overlook Singapore.
View of the pool with chairs in it.
While the thought of looking down may be scary, Wang said there is a wall and a one-meter buffer to keep people from falling over the side. Moreover, kids must be accompanied by an adult, or they can use the dedicated kiddie pool.
Marina Bay Sands
A full view of the pool.
For tourists looking to enjoy the pool, it is unfortunately only reserved for hotel guests. In fact, most of the SkyPark area can only be accessed by those with an active room key.
Chairs and cabanas by the pool, which can be reserved.
Chairs and cabanas by the pool, which can be reserved.
This means the jacuzzi...
The jacuzzi at MBS.
…the gym and spa…
The entrance to the gym.
The entrance to the gym.
…the plethora of seating…
Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore — rooftop with trees, pool, cabanas, and view of the city.
Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore.
…and the garden is restricted to resort guests.
The garden area at MBS.
The garden area is opposite the pool.
However, there are also several rooftop restaurants that can be accessed by non-guests, though a reservation is typically required. However, walk-ins are sometimes accommodated, but they must wait downstairs.
The restaurant on the observation deck.
The restaurant on the observation deck.
During my tour, I ate at Spago, but there were also other options like CÉ LA VI, which serves contemporary Asian cuisine, or LAVO, which focuses on Italian-American food.
Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore — entrance to Spago with people and plants.
Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore.
I thought the food at Spago, which is by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, was delicious. I tried the burger, Japanese chicken wings, a juicy steak, and pork bao — my favorite of the four.
The food at Spago — pork bao, french fries, a burger, and wings visible.
One other SkyPark attraction that can be visited by non-guests is MBS' famous observation deck.
View of the observation deck with plants and people.
The platform, which costs S$26 (about $20), is another two floors higher than the pool and offers a 360-degree view.
Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore — elevators to observation deck.
The elevators for floor 57, which is where the observation deck is.
Here, tourists can overlook the South China Sea and several other famous Singapore attractions, like the beautiful Raffles Hotel…
View from the observation deck, showing the museum, futbol field, skyscrapers, and Raffles.
While difficult to see from the photo, the Raffles Hotel sits to the right of the white cylinder skyscraper (it has a red roof).
…and one of the world's tallest Ferris wheels.
Surrounding the ferris wheel is the race track.
Surrounding the ferris wheel is the city's F1 race track.
Also visible are the several other buildings connected to MBS, including the convention center, the ArtScience museum, a nightclub, a casino, and the Sands Theater.
A view of the buildings below.
There is even a floating Louis Vuitton "island" store sitting in the water — a symbol of the wealth and luxury that sits within MBS and Singapore.
The Louis Vuitton floating store.
Overall, I was impressed with the giant resort and the plethora of amenities and attractions available.
Hallway of the 10th floor of MBS.
Hallway of the 10th floor.
While the rooms may be shockingly expensive, I was not surprised when Wang said the resort has been booked out 90% — both pre and post-pandemic.
The car pick-up and drop-out outside the main lobby.
The car pick-up and drop-out outside the main lobby.
Although I would probably not splurge the $600 per night for even a standard room, it's clear the allure of the property — as well as the exclusivity of the SkyPark — attracts deep-pocket travelers willing to splash out thousands for the experience.
View of the south china sea and gardens by the bay from the observation deck.
View of the south china sea and gardens by the bay from the observation deck.
Read the original article on Business Insider