Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapur
The Marina Bay Sands (abbreviation: MBS) is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay within the Downtown Core district of Singapore. At its opening in 2010, it was billed as the world’s most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion (US$6.88 billion), including the land cost. It is owned by the Singaporean subsidiary of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation.
Marina Bay Sands is the leading business, leisure and entertainment destination in Asia. It features large and flexible convention and exhibition facilities, 2,561 hotel rooms and suites, the rooftop Sands SkyPark, a museum, the best shopping mall in Asia, world-class celebrity chef restaurants, a casino, Paiza Club for premium players, an outdoor event plaza and theaters featuring Broadway hits such as “The Lion King.”
Designed by Moshe Safdie, the resort includes a 2,561-room hotel, a 120,000-square-metre (1,300,000 sq ft) convention-exhibition centre, the 74,000-square-metre (800,000 sq ft) The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands mall, a museum, a large theatre, “celebrity chef” restaurants, two floating crystal pavilions, art-science exhibits, and the world’s largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex includes three towers topped by a connecting 340-metre-long (1,120 ft) SkyPark with a capacity of 3,902 people and a 150 m (490 ft) infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world’s largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 66.5 m (218 ft).
The building and its surrounds was originally set to open in 2009, but its construction faced slight delays caused by escalating costs of material and labour shortages, aggravated from the global financial crisis at the time. This pressured Las Vegas Sands to delay its projects elsewhere to complete the integrated resort within considerable time. It ultimately decided to open the integrated resort in stages, which was approved by the Singaporean government.
The resort and SkyPark were officially opened on 23 and 24 June 2010 as part of a two-day celebration, following the casino’s opening on 27 April that year. The SkyPark opened the following day. The theatre was completed in time for the first performance of Riverdance on 30 November. The indoor skating rink, which uses artificial ice, opened to a performance by Michelle Kwan on 18 December, but has been permanently replaced by a digital new exhibit also known as Digital Light Canvas, an attraction done by Japanese art collective teamLab. The grand opening of Marina Bay Sands was held on 17 February 2011. It also marked the opening of the seven celebrity chef restaurants, such as Gordon Ramsay. The ArtScience Museum opened to the public and the debut of a 13-minute light, laser and water show two days later on 19 February 2011 marked the full completion of the integrated resort.
As of 2020, its crystal pavilions are anchored by an Apple Store and the world’s largest Louis Vuitton boutique, both located on a floating island at 1,900 m2 (20,000 sq ft), which is connected to the Shoppes via an underwater tunnel each. Marina Bay Sands is also set to have a fourth tower constructed in the near future, adjacent to the existing tri-towers, at an approximate USD 3.3 billion investment, in its bid to attract more international visitors.
Transportation
By Mass Rapid Transit (MRT): Bayfront, Downtown, and Promenade stations on both the Circle Line and Downtown Line
Marina Bay station on the Circle Line, North South Line, and Thomson–East Coast Line
Marina South station on the Thomson–East Coast Line
By public bus: Services 97/97e, 106, 133, 502/502A, 518/518A, NR1, NR6
By water taxi: From Grand Copthorne Water Front, Raffles Landing Side, Boat Quay, River Side Point and Robertson Quay
What is so special about Marina Bay Sands?
Marina Bay Sands® is a destination for those who appreciate luxury. An integrated resort notable for transforming Singapore’s city skyline, it comprises three 55-storey towers of extravagant hotel rooms and luxury suites with personal butler services.
Can you go up Marina Bay Sands for free?
If you want to go up the top of Marina Bay Sands it will cost you $20, but it is better value to say you want to go to the bar on the top floor for a drink. It is free entry, and you can spend your money on a drink there.
Can you visit the top of Marina Bay Sands?
You can visit the Sands SkyPark Observation Deck, which is a seperate part on top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. It sure has amazing views even though it is to the very far side of the hotel.
COVID-19 pandemic
In response to the 2020 Singapore circuit breaker measures that started on 7 April 2020, Marina Bay Sands announced that it would shut down all hotel facilities as well as attractions such as the ArtScience Museum, The Shoppes, food and beverage outlets, and its casino.
On 19 June, the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, including tenant F&B outlets restarted operations with enhanced hygiene and safety protocols, and were only open to Sands Rewards Club (SRC) members. On 1 July, the ArtScience Museum, the Casino and Sands SkyPark Observation Deck joined the other venues in resuming operations, albeit progressively. Again, access was restricted to SRC members only, and in the case of the casino only those SRC members holding Gold status or higher and who were below 70 years of age or existing Annual Levy Holders are authorised access.
In popular culture
? The towers of the Marina Bay Sands have made multiple televised appearance on various franchises of The Amazing Race including the fourth season of the Asian edition of The Amazing Race, the first season of the Australian edition of The Amazing Race, the second season of the Israeli edition of The Amazing Race, and the twenty-fifth season of the original American edition of The Amazing Race, all of which featured a tightrope walking task between two of the resort’s towers.
? A partially destroyed version of the structure was featured in the 2015 video game Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, which takes place 10 years after a biochemical disaster has rendered most of Singapore’s eastern half inhospitable. The trailer of the 2016 movie Independence Day: Resurgence has a scene depicting the destruction of the property after being caught in the gravitational pull of a hovering alien spacecraft.
? It was featured in the 2018 American film Crazy Rich Asians, both in a scenic B-roll of Singapore, as well as a setting towards the end of the film.
? Both the completed and partially destroyed versions of the structure are featured in the opening, various parts of the film, and the end credits of the 2019 animated film Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire.
