Where to stay in Singapore: Marina Bay Sands
Whenever you go on holiday, do you stay right in the heart of the city, where you can truly experience the lifestyle of the locals, or head straight to brand new master developments that offer everything – entertainment, dining options and leisure activities – within a few paces from your accommodations?
We’ve noticed that our past features of luxury hotels on La Moda have been focused on historical monuments situated in the middle of the metro, so we decided to try something a little bit different and go for a brand new sprawling property where the hotel is just one component of a massive entertainment destination. For this purpose, we stayed at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore.
If we were to summarize this whole feature on MBS in a concise, three-word statement, it would be this: Everything is there.
The allure of the new
As the newest hotel in Singapore, guests can expect all the standard amenities and facilities plus a whole lot of brand new gloss. With over 2,500 rooms divided among three 55-story towers, the shiny facade is an honest reflection of what goes on inside, where luxury and modernity combine to create an atmosphere that encourages both activity and relaxation.
Most “outsiders” marvel at the architectural finesse that the exterior exhibits, and we admire it all as well – the sloping towers that combine at the 23rd floor to form one single building, the boat-like deck on top (Sands SkyPark) that gives the most divine views in Singapore (barring only a helicopter ride), and the stunning, 250-acre Gardens by the Bay which houses innumerable species of flora from the world over.
But as frequent hotel guests, we are more concerned with whether the MBS Hotel lives up to the true essence of hospitality, and with everything that’s offered within the 12 walls of the three hotel towers and their close proximity, we were nothing short of amazed.
While we found the check-in a bit stressful – we had to join a queue, and we’d never had to fall in line to check into a hotel before, they just had THAT many guests (about 100% occupancy rate) in light of Singapore’s upcoming national day – we learned to live with the fact that weren’t staying in just a hotel, it was a tourist destination in its own right.
Simplicity is key
Our room is high up in the third tower of the hotel, and while it presented a no-frills approach to aesthetics – everything was about functionality – the lack of old-world feel that we are so used to seeing is more than made up for by the exquisite views right from the balcony. We had a excellent view of the newly-opened Gardens by the Bay, and for anyone looking for a rejuvenating getaway, there’s nothing more refreshing than seeing greenery during the day and beautifully-lit, War of the Worlds-esque scene at night.
Access to everything you’ll want from a holiday
If we were to further simplify our summary of our stay at the Marina Bay Sands – Everything is there – we will use the word access. Stay in one of the rooms and you’ll find yourself paying not only for a few nights’ stay in one of Asia’s most sought-after hotels, but more importantly for access to everything you can ever want from a vacation.
Sights, entertainment, leisure activities and gastronomic delights are ensconced in one amazing master development. Looking for the latest Fall/Winter 2012 collections? Take the lift to the lobby and walk straight to The Shoppes. Louis Vuitton fanatics can wrap up the shopping marathon by paying a visit to the Louis Vuitton “island” store, a glass-steel floating crystal pavilion on the bay that sits beside the Pangaea and Avalon nightspots.
Having a hankering for a hearty meal? A total of seven celebrity chef restaurants await to welcome you in fine dining fashion. In the mood for breathtaking views of the city, from 200 metres up? The SkyPark is on the top floor, with its bars, restaurants and the famous Infinity Pool ready to cater to your whatever you may wish to do while bathing in the Singaporean moonlight. Feeling artsy? The ArtScience Museum showcases impressive blockbuster exhibitions from around the world, while imported plays are shown at the state-of-the-art theaters that can accommodate up to 2,000 guests for international musical acts and Broadway hits.
Health and wellness fans will enjoy a number of exotic treatments inspired by Asian traditions passed down through many generations from the Banyan Tree Spa at MBS, and appreciate doing their workouts with views from the 55th floor at the Banyan Tree Fitness Club.
All in all, it was a pleasantly different experience for us to stay in a hotel that attempts to bring everything together in one convenient location. You know what they say about being the jack of all trades and master of none? That doesn’t hold true for the Marina Bay Sands – it hit the perfect harmony with all the right notes.
Book your Eid Al Adha vacation at the Marina Bay Sands now. Visit their website at marinabaysands.com, send an email to room.reservations@marinabaysands.com or call +65 6688 8897 for more information.
