This Marina Bay Sands review will explore every aspect of the hotel.
Marina Bay Sands Review Blog: Table of Contents
Marina Bay Sands Review Blog: Have you ever wondered what it’s like to sleep under a giant surfboard perched atop three skyscrapers? Well, make sure you wax up your credit card (yes it’s not cheap – but so worth the money), because I’m about to take you on a Marina Bay Sands Review Blog of our one night at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore!
Picture this: a building that looks like it was designed by a drunk architect playing Jenga with office towers, topped off with what can only be described as the world’s most ambitious infinity pool. It’s the kind of place that makes you question whether you’ve accidentally stumbled onto a movie set or if you’ve finally cracked and your alcohol-induced fantasies are manifesting in real life. It’s seriously impressive…
What Makes the Marina Bay Sands Hotel Stand Out? The Marina Bay Sands Hotel stands as a beacon of luxury in Singapore. As one of the top luxury hotels in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands offers an unparalleled experience.
A Complete Marina Bay Sands Review: Luxury, Dining, and Experiences
This Marina Bay Sands review will explore every aspect of the hotel.
So it is supposed to represent a boat perched atop three decks of cards being shuffled. This is to remind people that they used to have to take ferries from Singapore to a cruise liner converted to a gambling ship that was moored in international waters. This was before Singapore buddied up with the Sands Group to benefit from all that lovely tax that gambling brings. And now we have two casinos… Go figure.
As I approached this architectural fever dream, I couldn’t help but wonder: Would the wife and I need a parachute to check out? Is there a secret waterslide from the rooftop pool to the lobby? And most importantly, would our wallet survive this vertical voyage into luxury? The latter did indeed take a battering.
This is my recount of one night of living large in Singapore’s most iconic hotel – where the views are high, the prices are higher, and the experience is, well… let’s just say it’s more vertigo-inducing than my last attempt at online dating *which was ages ago Wifey).
This Marina Bay Sands Review Blog is all about Wifey’s Birthday celebrations back in Covid December 2021. Located across the street from Marina Bay, this 5* upscale hotel is about a mile from Gardens by the Bay and 18 miles from Singapore Changi Airport.
The Marina Bay Sands Hotel stands as a beacon of luxury in Singapore. As one of the top luxury hotels in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands offers an unparalleled experience. Best hotel in Singapore.
Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and minibars are standard in the well-appointed rooms, which also have sitting spaces and floor-to-ceiling windows. Rooms with city or sea views can be upgraded, including balconies for ‘garden-facing’ rooms (yes, we were lucky enough to receive an upgrade to one of these). With living spaces, kitchenettes, saunas, pianos, and butler service, suites are available (not on my credit card they’re not). Room service is available around the clock.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel Review: What Makes It Stand Out? As well as food and drink establishments, there are also meeting rooms, a casino, and a museum to enjoy. There is also a rooftop infinity pool, a spa, a gym, and an observation deck.
The food is incredible at the multitude of Marina Bay Sands Restaurants and the best, in my humble opinion, are those at the top with incredible views to boot cum night or day: like Spago, Lavo, Ce La Vi, and Wolfgang Puk Spago. We were also very lucky that they upgraded us to a garden-view room as it was Wifey’s birthday. Thanks so much Marina Bay Sands.
Read on in the MBS Review and you’ll see what I mean. Marina Bay Sands Hotel Review: What Makes It Stand Out?
As I mentioned, we were very fortunate that Marina Bays Sands upgraded the room for Wifey’s birthday. She here we are on the balcony of our Marina Bay Sands Garden View Room. Come on that is some WOW right there. Wait until you see it at night.
Panoramic views from the room. It truly is stunning from up here. What a start to the staycation. Marina Bay Sands Hotel Room Price, clearly varies drastically based on your personal selection of room type.
Massive bathroom (Wifey working out what she can slip in her suitcase) and HUGE King-size bed. Loving this so far. She is such a lucky Birthday girl (and me so lucky too as I have to accompany her haha). We kept our original Marina Bay Sands Hotel Room Price, as this was a free upgrade. Woo Hoo.
Introducing my MBS Review model, Wifey, showing off the incredible room before we go upstairs for some lunch on the top of the world. So beautiful.
What Makes the Marina Bay Sands Hotel Stand Out? The Marina Bay Sands Hotel stands as a beacon of luxury in Singapore.
Things to do at Marina Bay Sands
When staying at Marina Bay Sands, there are plenty of things to do, including visiting the iconic infinity pool, shopping at The Shoppes, and enjoying a meal at celebrity chef restaurants.
I got so many Brownie points for this birthday present. Just check out my beautiful smiley Wifey. Happy Wife / Happy Life… Thank you wallet and thank you Marina Bay Sands and crew, you really did make this a very special Birthday.
Wifey doing her modelling career the world of good up the top of Marina Bays Sands. Yes, the infinity pool is open, but you do have to book a slot and those slots fill up FAST. I suggest you book that in as quickly as you can upon check-in.
Model shots and even a jacuzzi, that was so hot you could have boiled potatoes in it. I kid you not…
Finally, after 15 years of living here, we get to go to the pool. Even my brother from the UK has been here before us. No, you cannot use this pool unless you are staying at the hotel, so there is one pre-requisite for you. And if you look at those photos you’ll see it was a moody day and that meant not a lot of sunshine to warm the pool and it was FREEZING!!! But, the infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands offers breathtaking views over Singapore.
They don’t heat the water as part of a green/sustainability program. Basically, the cold water is used to cool the hotel down saving on the need for excessive aircon. OK, I like that, but still maybe not enough for me to like having my testicles up in my throat. So cold I think I spotted a North Sea Cod swim past me.
But, for that view, it is well worth it. The infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands offers breathtaking views over Singapore. It is absolutely unique. 3 separate pools and even a kids pool. Then those jacuzzis. Yeah, whatever I hear you cry. Hey, that is all on the FIFTY SEVENTH FLOOR… It is an incredible piece of engineering. The Infinity Pool at Marina Bay Sands: An Unforgettable Experience.
Marina Bay Sands Dining
An Inside Look at Marina Bay Sands Dining Options
The Marina Bay Sands dining experience is top-notch, offering an array of world-class restaurants.
MBS Review of the Restaurants and Bars
I’ll be doing separate blog restaurant reviews for the food as it seriously warrants a call out, as it was so good. We seemed to gravitate to Spago and had lunch/drinks & dinner there on the 1st day and breakfast on the second day. For a true culinary journey, Marina Gourmet at Marina Bay Sands provides a selection of world-class dining options.
Spago Singapore is split into two, one more fine dining than the other more casual bistro neighbour. But we did have a lovely lunch and superb dinner this day up the top of Marina Bay Sands. So this does get a mention in our little blog review here.
From Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Beverly Hills restaurant, Spago MBS is the first foreign spinoff of Spago, which provides an inventive and fresh menu of California cuisine with global accents. The restaurant is located at the top of Marina Bay Sands’ Sands SkyPark, which overlooks the iconic Infinity Pool and the city’s cityscape. It was legendary – so much so we had lunch and dinner here today as our sole choice of Marina Bay Sand restaurant for this staycation.
We also went to Lavo MBS after dinner for some late-night drinks and see the twinkling city lights. That was breathtaking it has to be said. This is one of the top restaurants with a view Singapore and absolutely one of the best rooftop bars Singapore.
Sadly we missed Sunset drinks @ Lavo Singapore due to the time slot given to us for the MBS infinity pool. Something to be aware of when you book your staycation. We’ll be back for a romantic Valentine’s dinner in Feb’22 Lavo, and we’ll see you then.
We have dined before outside the hotel complex and in the Marina Bay Sands Shoppes, or The Shoppes if you’re following the Wayfinder. We have eaten at Bread Street Kitchen for Best Beef Wellington Singapore, you’ll see three reviews of CeLaVi menu from our visits to Sky High Hawker and other amazing dining experiences. I did try to book Cut by Wolfgang Puck for this Staycation but had no luck with the availability.
If you read on you’ll see our blogs to give you much more insight and depth to the variety we have experienced of Marina Bay Sand food. You could almost use that list as your MBS Food Directory perhaps?
Delicious Birthday dinner at Spago, seriously so very good and even included a little Birthday dessert. Then onto the incredibly twinkly lights of the Singapore city skyline for the last drink before bedtime at Lavo’s. Be seeing you again soon.
And the day was finished with a wobbly walk back to the room for a lovely sleep in that awesome bed, with one final snap of Gardens by the Bay from the balcony.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel Review in two words: “Just class!!!”
You might be wondering, is Marina Bay Sands worth it? For luxury seekers and first-time visitors, the answer is a resounding yes.
It’s up there on the $$$ frontage for the Marina Bay Sands price per night, but worth every single cent from my perspective. Wifey felt like she was a Queen for a day and that’s what mattered to me because this became a birthday present for her to remember for all time. She truly was so very happy.
We got to enjoy MBS Infinity Pool, Spago Singapore and Lavo MBS probably two of the best rooftop bars and rooftop restaurants in Singapore. We were upgraded to an incredible garden-view bedroom with a balcony.
We truly did feel like VIP’s for a day and night and I loved that for my Wifey. Do it. Marina Bay Sands Review Blog: It is up there with the absolute best things to do in Singapore.
What Makes the Marina Bay Sands Hotel Stand Out? The Marina Bay Sands Hotel stands as a beacon of luxury in Singapore. For luxury, convenience, and top-notch facilities, Marina Bay Sands often ranks as the best hotel in Singapore. My opinion is that it is the best hotel in Singapore, by far.
A Complete Marina Bay Sands Review: Luxury, Dining, and Experiences FAQs
Can you pay to go to the MBS pool if you're not a hotel guest?
No. You can only use the pool if you are a paid up guest with a room.
Marina Bay Sands price per night
What is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel Cost?
What is the Marina Bay Sands price per night? The Marina Bay Sands hotel cost varies depending on the type of room and season. We’ve included a link to Klook which gives you booking abilities & special offers. But Expect on average between $700-$1,200 SGD.
Can you go to the roof garden/SkyPark to view if not a guest?
Yes, you can. You can use the restaurants and bars without being a hotel guest, so Lavo, Spago, Ce La Vi. You can also visit the SkyPark. You just are not getting anywhere near that Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool. Make sure, gents, that you have covered shoes though, or you’re going nowehere near the top or those restos…
Marina Bay Sands in Singapore was an extremely expensive project to build. Here are the key details about its construction cost:
- Total cost: Approximately S$8 billion (Singapore dollars), equivalent to about US$5.7 billion (based on current exchange rates).
- Initial budget: The project actually went over its initial budget. It was originally estimated to cost around S$5.4 billion.
- Timeframe: Construction began in 2006 and the resort officially opened in 2010, though some parts opened in stages.
- Scale: The high cost reflects the massive scale and complexity of the project, which includes:
- Three 55-story hotel towers
- A 1.2-million-square-foot convention center
- An 800,000-square-foot shopping mall
- The famous 1.2-acre SkyPark with its infinity pool
- The ArtScience Museum
- Two theaters
- Several celebrity chef restaurants
- A casino
- At its completion, it was one of the world’s most expensive standalone casino properties ever built.
- The high cost was partly due to the challenging engineering required to build such a unique structure, especially the cantilevered SkyPark.
This massive investment reflects Singapore’s ambition to become Asia’s major tourism and business hub. The Marina Bay Sands has since become an iconic landmark of Singapore and a significant contributor to its tourism industry.
It’s free to enter the hotel and look around the ground floor. You can also walk through it on a skywalk that you access from either The Convention Centre or Gardens By The Bay. To get to the top you’ll need to book lunch or dinner with one of the restaurants like Spago, Ce La Vi, and Lavo.
Or you can pay to go to the SkyPark from Tower 3;
Standard
- S$26 (Adult)
- S$23 (Senior Citizen above 65 years old)
- S$20 (Child, 2 – 12 years old)
Singapore Residents Promotion (till 31 Mar)
- S$18 (Adult)
- S$14 (Senior Citizen above 65 years old and Child, 2-12 years old)
- Family Package (2 Adults & 2 Children): S$50
Give them a call @ 6688 8868
Of course, you can book through the usual suspects such as Booking.com, Agoda etc.
Marina Bay Sands Location
- Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay – down to The Marina Bay Sands Shoppes with you for this restaurant
- DB Bistro Moderne – go sample Chef Daniel Boulud’s menu, again in The Marina Bay Sands Shoppes
- Sky High Hawker Part One – a fascinating series of events at Ce La Vi showing off a plethora of Singaporean hawkers
- Sky High Hawker Part Two – not the traditional CeLaVi menu as this is about 8 hawkers selling their food up the top
- Sky High Hawker Gourmet
- Sky Park @ Marina Bay Sands
- Wakuda – quite new to MBS Restaurants