I was super stoked when I had the opportunity to do a 3 day 2-night staycation at Singapore’s iconic hotel, Marina Bay Sands. The price of their deluxe rooms (which is their basic room type) starts from $500 plus per night. If you’re one of the Crazy Rich Asians in Singapore, you probably would not mind checking out their suites which starts from $1,000+ per night.
Since I’m on the other end of the scale (and is nowhere near the Crazy Rich Asian status), I was already very pleased and satisfied with my stay in one of their deluxe rooms on their 38th storey. And out of all the hotels I’ve stayed in Singapore, none can be compared to this 5-star luxurious hotel which offers unparalleled views of the Central Business District area and houses the world’s largest infinity pool.
Staying at Marina Bay Sands Hotel
Having been living here in Singapore for years, it saddens me for not having to check out Marina Bay Sands hotel much earlier than before. Now that I’ve been there and done that, it’s time for me to share with you my insights and experiences living in this hotel.
The World’s Most Expensive Casino Property
The Marina Bay Sands hotel is just one part of this integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. Besides the hotel, there’s also a casino, a shopping mall complex, a theatre, a convention centre and a museum. You could say that it is one of the ‘expensive’ places in Singapore where you might occasionally spot some Crazy Rich Asians shopping for branded bags or dining at one of the Celebrity chef restaurants like Adrift by David Myers.
Club Room Check-in counter
This is the check-in counter for those staying in club rooms with club lounge access. You don’t have to check-in at the main reception area as the queue can get quite long. Don’t forget that there are 2,561 rooms here at the Marina Bay Sands hotel!
VIP Check-in
If you’re a Sands Reward Lifestyle member, you can actually check-in at this VIP counter. We managed to beat the queue by checking in at this VIP counter as my mum has the Sands Reward membership card. By the way, this membership is free to join. With the card, you can enjoy many shopping and dining perks at Marina Bay Sands resort.
The Deluxe Sky View Room
Checking in to the hotel was a breeze. Once we got the room keys, we head up straight to 38th floor to check out our room. It is a deluxe room that offers a scenic view of the city. This is the most basic room type at Marina Bay Sands hotel which has a floor area of 30 square metres. It is rather large for a hotel room in Singapore considering that space is a constraint in our country.
A one-night stay here costs about SGD500++. It is very pricey to stay in this hotel but I would stay that it is kind of worth it – considering the fact that you have a reasonably big room with wonderful views of the city and access to their Infinity pool and observatory deck.
If you’re travelling to Singapore for the first time and would not mind splurging on your stay here, you should definitely check out this hotel.
It’s 30 square metres big.
Although this hotel was built 9 years ago, it still looks modern and up-to-date. I have to say that it is very well-maintained and clean. It looks like they have been revamping the rooms every now and then to ensure that it looks exactly like a proper 5-star hotel room. It’s spacious and comtemporary-looking.
The bed is comfortable but not as plushy or soft as compared to other 5-star hotels I’ve stayed before. The mattress is relatively quite firm and not too hard. Overall, I had a good night’s sleep except for the first night when I was disturbed by the neighbouring rowdy hotel guests who can’t stop shouting and singing loudly. I actually called up the hotel to complain but they could not find the source of the noise.
Complimentary High-Speed Wi-Fi and USB ports
I always rejoice when I stay in hotel rooms that have USB-ports for me to charge my phone and other electronic devices. Then I don’t have pack power plugs and bulky chargers in my bags or luggage.
The High-speed Wi-Fi in the room is wonderful too. I’ve no problem connecting to the Wi-Fi using my laptop. The internet connection in Singapore is generally superb if not excellent.
Executive Work Desk
It’s cool to be seated near the floor-to-ceiling windows where you can enjoy a 180-degree view of the skyline of the city.
42″ interactive flatscreen TV with over 50 channels
Fully stocked minibar
If you are not planning to consume anything from the minibar area, then it is best not to touch or remove any object from the snack tray or the mini-fridge. If you remove the item from the original place for more than 30 seconds, the system will automatically charge the cost of the snacks or drinks to your credit card.
Everything else in the minibar area comes with a tag except for the complimentary tea and coffee sachets.
Wardrobe with iron, ironing board and in-room safe
Bathroom with glass-enclosed shower
There’s no bathtub in the deluxe rooms but the bathroom is very spacious.
Luxury bathroom amenities
I actually enjoyed using their bath amenities. Their shampoos and body foams are infused with an elegant white rose tea scent that perfumes the whole bathroom as you shower.
There’s a guest service agent assigned to every hotel room and they even take the time to issue every hotel guest a welcome note. They would be the ones who will clean and tidy up your room in the morning. Their service is very prompt and they really did a good job of tidying and cleaning up the room.
Other Hotel Amenities
The World’s Largest and Longest Infinity Pool: Sands SkyPark Infinity Pool
The 150-metre long infinity pool is beyond stunning. Even taking a dip in this pool makes you feel like you’re at the top of the world. When you get into the pool, you’ll get to enjoy the amazing view of Singapore from one of the best vantage points in Singapore. No wonder my fiancé was dying to visit this infinity pool!
The infinity pool is indeed an attraction by itself. You can see many tourists and hotel guests snapping photos of themselves in the pool, against the backdrop of Singapore’s beautiful skyline.
Need help with taking a picture of yourself in the pool? There’s a designated photographer who will be at hand to help you take an ‘Instagrammable’ photo with your own mobile phone. Check out the guy wearing a black tee in the photograph above! He would swim around in the adult pool area to help people to their once-in-a-lifetime photos.
The pool is segregated into three zones. There’s one zone for the adults only and there is also a kid-friendly pool for the younger ones to frolic in the water.
Kid’s Pool
Sands SkyPark Observation Deck
The observatory deck is another area you should check out because it is free for all hotel guests. It is located on the 57th floor. This is the best place to enjoy a panoramic view of Singapore and a bird-eye view of Gardens by the Bay. All I can say that it is pretty breath-taking to be viewing my homeland up 57th storeys high! It’s amazing how Singapore has transformed so quickly over the years. Do you know that Marina Bay district is actually reclaimed land?
CÉ LA VI Club Lounge
Gardens by the Bay
24-hour Gym
There’s a 24-hr gym within the hotel’s fitness and spa club on the 55th floor of Tower 2. The gym is quite big and is very well-equipped with the latest state-of-the-art exercise machines.
Hot Pool and Sauna Room
You can also use their sauna and hot pool in the spa after your workout. But their sauna is very small and can only accommodate about 2 to 3 people. Their hot pool is also very small and the temperature is fixed only at 40-degree celsius, which in my opinion, is not hot enough to soothe tired muscles or stimulate the blood circulation. As such, I find their spa facilities to be rather disappointing. And it isn’t worth checking it out at all.
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
After checking out all the hotel facilities, I headed over to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands to walk around. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there’s little human traffic in the mall and it is relatively quiet throughout the day.
Rasapura
If you like to try out Singapore’s local food, you can visit Rasapura, a premium food court at Marina Bay Sands which offer many various kinds of local delicacies. The food here costs more than the food offered at hawker centres and food courts elsewhere. Marina Bay Sands is one of the touristy spots so if you choose to dine here, be prepared to pay a little more.
Food is generally quite good though if not, average. Most of the dishes here cost between $6.80 to $10. And after your meal, you can also grab some bubble tea from R&B (next to Rasapura) which makes really good Brown Sugar Boba Milk drink.
During my 3-day 2-night stay, I had all my meals at Rasapura and my favourite dish thus far is this plate of Blue Pea nasi lemak. However, the portion is rather small. It’s not one of the best in Singapore but it tastes decent.
Checking Out of Marina Bay Sands Hotel
My staycation experience at Marina Bay Sands is pretty enjoyable. Though I did not get to dine at any of the ‘celebrity chef’ restaurants, I managed to take a dip in the world’s largest infinity pool and check out the Sands Park Observatory deck.
It is one of the best staycation experience I had in Singapore and I would not mind staying at the Marina Bay Sands hotel again. The checking-out process is a breeze and their staff were friendly. Their service is generally superb except for that one horrible night when I was disturbed by the neighbouring inconsiderate guests. Other than that, it was a great stay.
It is one iconic hotel in Singapore which I proud to say that it is one of the best hotels in the world.
