BThere is no doubt that Marina Bay Sands is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Singapore. This grandiose hotel complex, worth almost 3 billion US dollars, solemnly opened its doors to guests in June 2010. And in 2011, 31 million people visited it, and in 2012 even more - already 38.5 million. It is the largest hotel in Singapore, the sixth largest hotel in Asia and the thirty-fourth largest in the world. Why are there so many rave reviews about it and what is it like?
Hotel-city in a city-state
The absolutely stunning high-rise hotel Marina Bay Sands 5* in Singapore seems to touch the sky. At an altitude of 200 meters above the ground and on three towers of the complex, a platform of 12,400 m² supports the world's highest swimming pool, which is 150 meters long, which also makes it the largest outdoor swimming pool.
In general, this pool gives the strange impression that it is suspended in the air under a concrete canopy. There will be a desire to jump straight into the pool from the side, but wait for the ringing trill of observers. Well, yes... of course, you are in Singapore, where extravagance is only in appearance!
The hotel and its quaint swimming pool are always open to visitors, making it a particularly attractive destination for tourists in the city-state. Tourists take pictures in the water and wander along the paths of this gigantic establishment. There are 2,561 rooms, 650 plants and 200 trees, 8,000 employees, 50 types of restaurants, including fashionable restaurants from famous chefs.
Daniel Boulud, the most American of French chefs who took New York by storm with his bistros; Gordon Ramsay, who cooks typically British cuisine in his kitchen on Khlebnaya street, modeled after a London establishment.
Few? Then again: Tetsuya Wakada straight from Sydney Wolfgang Puck from Los Angeles and Mario Batali from New York, which opened in Marina Bay Sands Osteria Mozza, a mozzarella bar serving every variety possible, as well as burrata and bocconcino.
There is also a steakhouse serving Kobe beef, a pizzeria, dim sum, French cuisine and Chinese-French cuisine Justin Quek.
It seems that Marina Bay wants to cover all possibilities and monopolize visitors. This is a city within a city, as one of the restaurant administrators explains Guy Savoy:
“Here at Marina Bay Sands 5* there is everything - a supermarket, a pharmacy, a casino, restaurants, shops, a business center, theaters, and even a museum... This concept already existed in Singapore, but here it is taken to its highest degree.”
“Always more” seems to be the credo of Sheldon Adelson, the American billionaire owner of the Las Vegas Sands group. Hotel opened in April 2010 Marina Bay Sands includes two theatres, a state-of-the-art gymnasium, an art and science museum, a waterfront plaza for large gatherings and an 800,000 square meter shopping centre.
To sum it up, progress here in Singapore is unstoppable. And if you enjoy the most beautiful view of the city from the 57th floor, then it’s a good idea to go down and enjoy it on the first floor!
Although we can’t help but say about the hotel rooms. Unless you're staying in a suite or in one of the two majestic presidential suites measuring approximately 630 m2, you shouldn't expect anything spectacular. Yes, the rooms are clean, modern, one can safely say stylish, but they are ordinary for a five-star hotel of this class and this price...
But by and large, rooms have never been a distinctive feature of Marina Bay Sand and they are clearly not what attracts many tourists here. Well, you already know about the real feature of the hotel.
Just facts and figures
Singaporeans love numbers, here are a few that speak for themselves...
- Investment: $5.7 billion.
- Area of premises: 15.5 hectares.
- Area: 581,400 square meters.
- View: 360°.
- Capacity of the entertainment and business center: 45,000 people.
- Conference rooms: 250.
- 2 theaters with 4000 seats.
- Casino: 1500 slot machines, 600 gaming tables.
- And finally, a chandelier 6.4 meters high, decorated with 132,000 Swarovski crystals!
Summary
This is not a long and detailed description of the hotel and its advantages or disadvantages. Marina Bay Sands has long become a kind of calling card of Singapore, and this already says a lot. The main thing is that you probably understand the scope and scale of this establishment. Now all that remains is to compare your desires and possibilities, because in the best case scenario, the minimum cost of a hotel room starts from 50,000 rubles per night.
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