Accommodations
Marina Bay Sands (MBS)
Marina Bay Sands is the iconic Singporean hotel. Known for its massive rooftop pool, the hotel is made up of three separate towers, a casino, a mall, a convention center, and over 45 restaurants. Ultra modern, luxurious, comfortable, and fun to explore, MBS is an attraction in and of itself.
Room
When I opened the door to my room, it was completely dark inside. I was surprised, until the automatic curtains at the end of the room slowly started to open to reveal a gorgeous view of the bay. The best welcome experience I’ve had at a hotel! Walking out onto the balcony, my room overlooked Gardens by the Bay and the bay itself.
The room was spacious, modern and comfortable. The design was thoughtful and a wood paneling was pervasive throughout the room and the bathroom. The TV was also massive.
Service
I was impressed with the service given how large the hotel is. I tend to expect that as hotels get larger, it’s just not possible to maintain the same quality of service across every guest. It definitely didn’t have the personal touch that you might expect at a smaller 5-star hotel, but everyone was welcoming and friendly. I didn’t ask for much while here, and maybe that’s a testament to how well thought out the hotel and amenities are.
They have bag check areas on the first floor for you to leave your bags if you don’t have access to a room. When I showed up with a few stray items (coat, shopping bag, etc.), they brought over a large MBS bag for me to tuck everything safely into.
One small miss – my partner checked in before I did, but didn’t have a chance to hand me a key because I was out to lunch with a friend and he had to go to a meeting. When I asked for another one from the front desk, I got a bit of pushback – I think because the keys are used to enter the pool, they’re very careful about distributing them. I finally got one, but I was a bit surprised.
Pool
MBS is probably most famous for its rooftop infinity pool. 57 stories high, it gives stunning views of the city that only become more impressive at night. Sitting poolside was definitely a luxurious highlight of my stay.
Staff serve food and drinks poolside, and occasionally come by with complimentary treats like shots of juice or frozen grapes. Given how popular it is, it’s surprisingly easy to grab a seat with a great view regardless of when you come. They have plenty of lounge chairs with unlimited towel service. They even have a few lounge chairs in the middle of the pool. I think in two days, I went three times – once in the morning right when food and bev started, in the afternoon and at night.
To enter the pool you need to scan your key card, and only one guest can enter per card.
Common Areas
MBS has extensive common areas, including a casino, mall, several nightclubs (like Marquee, which apparently has a ferris wheel in it) and over 45 restaurants. They have outposts of a lot of favorite chains and restaurant groups like Imperial Treasure, Angelina, Black Tap, Din Tai Fung, Ippudo and Haidilao. You could probably spend a ton of time there, and I actually think on the next trip, I’d probably devote more time to just hanging around the hotel.
AMANDA'S CHANTICS 