ChinaTravel.net joined Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Indonesian media for a tour of the Marina Bay Sands construction site, a project which represents nothing less than the re-authoring of Singapore’s “downtown” landscape, by changing its center of gravity from Orchard Road to the Marina area, a feat involving suprisingly little need to bend the laws of physics, but a surprisingly large amount of cranes and excavators.
Architecturally, the Marina Bay Sands will be unlike any other hotel the world. It’s most prominent design feature, the Skypark, is longer than the Eiffel Tower is long and will be the largest Skypark in Asia. Sitting atop the hotel’s three 55-story towers, guests will enjoy 360º views of Singapore, the best of which undoubtedly will be had with elbows hanging over the edge of the Skypark’s 150 meter infinity pool, while water runs over your arms.
With lush gardens, a public observation deck and exclusive restaurants and bars, this architectural wonder and tropical-paradise-in-the-sky will be a full-day luxury destination travelers to Singapore won’t want to miss.
The plan, according to Marina Bay Sands President and CEO Mr. Thomas Arasi, is not to compete with the Venetian Macau, or the other exotic destinations nearby, but to offer a complementary destination that excels in just the area the entire regions currently underperforms in: meetings, incentives, conventions exhibitions and events (MICE in industry shorthand).
If you want a great beach vacation, Hainan, Phuket and Bali will always have Singapore beat, but for an urban vacation with unsurpassed shopping, entertainment and dining, or for unforgettable 5,000-delegate events, Singapore’s place is close to unassailable in the region.
The Sands Expo and Convention Centre has already unveiled a strong lineup of events that will bring over 150,000 attendees in 2011, but this strength in the hotel’s MICE facilities wouldn’t exist without all that surrounds it.
LVS is known for building mega-casinos, and the Sands’ will certainly rank highly with its two floors of VIP gaming and large public casino area, but the casino is just a prelude to the larger story. As an “integrated resort” the Sands will have much more to explore and enjoy.
Its museum will house blockbuster international exhibits, there will be an outdoor event plaza, two “Crystal Pavilions” for VIP events (one of which will be run solely by Louis Vuitton), a piazza for premium players, theaters—which initially will run the Broadway production of "The Lion King", an indoor skating rinc, and unparalleled shopping and dining.
Though LVS has obviously spared no expense in almost every aspect of the hotel, when it comes to dining, they’ve pretty much raided Fort Knox. Even the cheapest fare in the hotel food court will be as premium as it gets. The “Makansutra Masters,” a team of the chefs known for the best street and comfort cuisines in Asia, will create culinary masterpieces for the masses and offer cooking demonstrations on a public stage... and that’s just the appetizer.
The main course will consist of six celebrity chef restaurants captained by some of the top names in the culinary world today. The goal: nothing less than making Singapore “the culinary epicenter of Asia.” Celebrated chefs Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud, Wolfgang Puck, Santi Santamaria, Guy Savoy and Tetsuya Wakuda are all personally involved in the concepts, menus and interior designs of their respective venues. Mario Batali, a Iron Chef America star and former GQ Man of the Year calls it “the most exciting project I have ever been involved with.”
The Marina Bay Sands opens April 27, 2010.
Part 1 of Singapore hits the jackpot with the Marina Bay Sands
Photos 2, 3, 4 and 5 by Stephan Larose, photo 1 courtesy of Marina Bay Sands.