Singapore Marina Bay Sands Hotel
 

Hi - I'm travelling to Singapore Jan 5, and I was wondering what people think about the Sands Hotel. Are there any promos going on?

I happen to be going there this weekend, booked a club room. This was about USD 350 per night directly from the hotel, and >USD 400 per night on expedia, etc. on the web. Rate varies quite a bit by date, so if you have flexibility it may be cheaper. Demand is very high for the hotel at the moment, plus it is a casino so wants to keep a high room rate to make comped rooms more valuable :) The pool and gardens on the 57th floor looks very well done, and club rooms get breakfast up there too (along with afternoon tea and cocktails, etc. so well worth the differential). Given that FS, Raffles, etc. are not that stellar in Singapore, the Marina Sands may be worth a stay even if it isn't luxury but just a high-tech huge convention hotel. I'll know more in 4 days.

Hi,

I just spent 7 nights there in a 49th floor club room week before last. The rooms are fine, but not luxury, the city view pretty spectacular. Taking breakfast and evening drinks in the sky park club is really really nice. The club has a lot of glass so you can see ocean & city depending which way you look, as well as that crazy infinity pool.

There is also a pretty stupendous mall in the complex, along with the casino & meeting facilities. It's a very busy place.

Drawbacks are cost. Like almost $350 Singapore for a 4 person somewhat mediocre lunch in Ku De Ta, no alcohol. Maybe $80 for lunch for 2 (club sandwich & iced tea) in the lobby outlet. There are food court options in the mall. If you need any dry cleaning call your bank for a loan to fund it. This hotel is just expensive to live in, and there is a lot of money running around the place. Also, if you look closely you can see a good deal of less than perfect construction, like it was rushed.

In my opinion MBS is worth experiencing at least once, but I wouldn't say it's on my list to repeat. Not that I would mind, but I'm perfectly happy at the Pan Pac (where I can then look at MBS). Oh, except for one small issue - I never went swiming in that amazing pool.

how does club check-in?

suites above orchid have in-suite checkin

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT Singapore Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
Moderator
Luxury Hotels

I've yet to stay there, but have been told there is a separate club check-in (which is quite fast, rather important given the size of this hotel). The comments by Dudemius are bang on the money with my expectations and the way the hotel is marketed.

yeah

could be quite a few club rooms and orchid suites

230 suite figure may not include orchid suites

im curious whether suites above orchid are bookable...

Typically not in casino hotels, and for tonight the hotel is sold out -- apparently typical for weekends, esp. near christmas (there is a huge and supposedly prized shopping mall as part of the complex, some come from mainland china to shop there). I'll update in a couple of days after staying there, but when I book only club rooms (and regular rooms) were available, no suites of any kind for any price. My room rate is close to double what it is during less peak times, so it is supply/demand driven and not related to the quality of the hotel.

I wound up staying in one of the Paiza suites (floors 50-54) and those are by far the finest hotel in Singapore. Truly Peninsula quality, both in service level and quality of furnishings. The rest of the hotel is presumably not like that at all (normally Paiza is not bookable, I think, it is probably for whales). Not only is there butler service, but room service is close to instantaneous (ordering food and a bucket of ice results in 2 people bringing the items separately, for example, to ensure faster service). Private elevators just for these floors, so never a long wait (the hotel has 2500 rooms, so elevators are bound to be a bottleneck for regular rooms). I was charged USD 1000 per night for a huge suite (guess over 2000 sq. ft.) and this includes all drinks 24x7 though alcoholic is just 2 hours per day (but unlimited and includes things like Martell Cordon Bleu and Dom). This thread really belongs in Luxury hotel forum, at least this part of the hotel would make the top 20 luxury hotels in the world list and have a shot at top spot! I expected little, and wound up getting a lot.

Even for regular club rooms, the rooftop pool, park and club combo is stunning, as are the public spaces and shopping. I wasn't wanting to shop, but there is maybe the world's largest Luis Vuitton store there, as well as excellent Chanel, Prada, Hermes, etc. stores. And good prices, at least for high-end goods. Got all my Christmas presents bought.

x2. I stayed there once in mid-2011, wouldn't go back due to high cost. If you try it definitely swim in their pool, it's amazing.

my friend had a comped night so we stayed on the thirty-something floor, can't remember... but the views of the city were spectacular and I spend half a day in that pool, lol

the view on the other side of the building isn't all that, besides the construction going on and the litter of cargo ships in the strait, it looks quite terrible. so insist for the city view room... be sure to watch the show on the water/from your room when they start on the hour, I think after 8, 9 and 10pm. The shopping mall is OK, same stores you'd find in the US but more expensive. There is a food court on the lower level to the very east side of the building next to an ice skating rink... though for more authentic food I'd make the short walk into town, there's a very good place near Raffles Place.

Ku De Ta is a great alternative to get up to the top if you cannot book a room there.... same views from the pool, just no access to it.

one of my favorite views of the city from the MBS!

Exactly my thoughts, go there once and place a tick on the "been there, done that" list.

Personally I like the Swissotel hotels in Singapore, especially the one in Clarke Quay. But The Stamford one of very nice too, and it has a lounge very high up, from where you actually... look down at the MBS. :)

Plus it has a bar on the top floor called the New Asia Bar which has one of the best views in Singapore.

Just on rooms, service and views the ritz is best for me. The lobby is a bit sterile though.

MBS lower level rooms seem smaller, and a lot less lavish than what the price suggests. Yes and the wrong time of the day means bad wait times for the elevator.

MBS shopping mall has the best western restaurants in Singapore IMHO

You might like the Pan Pacific with quite a nice bar in the lobby, and basically the same location as the Ritz.

As for MBS, I think the casino is he worst one I have ever been to (globally), but then it isn't targetted at people like myself. I like the hotel rooms, but not the hotel itself. The pool is a nice gimmick and worth a dip, so like I said go their once and place a tick on your list of places to see in Singapore.

As for western restaurants at the mall there, which ones do you mean? The best thing about the shops (or shoppes as they put it) there is actually the huge food court at the end that serves all sorts of great dishes. Western food is that last thing I'd look for there, or anywhere in Singapore for that matter. :)

HeHe agree. On a relative basis I found pizzeria mozza and db Bistro better than similar fare elsewhere in the island. I stress similar fare because unless as an occasional change or for formal events (where hosts mistakenly assume visitors are dying for more pizza or burgers), there is no need to look beyond local fare.