Marina Bay Sands – Hotel Review
Singapore was the first stop on my big trip to Southeast Asia. I had already visited Asia twice before, but this time I wanted to do something a bit luxurious in each of my destinations. The infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore was obviously the first thing I thought of, as it’s probably the most iconic and romantic attraction of the Lion City.
But, I got quickly put off after reading the hotel website which said that only hotel guests can use the facilities. Visitors can only enter Marina Bay Sands SkyPark to get to the observation deck. Paying 20 SGD per person to get to a separate area of the roof didn’t appeal to me – especially after a visit to the Altitude bar in Singapore.
I honestly never thought, I’d be able to afford a room at Marina Bay Sands back then. But I found a way to do it…
Marina Bay Sands – My Hotel Review
Marina Bay Sands Hotel Review
Marina Bay Sands is a huge hotel and it might not seem as romantic as a nice bungalow in the middle of the jungle. I was a bit concerned about how was it going to be, after reading some bad reviews.
After all, I didn’t expect much from the room and I mostly wanted to use the hotel’s facilities – especially the infinity pool.
Upon arrival, I was warmly received and got my own porter. ‘Is this your first time at the hotel?’ the receptionist asked me. My friend and I said yes and he immediately checked something in the computer system. He smiled, and told us ‘we’ve upgraded you to a better room, no extra charge.’ A better room might mean many things and in the case of Marina Bay Sands, it might be a room located on a higher floor.
We weren’t sure exactly what the upgrade was so we didn’t get too excited and my friend was quick to say that they probably do this for everyone. However, we were pleasantly surprised when we got to my room and realized we GOT THE UPGRADE!
Why we got an upgrade – I’m not sure. I pitched to MBS before asking if they could work with me. They apologized saying they’re not allowed to give complimentary stays or access to the infinity pool, so it had nothing to do with my blog. Maybe if they saw I’m determined to stay there anyway they decided to upgrade me.
Technically, it wasn’t even a room, it was a huge Orchid Suite overlooking the Gardens by the Bay! The place had everything you could think of and even more. A big living room filled with Nespresso coffee, tea, newspapers, a huge TV, and a small bathroom on the side.
From the living room we could walk out onto the terrace which had an outdoor table and lounge chairs. Behind some sliding doors, there was my bedroom with another TV, a work area with every possible adapter for electronics, and a lot of water.
The bathroom (yes, another one!) was amazing, and I wouldn’t mind having one like it at home one day. It came with two sinks, a cosmetic table, a shower room, and a huge bathtub. I couldn’t believe it was all for us and we barely wanted to leave the room to enjoy the facilities to the fullest!
Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool
On the way there I got a bit anxious about the weather. It got very cloudy and it looked like it was about to rain. Imagine if you had only one night to use this amazing pool and it rained!
Luckily, the weather ended up being great the whole time, unusual for Singapore during this time of year (November).
The attractions continued when I got to the rooftop to see the infinity pool. After reading some reviews that said that the pool was always crowded, I was a bit concerned, but it wasn’t more crowded than any other pool. We saved some lounge chairs for ourselves and jumped into the water.
The pool isn’t actually very good for swimming as it’s quite shallow, but I swam for a bit. I didn’t see anyone complaining about it as we were all taking photos with the amazing view of the city in the background.
If you sit on a lounge chair and watch, you can imagine that the water actually falls from the pool. Obviously, for safety reasons, there is an extra floor under the pool.
Don’t worry – it’s invisible from the terrace, but you can’t see it. On the roof there were also many restaurants, bars, jacuzzis, a spa, and a gym. You can’t really ask for more!
I enjoyed the pool during the day, but my friend was more excited to see it at night. The pool is open until 10PM, so we got to see a beautiful panoramic view of the city at night. That’s not all though, the most impressive part of the evening visit was the fountain show.
I’ve seen fountain shows in Dubai and Las Vegas and I thought that they were both impressive. The show at MBS beat them all for sure. There were holographic mermaids coming out of the fountains, Neptune sailing out of the dancing drops, and much more. Too bad I couldn’t capture it on camera!
Overall Experience
Was my stay worth it? Definitely! The hotel might not be the most romantic place on earth, because it feels like an airport hall, but it’s a good place to spend the night in Singapore – even if it’s just for the pool. If you’re going on your honeymoon, I would recommend something more intimate, like Hanging Gardens Hotel in Bali instead.
But MBS was still a great experience! I wish we could have stayed more than one night… At least I got a taste of the Singaporean high life.
