I haven’t posted a hotel review in a minute, but I’m back with the final review of my time in Malaysia and Singapore! Here is my hotel review of Marina Bay Sands, perhaps one of the most-famous hotels not only in Singapore, but also the world. It’s extremely expensive to stay in, but I managed to have one night here, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I still pinch myself for to this day.

20240111_161629Marina Bay Sands

Designed by Palestinian architect Moshe Safdie, the Marina Bay Sands is a casino-resort that resembles a ship, an homage to the nautical history of Singapore. It officially opened in 2010, and it boasts not just nearly 3000 rooms, but also a casino, an infinity pool (only open to patrons), and a massive shopping mall that one can get lost in for hours. It truly is a massive piece of work, and I found myself fascinated and overwhelmed during my stay there.

As mentioned, I only stayed one night in Marina Bay Sands, as it would’ve been prohibitively pricey to stay more than that. My travel agent from Flâner Travels managed to get me in for a weekday stay (as it would be less expensive), and upon arriving into Singapore and checking in, I was pleasantly surprised to be upgraded to a balcony room! It was an unreal experience, and without further ado, here’s my review of Marina Bay Sands!

Room: 4.75/5 

My room was absolutely unreal– massive with multiple rooms for the bedroom, bathroom, the toilet (heck, a Japanese toilet), even a little powdered room! It was more than enough space for one person to feel comfortable in, and I really felt like a queen having both a shower AND a bathtub at my disposal.

20240111_141806
Massive bedroom with skyline views

20240111_141824Bathtub, shower, and two sinks!

I was upgraded to a balcony room, and I had decent views of the city skyline and bay. However, what really impressed me were the plethora of amenities: from a mini bar with more than enough booze one needs to a snack drawer with instant ramen, chips, and sweets, I didn’t have to go hungry at all! The complementary pineapple cakes were magnificent, and I definitely took advantage of the bath bombs for a nice soak in the tub.

20240111_142503Tea and coffee bar with plenty of bottled water

20240111_205405Snacks galore!

However, what I knock down a 0.25 star for were the power outlets: they were finicky and did not charge my phone and electronics very well at all. Especially as I use my phone often on my travels, it was important to me to have a quick and efficient charge– unfortunately, my room’s outlets took forever to charge, and that disappointed me.

Location: 5/5

The Marina Bay Sands is conveniently-located in the Downtown Core of Singapore, and it also conveniently has plenty of shops and restaurants connected to the hotel through The Shoppes. There’s also a direct metro line underneath the shopping mall, which can bring you to just about any other part of town. The hotel-resort itself also has a lovely water and light show called “Spectra” every night, which is absolutely dazzling and impressive with its hydro-technology. You could easily spend your whole stay in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands alone and not see everything!

20240111_143551The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

20240111_201213Spectra show at night

Service: 5/5

From the friendly check-in desk to the polite cleaning staff and waiters, I had pleasant service throughout my stay at Marina Bay Sands. I also appreciated the high security all over the hotel, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the patrons (including myself). Especially at the infinity pool, which are reserved for guests only– I saw a few outside tourists who tried to get into the pool, but were turned away by bodyguards. It definitely felt like VIP treatment, and it made for a relaxing and beautiful time at the infinity pool!

20240111_184705Infinity pool at sunset

20240111_191511Views of Singapore and the Marina Bay

20240112_071856Surveying my kingdom…

Value for money: 4/5

While I absolutely loved loved LOVED my short stay at Marina Bay Sands, I will say that this is honestly just a once-in-a-lifetime experience for an average traveler like myself. I’m no millionaire (heck, even billionaire), and there’s no way I can stay in this hotel again without blowing my bank account. Even for a weekday stay, the rooms start at nearly $700 USD/night, but more likely average about $1000 USD/night for the more-premium rooms.

I am truly blessed to have had this one-time opportunity to stay in Marina Bay Sands– perhaps if I win the lottery some day, I’d happily stay here again!

Overall: 18.75/20

Thanks for reading, and have a great day! 🙂

— Rebecca

Unknown's avatar

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

37 thoughts on “HOTEL REVIEW: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore”

  5. Wow, that infinity pool is amazing. I’m glad you treated yourself, even if for just a night. My once-in-a-lifetime dream is to stay in an over-the-water bungalow somewhere, though they, too, are incredibly expensive. (But it’s on my dust-farm-pail list, so I HAVE to . . . someday). As my hotel standards become more high end/boutique-y, I sometimes cringe at the cost, and to be sure, I frequently eliminate choices due to the price, but other times I’m weak (or I fall back on a plethora of justifications) and I book… and end up loving it! Just gotta save up a little longer and/or harder. Although it’s not booked yet, or even officially a trip, I have a Central American trip planned in my head that includes stays at some amazing boutique hotels, but the way I will manage the cost is to go in the off season. It’s amazing how much cheaper it can be. In contrast, we’re going to the Caribbean over Christmas and it’s galling how much more expensive our boutique hotel is in the “festive season.” (Justification: It’s Christmas!)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I agree with you! While I was fine slumming it in cheap hostels or Couchsurfing when I was younger, these days I need a hotel for privacy and comfort! Not to say that I always go for swanky hotels, but I do my research and make sure I stay in a hotel with decent ratings. It would be the dream to stay at luxury hotels on every trip, but alas, I’ll need to save up (or win the lottery) to make it possible! Boutique hotels are a wonderful alternative, as they can be just as nice as luxury hotels, but at a more-affordable cost! I’ve stayed in a few boutiques and had some great experiences. Have lots of fun in Central America and the Caribbean, and enjoy your accommodations over there!

      Like

      Reply

    1. Yes! MBS was featured in Crazy Rich Asians (one of my favorite films)! The infinity pool was magical, and I’m truly blessed to have had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. It’s certainly a great experience, I’ve only been as far as The Shoppes and its Venice replica. But in general I tend to think that it is not worth spending too much on hotel rooms, that’s not the point of the trip.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I do my best not to spend too much on hotels, since the point of a trip is to explore the place and not stay inside the room for too long. However, I found MBS just as much of an attraction as anything else I saw in Singapore, and unless I come across lots of money, I’m content with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have stayed at MBS.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  12. Ahh amazing; we really did time our Singapore posts simultaneously! 🙂 I love MBS, I stayed a few years ago and absolutely loved it, it really is a special hotel. I heard they had permission to construct 4 more “towers”, and construction on the first of those has now started!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Wow, I had no idea! And I thought three towers were already enough…MBS was such a great experience, and should I win the lottery some day, I hope to stay there whenever I make it back to Singapore. One can dream!

      Like

      Reply

  13. Well, sometimes we just have to treat ourselves to the best and the Marina Sounds certainly looks like that. The room upgrade sounds like a dream come true, plus I like the extra touches you wouldn’t expect, like the bath bomb and pineapple cakes. I hadn’t heard of Moshe Safdie, so have been reading up a little on him. Thanks for sharing your once-in-a-lifetime experience!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Leighton! MBS was definitely a “treat yourself” kind of experience, and I’m so happy it happened. The opulence was unreal, and should I win the lottery some day, I hope to return for another stay! As always, I appreciate your readership 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Same here! I’m glad I treated myself to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I hope if I come across tons of money some day, I hope to return to MBS for a longer stay! Thanks for reading 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  15. With its stunning architectural design, world-class amenities, and breathtaking views of the city skyline and the bay, the hotel does stand out from the crowd as one of the true icons of the Singapore skyline. Not to mention the fact that you get to go swimming in the famous rooftop infinity pool.

    Over the years, I’ve realised that you can also justify splurges as good values when you consider the experience gained and the time saved.If you stay in a B&B rather than a fancy hotel, you’ll enjoy twice the cultural experience and intimacy for half the cost. When it comes to hotels, the irony is that the more you spend — in many cases — the farther you get from the culture you travelled so far to experience. Spend enough money…and you won’t even know where you are..

    That said, some characteristic hotels are worth the splurge, and this is definitely one of them. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. You make good points, Aiva! I agree with you that fancy hotels can take away from the cultural experience of a city. However, I also believe that MBS is an exception, as it’s also a notable site that tourists check out while in Singapore (even if they don’t stay in there)! I really enjoyed my stay in MBS, but I know it’s probably just a one-time stay given the cost. That said, the splurge was worth it! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Aiva 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. That is definitely a stay to remember. How nice to have been given an upgrade too. I think if I stayed there I would have to spend the entire day in the hotel to justify the cost to myself!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. Wow you got to stay at the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel! What a room, what a view and you got upgraded to balcony room. That’s fantastic. That infinity pool is quite something. It looks crowded actually but what a view – and cloudy and not rainy when you were there! Pity about the electricity outlet but the snack drawer looked really good. All snacks not too shabby and actually very decent. Most of which seem very tempting to me. I didn’t know it was that pricey to stay there and hearing about your experience, totally get why this experience can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the average person. Thanks for sharing this lovely review, Rebecca 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yes, staying at the Marina Bay Sands was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’m extremely grateful for. Given that it’s so posh, I can believe it’s that expensive to stay there, haha. Now that I’ve stayed and shared my time at MBS, my fiancée is dying to go there, so it’s possible I might return to Singapore to stay there. Just need the funds to stay a second time…thanks for reading, Mabel!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Thanks, Andy! I stayed at MBS on a weekday night, so it was *slightly less* expensive, but still posh nonetheless. It’d be the dream to return and stay again some day!

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment