Singapore
Since it opened in 2010, Marina Bay Sands has quickly grown to become THE symbol of Singapore. The view from the rooftop really is stunningly beautiful. Enjoying the splendor of Singapore from up there is an unforgettable experience.
But how do you get onto the roof of the Marina Bay Sands?
And how can you go for a swim in the famous Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool?
Is access to the Infinity Pool really reserved for guests of the hotel?
These are some of the most frequently asked questions by visitors to Singapore, so we decided to write this post to help answer them for you.
We’ll show you how to get onto the roof of the building and what you have to do to take the perfect selfie in the world-famous Infinity Pool.
Read all our posts about Singapore
10 fun facts about Marina Bay Sands
Before we get started, we’ve collected a few fascinating facts and figures about Marina Bay Sands. We think that’s the best way to grasp the sheer scale of this spectacular building.
- The hotel has 2,561 rooms distributed between the three hotel towers.
- The building measures 191 meters in height and has 57 floors.
- The famous Infinity Pool on the roof is 146 meters long.
- The SkyPark on the rooftop is longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower.
- The roof can accommodate up to 3,900 people.
- The construction of the hotel cost more than 8 billion SGD (approx. 5 billion euros).
- It’s estimated that the hotel turns a profit of 1 billion SGD per year. Not too shabby, huh?
- There are about 10,000 employees working in the complex.
- The hotel is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which is best known for its casinos.
- Of course Marina Bay Sands also has a casino with more than 600 tables and 2,500 slot machines.
Amazing, right? No wonder that Marina Bay Sands is one of the most famous hotels in the world and one of the absolute highlights of any trip to Singapore.
So now we’ve hyped it up so much, let’s talk about how you can get to see all this for yourself.
Marina Bay Sands: How to access the Infinity Pool
To go for a swim in the Infinity Pool and gaze down at the Singapore skyline from a height of almost 200 meters. A once-in-a-lifetime dream for many travelers to Singapore. And we’ve got to admit, it’s an appealing thought.
But here comes the big ‘but’: Pool access is reserved for guests of the hotel. So you can’t just put on your swimsuit and jump in the pool.
Unfortunately there are no exceptions, otherwise the pool would probably be bursting at the seams. So to get pool access, you’ll have to check into Marina Bay Sands for at least one night.
You can check the room rates at Marina Bay Sands here
Tips for staying at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel
If you want to book a room at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, we have a few tips for you.
Check also our Singapore accomodation guide
Room with a view
As mentioned earlier, Marina Bay Sands has 57 floors. Of course that means that some rooms have an amazing view… and some rooms at the bottom have no view at all.
The rooms with a view are more expensive, but of course they’re much more beautiful. If the booking page doesn’t mention a view, that means the room doesn’t have a view.
For the rooms with a view, you can choose between a harbor and a city view. We’d definitely recommend the city view, it’s by far the most spectacular.
You can check the different room categories and their rates here
Our tip: The club rooms
When you book at Marina Bay Sands, you have the choice between regular rooms, club rooms, and suites. Regular rooms start at around 200 to 300 euros and come in different sizes: Premier rooms are 39 square meters, while Deluxe rooms are a bit bigger at 47 square meters.
Suites are pure luxury. Even the smallest among them measures around 100 square meters, but they’re a real high-ticket item starting at 600 euros.
Club rooms are the perfect compromise. They’re up to 61 square meters in size, have a great view of the city, and the best thing about them: they grant you access to the Club55 lounge.
The lounge serves an excellent breakfast, pastries, and soft drinks all day long, free of charge. Between 5 and 7p.m., it also serves complimentary snacks, co*cktails, and other alcoholic beverages.
Club rooms cost about 100 to 200 euros more per night than a normal room. If you’re traveling as a couple, it’s well worth the upgrade, not least because co*cktails in Singapore generally cost a fortune.
The best time for the pool
Each guest staying at Marina Bay Sands is issued a wristband granting them access to the pool. The pool is the least crowded around lunchtime and the early afternoon.
Since many guests only stay at Marina Bay Sands for a single night for the pool experience, it fills up in the late afternoon. When those guests check out again in the morning, the pool is usually much emptier.
Is it worth booking a hotel room at Marina Bay Sands?
We haven’t stayed there yet ourselves. But we asked our Instagram followers if staying at Marina Bay Sands is worth it, and the answer was a resounding “yes”.
Only a few people said they probably wouldn’t do it again, but they’re still happy to have stayed there once. The majority of our followers said it was an unforgettable experience and they’d recommend it to anyone visiting Singapore.
How to get onto the observation deck
If you can’t afford to stay at Marina Bay Sands, or you just don’t want to spend that much money, of course you can still enjoy the great view from the roof. There are other options to access the roof of the building that we’ll present to you now.
#1 Sands SkyPark observation deck
The Sands SkyPark public observation deck is located on the third tower and is also open to non-hotel guests. The observation deck is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., or until 11 p.m. from Friday to Sunday.
Our tip: The best time to visit the observation deck is at sunset. The skyline looks fabulous in the evening light, and if you wait around a bit longer, you can enjoy the splendor of the city by night.
Tickets for the observation deck
Admission to the observation deck is 23 SGD (approx. 15 euros).A bargain compared to a hotel room with access to the Infinity Pool. In the time leading up to sundown, the lines at the ticket booth can get very long.
That’s why we’d recommend buying your ticket in advance via Getyourguide. It’s even 1 SGD cheaper and you can skip the line.
An e-ticket on your smartphone is all you need to get in, so no need for a print-out.
Our photography tip: Tripods are prohibited. But we brought along our Gorillapod and attached it to the railing for some great pictures of the skyline by night.
#2 Rooftop restaurants & bars
You don’t want to share the observation deck with lots of other guests? Then this option might be to your liking: There are a few restaurants and bars on the roof that also offer a fantastic view.
It probably goes without saying that the prices are really steep.. But that’s fair enough considering the location and backdrop.
All restaurants have a smart-casual dress code, especially after 6p.m. So don’t even try showing up in flip flops and shorts.
You can choose from the following restaurants:
CÉ LA VIE: The CÉ LA VIE restaurant with a sky bar serves modern Asian cuisine and delicious long drinks, with an amazing 360° view included. The restaurant opens at lunchtime and in the evenings.
Non-hotel guests have to pay an admission fee of 20 SGD that can be redeemed for food and drinks in the restaurant. We’d advise booking a table well in advance, because the restaurant is very popular.
Information and reservations for CÉ LA VI
LAVO: LAVO is an Italian-American restaurant with a bar. The kitchen opens at 5p.m., but you can get snacks and drinks starting around lunchtime. Next to the restaurant is a disco lounge with a fully equipped DJ booth and a terrace with a view.
Information and reservations for LAVO
Spago: Spago by Austrian star chef Wolfgang Puck is a bit quieter, but no less glamorous. It serves typical Californian cuisine, both at lunchtime and in the evening. It also has a bar & lounge, but without a DJ and in an understated and exclusive atmosphere.
Information and reservations for Spago
What else can you do at Marina Bay Sands?
Now you have all the information you need about accommodation and the SkyPark. But of course that isn’t all, Marina Bay Sands has a lot more to offer.
As you’d expect from a major construction project in Singapore, the Marina Bay Sands also provides all kinds of entertainment. Most of it is very mainstream, but the events are so huge and spectacular that they’re still worth the experience.
Casino
One of the most popular attractions at Marina Bay Sands is the giant in-house casino. In fact, it’s the largest freestanding casino in the world. You can try your luck on three floors.
There are 20 different games played at over 600 tables, including classics such as blackjack or roulette. Or you can take a chance at one of the 2,500 slot machines.
Please note: The entrance to the casino is free for tourists. Singapore residents, on the other hand, have to pay a whopping 100 SGD at the door. So make sure to bring your passport if you want to go to the casino.
Musicals and concerts
If you like musicals or plays, you can watch classics such as “The Lion King”, “Naturally Blond”, a circus show, or “Mamma Mia!”. Concerts are also played here, and many a world star has performed at Marina Bay Sands.
Spectra light and water show
Every evening, Marina Bay Sands puts on a light and water that you can watch for free. The best place to watch is the opposite side of the bay or in front of the Esplanade Theatre.
The show lasts for 15 minutes and features light and water effects, high-spouting water fountains, and a huge glass prism that artistically refracts the colorful lights.
The show takes place every day at 8 and 9 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, there’s an extra third show at 10 p.m.
Digital Light Canvas
The permanent light installation Digital Light Canvas is another attraction. It’s located in the shopping mall at Marina Bay Sands, near the entrance by the Helix Bridge on the left side of the building.
You can either watch the installation as a spectator – or become a part of it by stepping out onto the interactive LED floor. The floor combines with the light sculpture made up of 400,000 LEDs hanging overhead to create a colorful fantasy world.
It’s free for onlookers. But it costs 5 SGD (about 3 euros) to become part of the experience.
ArtScience Museum
The ArtScience Museum is located in the striking building in front of the hotel and is also part of the Marina Bay Sands complex.
There are always new exhibitions here that center around the topics of art, technology, culture, and science.
We visited the permanent exhibition “Future World”, which is relatively small but still worth seeing. The exhibition is really great if you have kids because there’s so much to discover hands-on.
Shopping mall: The Shoppes
Of course an institution such as Marina Bay Sands needs its own luxury shopping mall. The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands offers almost 75,000 sqm of high-end retail space featuring the likes of Armani, Versace & co., where you can shop till you drop until late in the evening.
If you want to go shopping on a grand scale, you can also hire a personal shopper. For a mere 250 SGD for 3 hours. So those are all our travel tips for visiting Marina Bay Sands.
Do have any more questions? Then please let us know in the comments! Have you ever stayed at the Marina Bay Sands yourself or have you tried one of the restaurants? Then we’d love to hear about your experiences.
Your experiences at Marina Bay Sands?
Have you ever stayed at Marina Bay Sands and gone for a swim in the famous Infinity Pool? Did you like it and would you recommend it to other Singapore visitors?
Have you ever enjoyed the view from the observation deck or indulged in a co*cktail at one of the bars or restaurants? We’re looking forward to your comment!
