Marina Bay Sands Review: Is Singapore’s Most Luxurious Hotel Really So Special?

When planning my trip to Singapore, I knew I had to experience Marina Bay Sands Resort and swim in the famous rooftop infinity pool.

The pool is only available for hotel guests, so I booked into the Marina Bay Sands for one night, with the other two nights in Singapore being spent in the Ibis Bencoolen down the road!

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First Impressions

Arriving at the hotel, we just stood gazing up at the structure; it really is an architectural feat of engineering.  In photographs, it looked spectacular, and when you are there, the three towers (not surprisingly called Towers 1, 2 and 3), each 58 stories tall, loom over you like a giant sci-fi creation on steroids.  

The towers are connected by the Skypark, an area containing a 376,000-gallon infinity pool, restaurants and bars. There are over 2,500 rooms in the hotel, so you will never feel alone.

Heading inside Tower 3, we watched the stream of visitors descending upon the reception area. It was a very swish operation, and in no time, we made our way to the front desk, where we were asked if we wanted to upgrade to a higher floor with a better view of the city.

I have to point out that my original booking also said I had a city view, but according to the receptionist, my view would have been of a wall as I had been put on a low floor.  I could hear other guests being told the same thing, which I thought was a bit naughty of the hotel, but I paid the extra dollars as I didn’t want to be disappointed with my room.

Time For Bed

Our premium resort room was spacious, with picture windows overlooking the bay and city. The sumptuous king-size bed with its high-end linen and pillows and the double sofa bed for my son ticked all the boxes for a first-class stay.

Freshen Up

The bathroom was also well-appointed, with a free-standing bath, shower and toilet with a selection of luxurious toiletries.

We both had terrible chest infections, but we were there for the famous infinity pool, and we would swim in it come hell or high water.  We headed up to the roof in the guest lift and waited to be wowed at our first glimpse of the infinity pool and the surrounding view.

While the rooftop pool area gives the best views of Singapore, the infinity pool was very crowded. Guests were intent on taking pool selfies, so whilst it is a photographer’s delight, it is a swimmer’s nightmare.

I also thought the water was quite cold, and I wondered if that is done for a reason.

Maybe to ensure that the same people don’t spend too long in the water trying to get the perfect photo.

The pool opens at 6 am, so if you want to swim in the Marina Bay infinity pool without the crowds blocking your way, set an early alarm!

If I had known how crowded it would be, I would have just paid to visit the SkyPark.

You can come up to the roof for a few dollars to view the pool and enjoy a cocktail instead of booking into the resort as a guest.

Conclusion

So is Marina Bay Sands worth all the hype?  Sadly for me, I would say no.

Would I stay at Marina Bay Sands again over other fabulous hotels in Singapore? I don’t think so. I only wanted to experience it once, and I have done it now. However, can you visit Singapore without at least one night at this iconic hotel?

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Is the pool worth it? No, better to view it as an architectural marvel rather than trying to swim in it.

Am I glad I did it? Yes, because otherwise, I would have always wondered what a stay in one of the most iconic hotels in the world was like.