Come for the infinity pool, stay for the beyond.
And it is beyond, way beyond. On arriving at the Marina Bay Sands, the first thing you notice is the size... in other words, it's frickin' massive! We've previously visited Vegas, Dubai, and New York, and even by those standards MBS easily holds its own.
We were greeted by a lovely concierge who collected our bags and asked if we had anything fragile (wow!). We'd previously read reviews that suggested the check-in process left a lot to be desired, and so we arrived with low expectations (the words "terrible", "shocking", and "nightmare" echoed in our heads from travel advisor sites). However, this was not our experience.
We arrived about 10 minutes before scheduled check-in time (3pm), and there were only two people ahead of us, we were provided bottled water as we waited, the receptionist was pleasant and efficient, and check-in was smooth.
We were quickly on our way up to the room with a big smile on our faces! Our room was in tower 3 on the 36th floor at the end of the corridor, so we only had neighbours on one side and a nice view of the Singapore Flyer (big wheel) on the other :) The room itself was huge, complete with large living space, walk in closet, safe, large modern bathroom with high quality toiletries, coffee facilities, water, TV and a small balcony....Happy Days! Our panoramic view over the gardens can only be described as spectacular...
Gowns and slippers were provided in the room for use at THE POOL, which is only accessible to hotels guests and requires one roomcard per guest to access. After a short elevator ride, we arrived at the infamous 57th floor! We were quickly able to see what all the hype was about... Cue many, many selfies, from many, many angles. Yes, the pool area was busy during peak hours, strangely we weren't the only people who had the idea to come take a selfie up there! Nevertheless, we never struggled to find somewhere to sit and it was hella relaxing with chill vibes ;). Stay tuned for a more in depth review and photos.
Banyan Tree Fitness Club is located in Tower 2, which can be accessed via the elevators in the main lobby. The gym hosts a large selection of equipment to suit casual and hardcore users - Barbells, Dumbells, Cables, Various Weights and Cardio Machines, and Pilates and Yoga area. Fruit, Cold Towels, and Water are also provided (bonus points!). AND WHAT A VIEW - if you want to workout looking at the Singapore Skyline, this is a definite must during your stay. Sorry no photos this time, more on this in an upcoming post.
Access to Gardens by the Bay, MBS convention centre, shopping mall (Shoppes at Marina Bay) and Bayfront MRT station via the lobby was super convenient - as well as the nearby shops, bars, and cafes.
We got late checkout (see advice below), dropped our bags at the concierge (6 in total, including 3 fragile which were given cute gold tags), left them literally ALL day, and when we returned the service was great and they quickly got us a taxi.
In total we stayed 3 nights, wish our bank balance allowed for more!
Advice;
Life is too short, go ahead and book. There are lots of negative reviews out there that could easily sway you, but we only experienced good things.
Ask for a high floor - you can pick city view or garden view when you book.
Don't forget all room keys when going to the pool, one per person is required for entry.
Definitely try out the fitness facilities.
If you need any extra snacks, or bits and pieces, during your stay there is a 7/11 convenience store in the mall downstairs.
We asked at reception for late check-out, this was accommodated with a complimentary extra hour. You can also pay for longer time periods if required.
To sum up we couldnt fault our stay, and as if you needed any more convincing - we sign off with sunset over the bay...
Wish you were here,