‘An integrated resort is more than just a casino’

SINGAPORE CITY, Singapore—Its casino is just one of the many attractions that Marina Bay Sands has to offer, with a seemingly endless array of luxury shops, entertainment, activities, convention centers, and hotel attractions all located inside the integrated resort itself.

A group primarily made up of students from Saipan that is taking part in a familiarization tour of the integrated resort was amazed at the grandeur of the Marina Bay Sands during their visit last Friday. Saipan exclusive casino licensee Best Sunshine Int., Ltd. is bankrolling the tour and aside from 10 students hand-picked to join the trip, two members of the local media were also invited.

The art science museum’s rooftop at the Marina Bay Sands is shaped like a lotus that opens up and closes. Described as “the opening hands of Singapore,” it welcomes guests to the hotel. (Jayson Camacho)

The infinity pool of the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark provides not only one of the best views of Singapore, but is one of the main attractions of the hotel. Tourists swim near the edge to get a spectacular view of the city. (Jayson Camacho)

Singapore residents enjoy a leisure boat ride within the Marina Bay Sands mall. (Jayson Camacho)

The merlion statue across the canal from Marina Bay Sands is one of many special attractions of Singapore. (Jayson Camacho)

The mall is divided into floors, with majority of the food stalls on the first floor at the back side of the mall. (Jayson Camacho)

Marina Bay Sands’ 55-story tower over the mall area near the museum. It features more than 2,000 rooms, with a SkyPark and infinity pool, and 300 shopping areas. (Jayson Camacho)

One of the first impressions the group got during their first day of the tour is that Marina Bay Sands’ casino is just a small part of what the facility offers its guests.

Nikkael Agustines, a young resident of Saipan and part of the fact-finding tour, said she was astounded by what Marina Bay Sands had to offer.

“I was attracted by the many shops they had here…the employees were so welcoming when I entered the shops. However it was too pricey, but the shops here are nothing compared back home. The restaurants were great too. We got to choose different cuisines and different menus. The casino wasn’t really a main attraction,” Agustines said.

Victoria Pangelinan, another Saipan resident, also said she was amazed.

“It is really beautiful here. I am still amazed by the shopping areas, the food, the amusements and the view,” she said.

The experience can only be described as phenomenal. Numerous clothing designer shops, restaurants, cafes, a food court, a museum, a skating rink, outside courts lined with different restaurant and fast food shops, two large theatres, conventions and expo centers, and small boat rides were just some of the many attractions of Marina Bay Sands.

Within the Marina Bay Sands’ mall alone, tourists could browse through the more than 200 shops that feature famous brands from Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Signs leading to shops, convention centers, attractions, restaurants, smaller family activities, night and day shows, and bars, among others, were very visible.

Spa treatments could be had either near the entrance to the mall and near the exit. Products such as tea, perfume, jewelry, and household furniture also attracted visitors.

For foodies, seven famous celebrity chef restaurants are conveniently located at the mall. The different food choices range from local Singaporean dishes to Western-style cuisine.

The casino itself was heavily guarded by strict security systems that require different check-in points for residents and overseas visitors and passports to check in and check out. Singapore has very strict laws for residents who want to enter the casino and not all residents could gamble there.

By day time, the shopping areas were more crowded compared to lines at the casino entrance. By nighttime, however, Marina Bay Sands’ casino bustles with activity as locals and tourists alike gravitate to its gaming machines, tables, and slots as other hotel attractions shuttered down for the evening.

Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands is topped by a 340-meter long SkyPark with a capacity for 3,900 people and a 150-meter infinity swimming pool set on top of the world’s largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 67 meters.

Moshe Safdie Architects designed the 20-hectare resort. The architect was Aedas and was responsible for employing all local consultants and for developing, coordinating, and implementing the design. Engineering was provided by Parsons Brinkerhoff.

In addition to the casino, other key components of the plan are three hotel towers with 2,500 rooms and suites, a 200,000-square-foot Art Science Museum, and a convention center with 1.2 million square feet of space capable of accommodating up to 45,000 people.

According to the Marina Bay Sands’ website, the first plan for the integrated casino called for 3 to 4 phases. The casino, parts of the conference hall, a segment of the shopping area, 963 hotel rooms, and the event plaza were opened in April 2010. Its grand opening was held in June 2010.

Marina Bay Sands projects to pour in about $2.7 billion into the economy or 0.8 percent of Singapore’s gross domestic product. The hotel provides jobs for up to 10,000 people while related industries provide 20,000 more jobs.

Best Sunshine comparison

Various proposals from Best Sunshine show high similarities to Marina Bay Sands. Marina Bay Sands is a full $8-billion development project. Best Sunshine’s proposed integrated resort and casino is projected at some $7 billion.

However, Best Sunshine’s initial proposal not only involves building attractions such as museums and convention centers, but also a water park within the resort. As of now, Best Sunshine will open a live training facility in Garapan.

Best Sunshine is already eyeing three tracts of lands on Saipan where it will build parts of its $7.1-billion integrated casino resort project, according to Department of Public Lands Secretary Pete Tenorio.

Areas include public lands adjacent to DFS Saipan Limited property in Garapan, public lands previously offered to Sunshine 100 in Marpi, and public lands in Naftan Point.

In April Best Sunshine inked a lease deal with the government, through DPL, for a 19,154-square-meter public land in Garapan. The initial appraised value of the public land was $901,000, but Best Sunshine will lease it for $5 million, about five times the land’s original appraised value.

The area is formerly known as “Samoan Housing Area.”

Best Sunshine expects to invest $400 million on the 250-room, 5-star hotel that will have a casino, restaurant, nightclubs, and other facilities in the Garapan area.

Like Best Sunshine’s proposal, Marina Bay Sands went through several phases of construction due to financial costs back in 2009.