The Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Ever since I first laid eyes on the world’s most incredible infinity pool years ago it was instantly placed on my ever-expanding bucket list. Even though most of that travel bucket list focuses on nature and wildlife this pool is one big city attraction I’ve always been drawn to. I fantasized about gazing out over the edge and into Singapore’s skyline. I had an aunt and uncle who lived in Singapore 7 years while working for Microsoft when I was a child, and the stories that came from them are where my earliest exposure to Asia came from; which made visiting all that much more alluring. Now traveling through Asia it was time to finally check this one off the list.

There’s a catch though – the pool is closed to the public and the only way you to actually take a plunge it’s very inviting waters is to be a guest of the Marina Bay Sands hotel. With the least expensive rooms starting at $278 per night it’s no small expense; but one you’ll have to pay if you want to play. Considering this was my #1 most wanted thing to do in Singapore I made the paid to a guest for 1 night.

With a $5.7 billion price tag this world-famous infinity pool is part of one of the most expensive hotels ever built. Towering 57 stories over the city, with a length totaling more than 3 Olympic sized swimming pools it is the largest in the world at that height. The Marina Bay Sands is a huge hotel with more than 2,500 rooms, a casino, multiple restaurants & bars, a large shopping mall complex and of course the incredible infinity pool.

With a large shopping mall attached right to the resort you don’t have to go far to enjoy shopping at the world’s most high end luxury brands and designer stores. With an assortment of restaurants and a large food court there’s also plenty of options to keep your belly full.

Isn’t It Scary!?

I’ll be the first to admit I get a little tense and wobbly in the knees when it comes to heights and I had a lot of reservations about how I would feel swimming way up there. Once I actually arrived it wasn’t really scary at all. In photos it gives the illusion that you swim right up to the edge without anything stopping you from falling right over. But that isn’t the case – there’s a hidden barrier that catches all the water spill-off is quite wide. You’re always feet away from the actual edge.

The City’s Best Location

The Marina Bay Sands is located within walking distance of many city attractions like Gardens by the Bay, Cloud Forest,  Waterfront Promenade, the Merlion, Helix Bridge and several food courts/shopping malls. The hotel is also connected directly to the MRT (subway) which makes getting around the city a breeze. I left Johor Baru in Malaysia and after crossing the border into Singapore I was able to ride the MRT directly to the hotel – it doesn’t get any more convenient than that!

The Rooms

The room was nicely furnished with a comfortable bed and desk, a flat screen TV, and great view of the Gardens by the Bay from the balcony. However, for the large price tag I expected it would’ve been a little larger and more spacious. Considering I spent all of my time up at the pool and walking around the city the room was plenty nice enough for catching some sleep.