Marina Bay Sands' refurbished rooms have been curated to impress like the complex’s iconic views. SINGAPORE – A ritzy cocktail cart in place of a bar fridge, spacious his-and-hers double sinks, and beautiful crockery for instant noodles. These are just a few of the luxurious touches that guests will enjoy even in the entry-level rooms at Marina Bay Sands (MBS), thanks to its US$1.
75 billion (S$2.35 billion) reinvestment programme. The upgrading works began in 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and have been completed in Towers 1 and 2.
Refurbishment is ongoing in the last of the three existing towers. Room and suite layouts have been reconfigured to bring luxury into every part of the experience, whether in the entry-level Sands Premier Room (from $950+ a night) or the most expensive Chairman Suite (rates available by invitation only). Browsing pre-refurbishment reviews on platforms like Tripadvisor and Google, hotel guests seem to have been most impressed by MBS’ rooftop infinity pool, and the spectacular views of the city skyline on one side and Gardens by the Bay on the other.
The rooms themselves were comfortable, but not raved about. As British content creator Katy English summed up in a blogpost in 2017 after a stay at MBS: “The interior decor was a bit basic: lots of brown and yellow, with dark wood furniture..
. (but) the insane view from our big balcony more than made up for everything else.” “Basic” – in urban parlance, something bland or unoriginal – is not the worst trait for a hotel, given the vast array of guests it must please.
Nevertheless, MBS’ refurbished rooms look set to change that impression, with rooms and suites curated to impress like the complex’s iconic views. Room and suite layouts have been reconfigured to bring luxury into every part of the experience. PHOTOS: MARINA BAY SANDS Mr Tane Picken, senior vice-president of hospitality at MBS, says: “The overall idea was to create a luxurious, urban sanctuary, where guests can unwind and relax in the heart of the bustling city.
Be it textiles, materials and colours, each element has been carefully considered to create this design narrative.” Core design ideas and motifs are echoed throughout the room tiers, such as the use of lighter, neutral colours and textures. The lighter palette is not as common in hospitality, notes Ms Stephanie Sentell, executive director of interior design at MBS.
“Especially coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, the idea was to create an aesthetic narrative whereby the modern traveller can feel as though they are ‘returning home’...
combining and layering materials, textures and colours helped us create that sense of atmosphere,” she says. The bathrooms in the revamped rooms strike an even balance between holiday opulence and home-away-from-home comfort, with their shower benches, double vanities and copious use of Greek Volakas marble across the floors and walls. Every single piece of the marble, which is known for its distinctive grey veining, was picked by Ms Sentell and her design team to ensure a smooth and seamless look.
The bathrooms in MBS’ rooms and suites strike a balance between holiday opulence and home-away-from-home comfort. PHOTO: MARINA BAY SANDS Of course, within the context of a hotel room, design is not just about furniture, furnishings and other decor. The objects and amenities equipping the space are also fundamental in shaping one’s experience of staying there.
“We pushed ourselves to be creative and relook every step of the guest journey, anticipating how a guest would move around the room and what a guest would like in the room,” says Mr Picken. Accordingly, one key feature of the revamped MBS rooms is the integration of technology – such as bedside wireless charging facilities and lights that illuminate the way to the bathroom at night. Beyond the high-tech touchstones, of note are the armoires found in each room and space in the Sands Collection.
On the outside, these armoires – varying in size between the different room types – are decorated in botanical designs reminiscent of the Chinese lacquerware on a vintage cabinet. The upper cabinet of the armoire opens up to a tea bar, while the lower drawers house a pull-out chiller rather than the stereotypical hotel mini-fridge. In between is a counter for guests to brew themselves coffee or tea.
The armoire is also stocked with crockery and cutlery – including ceramic bowls to enjoy some instant noodles, as Singaporeans and East Asians are often wont to do, even while travelling. The armoires in each room and space in MBS’ Sands Collection are a focal area where guest experience synergises with interior design. PHOTOS: MARINA BAY SANDS “Furnishing a room with $18 bowls just for cup noodles might seem a bit much, but it’s proven to be one of the small details that guests appreciate,” says Mr George Roe, executive director of operational planning at MBS, whose team curates the items found in the rooms and suites.
Ms Sentell adds: “We found that if you give people nice, beautiful things, they will respect these things – and the space as well.” Overall, there was a desire to incorporate Singapore’s multicultural essence throughout the rooms, says Mr Picken. “Design can tell a powerful story, and we wanted to take the opportunity to share about Singapore’s rich identity and culture,” he says, pointing out elements such as the bedroom headboard resembling a Chinese screen in a Peranakan shophouse and the Axminster wool carpets infused with a motif that evokes Arab Street textiles.
In the uppermost floors of the hotel towers, the Paiza Collection rooms and suites use commissioned art from local and regional artists to further the sense of a distinctly Singaporean sanctuary with all its pan-Asian influences. Other decor details include fluted panels that invoke Chinese landscape screens and hand-embroidered wallpaper inspired by regional flora and fauna. Much of the basic framework of the Sands Collection rooms and suites is repeated and elevated in the Paiza Collection through more luxurious furnishings and amenities.
Much of the basic framework of MBS’ Sands Collection rooms and suites is repeated and elevated in the upper-tier Paiza Collection. PHOTO: MARINA BAY SANDS For instance, in many of the rooms and suites, the cocktail trolley was upgraded to a sleeker, larger variant, and pairs with the bespoke armoire to create a distinct social area. The suites of the Paiza Collection also boast night fridges in the bedrooms, replete with a selection of still and sparkling water.
Or if tea is your jam, you can have a steaming cup at any hour, thanks to warming drawers that keep the porcelain cups at the ideal temperature for brewing tea. Where possible, suite layouts have been configured to allow guests stunning city or garden views from their bath, while discrete dressing chambers include mini-sinks for use during skincare and make-up routines. The crown jewels of the Paiza Collection – and of MBS’ hotel offerings as a whole – are the Paiza Royal suites.
Perhaps the most unique among these is the serene Horizon Suite (rates available by invitation only), which is designed to function as a wellness sanctuary the moment you step past the custom-edged metal screens framing the main doorway. Thanks to the high ceilings on the upper floors and the beautiful views outside the vast windows, there is a natural airiness and beauty to the space. Guests can rejuvenate themselves in the spa lounge with its soothing Himalayan salt wall or stroll to the fitness area, which is equipped with natural wood and stainless steel-free weights by luxury fitness brand Pent.
The Himalayan salt wall (left) and fitness area in the Horizon Suite at MBS. PHOTOS: MARINA BAY SANDS The layered design, where the full comforts of the suite slowly reveal themselves, is found not just in the Horizon Suite, but across all the revamped rooms. It was the work of hundreds of people across multiple teams, says Mr Picken, and the result of reimagining what MBS could offer as a hotel.
“(We even) tore down walls to create bigger and more spacious rooms and suites...
the aim was to convey a home-away-from-home experience for guests.” The effect is a place that a guest might be reluctant to leave and which feels as opulent as MBS’s iconic views and infinity pool – and with any luck, the very antithesis of “basic”. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
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