I’ve wanted to visit Marina Bay Sands ever since stumbling upon this photo while researching for my RTW trip:

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An infinity pool 57 stories above ground? Sign me up!

It turns out you can only access the pool as a resident of the resort, which costs a minimum of around $280 USD per night.

But a representative from Marina Bay Sands has very graciously agreed to the next best thing: a tour of this exclusive property.

A little background info:

• Marina Bay Sands cost 8 billion Singapore dollars to build (~ $6 billion USD)
• It opened in June 2010
• There are 57 floors and 2,561 rooms
• It’s the 20th tallest building in Singapore

And see the very tip top? That’s the SkyPark Observation Deck, which is open to the public (for $20 per person). The views are incredible… more on that in a moment.

Before even entering the hotel, I encounter the impressive Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. There’s over 300 in total.

Fun fact for my Los Angeles readers: do you see Mozza on the second floor of the photo above? Mario Batali is one of seven celebrity chefs to operate a restaurant here. Just like in LA, there is Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza, side by side.

There’s even a canal…

… and a Rain Oculus:

Here’s the exterior of the Rain Oculus:

The Phantom of the Opera is playing at one of two theatres in the resort:

There’s an indoor ice skating rink (which is remarkable given how humid it is outside) that was inaugurated by Michelle Kwan:

If it all feels like Vegas, your instincts are correct — this property is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which also owns the Venetian and the Palazzo in Sin City.

The lobby is impressive:

I’m shown the Presidential Suite, which rents for $6,000 Singapore dollars per night ($4,800 USD).

This suite includes a massage parlor, karaoke room, and personal gym.

But the best part may be the views of Singapore harbor:

We make our way up to the Infinity Pool…!

Later in the day I post this shot on Facebook and Instagram, and it receives a record number of likes:

Here’s a wide shot of the pool. You can see just over the edge — it’s not a true drop-off (duh, for safety reasons) and that little balcony below keeps all swimmers safely on the 57th floor.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the Infinity Pool. Wish I could’ve gone for a dip!

I reluctantly say good-bye to the pool and move on to the SkyPark Observation Deck.

As I mentioned, this area is opened to the general public for $20 per person (open daily 9:30a – 10p // 11p on Friday-Sunday).

The only other way to get up here without paying that $20 is to visit one of the deck’s exclusive establishments like KU DE TA or Sky on 57, the latter of which is one of the seven celebrity chef restaurants I mentioned earlier.

These views…!

I vow to return at dusk to capture the lights of the city and view the nightly light show called Wonder Full. More on that tomorrow.

Those trees below are part of Garden By the Bay and I’ll photograph them in more detail in a separate post (teaser: they are AWESOME).

Before we head outside, I get a glimpse of the casino gaming floor (photography not allowed). I am fascinated to learn that Singaporean residents must pay $100 Singapore dollars each (or $80 USD) to enter the casino. Foreigners enter for free; you must show a passport to get in. This is to discourage gambling among their own population and, if I remember correctly, is a regulation passed by their federal government. Can you imagine if the U.S. levied that kind of fee on its citizens to enter a Vegas casino? That would shake things up… and eliminate a lot of gambling problems.

Next we visit ArtScience Museum (in the shape of a lotus flower) which currently features an exhibit on Eames.

We briefly pass through the Eames exhibit. I wish I had more time to check it out fully. It’s still running if you happen to be in Singapore!

And this is the world’s largest Louis Vuitton boutique:

One last glimpse of the Marina Bay Sands lobby…

This is the most impressive hotel property I’ve seen. My only regret is that I didn’t get to experience it as an overnight guest! Next time…

Many thanks to Marina Bay Sands for offering me a press tour. It was a treat to see all this property has to offer.