Marina Bay Sands dazzles

By Do Je-hae

SINGAPORE ― Singapore has long been an of object envy for Korean tourism officials.

Tourism in the city-state is a major industry and mainstay of the Singaporean economy, attracting 11,638,663 foreign tourists in 2010, over twice Singapore's total population.

There are numerous factors that contribute to the Southeast Asian nation’s indisputable status as a global tourism powerhouse.

A dominant success ingredient is the country’s constant drive to evolve its tourism infrastructure, as demonstrated by the establishment of the $8 billion Marina Bay Sands, a giant integrated resort facility that has given Singapore an unprecedented face-lift.

Since its opening in April 2010, the Marina Bay Sands has become an icon of Asia’s tourism industry with its innovative design and comprehensive functions.

Located in the heart of Singapore’s central business district, it has everything a tourist would want ― a luxury hotel, shopping, theaters, leisure activities, restaurants and casinos among others.

Korean builder Ssangyong Engineering and Construction built the resort, which contains a 2,561-room hotel, a convention-exhibition center, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands mall, an iconic ArtScience museum, two large theaters, seven "celebrity chef" restaurants, two floating Crystal Pavilions, an ice skating rink and swimming pool, and the world's largest atrium casino with 600 tables and 1,600 slot machines.

Las Vegas Sands, the parent company of Marina Bay Sands, declared the undertaking "one of the world's most challenging construction projects and certainly the most expensive stand-alone integrated resort property ever built".

Shopping

Marina Bay Sands is famed for its casino. But it is also a shopper’s heaven.

Asian shoppers are becoming the main target of luxury brands and in a showcase of its devotion to Asia, Louis Vuitton chose Marina Bay Sands as the home of its biggest flagship store in Asia.

Linked to the Marina Bay Sands retail and casino complex, the Louis Vuitton Island Maison opened last month with Louis Vuitton CEO Yves Carcelle in attendance.

"Singapore's rich cultural history and artistic heritage, alongside its vibrant and exciting development makes it a natural home for a Louis Vuitton," Carcelle said.

The store's ground floor carries men's and women's selections such as leather goods, shoes, ready to wear and accessories.

Shoppers can also travel inside a tunnel which showcases contemporary artwork. This tunnel is linked to the Marina Bay Sands mall and Louis Vuitton bookstore where visitors can browse through art books.

Casino

The casino is the main cashbox for Marina Bay Sands. The first and second floors are open to the general public while the third and the fourth floors are strictly for VIPs, who account for about 70 percent of the casino’s revenue.

For the Singaporean economy, Marina Bay Sands is projected to stimulate an addition of $2.7 billion or 0.8 percent to Singapore's gross domestic product by 2015, employing 10,000 people directly and 20,000 jobs being created in other industries.

Theater & Arts

One of Broadway's current blockbusters, “Wicked,” will be featured at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands Grand Theater ― where Disney's “The Lion King” is playing now ― Dec. 7. The smashing production’s limited engagement season will run until January 29, 2012.

Wicked tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz, based on the 1939 film musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” and on the 1995 George Maguire novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.”

"We're delighted that Singapore is now set to follow Wicked productions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the North American tour and London's West End," lead producers, Marc Platt and David Stone, said in a joint statement. "This will be the first time that Wicked will visit the South East Asian region, and we're absolutely sure that Singaporeans ― and visitors from around the region ― will be just as enchanted by Wicked as the audiences are in America, England, North Asia and Australia.”

Marina Bay Sands also has the world’s first ArtScience Museum. Boasting an iconic lotus-inspired design, the ArtScience Museum features 21 gallery spaces totaling 50,000 square feet and is the resort’s latest addition.

It features an impressive array of exhibits that embrace a spectrum of influences from art and science, media and technology, to design and architecture.

Restaurants

Marina Bay Sands has many top quality restaurants serving a wide range of global food.

Named the Best New Restaurant by a Singapore-based chef in TimeOut’s “2011 Best Of Awards,” chef Justin Quek’s Sky on 57 is one of the leading spots for a world-class dining experience.

HY California is an extension of the fine-dining Japanese restaurant Hide Yamamoto. Located along the North Promenade, the restaurant has introduced a series of innovative dishes customized for the American palate.

Jin Shan is a modern and elegant Chinese restaurant designed to excite and create an intriguing dining experience within the hotel lobby area. The restaurant is decorated with uniquely designed lantern pavilions and private dining rooms, presenting the best of Cantonese, Hunan and Szechuan flavors.