Where I Stayed: Marina Bay Sands – Singapore

I pass through Singapore at least once a year as it is such a convenient travel hub. Over the last couple of years I have been wondering, “what is that thing being built at Marina Bay?”. The answer is the Marina Bay Sands.

Marina Bay Sands view from Merlion Park
[Marina Bay Sands view from Merlion Park]

This was my first trip to Singapore since its completion, and I was invited to stay for the night to have a look around for myself. I accepted the invitation.

The hotel is one part of an integrated resort, which includes a casino, shopping mall, theatre and convention centre.

James at Marina Bay Sands
[At Marina Bay Sands]

The hotel looks across Marina Bay and has an unobstructed view of Singapore’s financial district skyline. The hotel accommodation is five star luxury at its best, with 40 inch TV’s, automatic curtains and luxurious beds that make you to never want to get out of bed again.

While I appreciated having a luxury king size bed, I was equally impressed with the reading couch. Getting horizontal on a couch and reading a book is a wonderful way to relax, and if I had time I would have lay down on this all day. As it was I was Singapore for just over 24 hours, and I had much work to do. Plus there was another couch I need to look at, on the roof.

King size bed and reading couch
[King size bed and reading couch -both very hard to get out of]

Amidst all the trimmings of 5 star luxury, the stand out highlight of this hotel is the pool. This is not some puddle of water tucked away in a sweaty little room on the second foor. The pool is on the roof. All three roofs. And then some.

This is the most ridiculous swiming pool I have ever seen.

Marina Bay Sands pool lounge chairs
[Marina Bay Sands pool lounge chairs]

That spaceship parked on the roof of the hotel is the SkyPark, which is 340m-long. 67 of those metres overhangs the north tower, making it the world’s largest public cantilevered platform. The showpeice of the SkyPark is the 150m infinity swimming pool.

There is a night club and bar at the SkyPark, which is open to the public, but only hotel guests can swim in the pool.

I thought that I might get some vertigo in the pool, but I didn’t feel that at all, even swimming up next to the edge.

The SkyPark is 191 metres above the ground and it felt a few degrees cooler up there, though that might have been the wind blowing off all that water.

Marina Bay Sands swimming pool
[Marina Bay Sands swimming pool]

I love this pool. I had every intention of having a morning swim and then heading over to Little India for a lunch time curry. I ended up lingering for longer than I planned, so I missed my curry. I figured that I’m not going to be staying in such luxury on my next trip to Singapore, so the curry will have to wait until next time. I think I made the right choice.

From a design point of view I find this hotel fascinating. The cantilevered deck is an engineering marvel. I like looking up at it from the ground as it looks like a zeppelin is parked on the roof. Related trivia: did you know that the tower on the Empire State Building was built to dock airships? In the end they scrapped the idea of making it a port for dirigibles (love that word) as it was too windy that high up.

Cantilevered platform of the Marina Bay Sands
[A zeppelin lands on the roof of the Marina Bay Sands]

Marina Bay is reclaimed land and there is more construction going on in the area. There is a metro line being built nearby, and behind the hotel the Gardens by the Bay is nearing completion. It will be interesting to see how the area looks once everything is completed.

Search and compare rates for Marina Bay Sands Hotel Singapore.

Note: James stayed as a guest of Marina Bay Sands.

Room With a View, Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia

Room With a View, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia

When I arrived at my hotel in Kuala Lumpur late at night and it was too cloudy to see out the window. This was the great view I got when I woke up.

Photo Friday

Good Idea: Optional linen change

I have always thought that the daily changing of sheets at hotels was unnecessarily wasteful. So I was happy to see this good idea when I checked into my room at Tune Hotels in Kuala Lumpur.

Optional Linen Change

Optional Linen Change

Tune Hotels is a “low cost hotel”, brought to you by the man behind Air Asia, Tony Fernandes. Like a low cost airline, this hotel chain employ an a la Carte pricing method to your hotel bill. So you pay for your room, then choose any extra’s such as internet and air-conditioning (fan rooms come as standard).

Reducing their laundry bill is another way they are reducing costs, but I like how they remind you that it is the environmentally friendly thing to do.

A room with an airport view

I’ve been staying at a business class hotel in Yogyakarta as part of a job. I like Indonesian guesthouses but it has been good to have access to free wi-fi from my room.

If it's Wednesday it must be Yogyakarta

If it's Wednesday it must be Yogyakarta

Most of the international hotel chains in Yogya are out near the airport, which is about 8km from the city. They have a shuttle bus that runs to the city centre, so I have to plan my days activities around the shuttle or get a taxi.

One thing about this hotel is that its a plane spotters dream. I can’t help but look at a plane landing everytime I hear one coming.

Room with an airport view

Room with an airport view

Hotel Breakfast Service

I have often found myself staying at a hotel with breakfast included, only to find that the breakfast doesn’t start until long after I have departed. Breakfast that is served at 7 or 8am is no good if you are getting the 6am train.

Breakfast Served From

Breakfast Served From

I was happy to find that my hotel in Bandung have breakfast start at 5am.

Where I Stayed: Hotel de Foucauld, Marrakech – Morocco

Morocco is an excellent budget travel destination if you have just come from Europe. The hotels at the cheap end of the scale tend to be old places with ecclectic flair. I have found that the best places to stay are either in the Ville Nouvelle (the “new” town areas that were built by the French) or on the edge of the Medina’s. The cheapest budget hotels are often in the Medina’s, but I found it is not worth the hassle of carting your bags in those areas and trying to find your way around the narrow streets.

In Marrakech I split my time between the new and old areas. In the old area I found a hotel on a main street near the Medina, the Hotel de Foucauld. This room was 220 Dirham ($25 US).

Hotel de Foucauld
[Hotel de Foucauld]

It is your typical budget hotel with lots of beautiful tile work throughout the hotel, and unusual room layouts.

Hotel de Foucauld Bedroom
[Hotel de Foucauld Bedroom]

My room had an ensuite bathroom so high up you could call it a mezzanine bathroom.

Hotel de Foucauld Bathroom
[Hotel de Foucauld Bathroom]

Where I Stayed: Hotel Biarritz, Tangier – Morocco

I spent the night in Tangier, which not many visitors seem to do. There was definitely a distinct lack of tourism here. Most visitors skip Tangier and head to the train station for the Marrakech Express.

City of Tangier
[City of Tangier]

Tangier certainly has a reputation that precedes itself so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I knew the touts at the port gates were legendary so I was braced for an onslaught when I stepped off the ferry.

I was surprised then that I wasn’t hassled once. I was staying in a pension about 15 minutes walk away and I only got one taxi offer in that whole time. It seems the city really has cleaned up the tout situation.

I stayed at a Pension called the Hotel Biarritz. A room with a bathroom costs 150 Dirham (about $18 US)

Hotel Biarritz
[Hotel Biarritz]

Pensions aren’t usually bookable online, so you have to wing it when you arrive and hope there are rooms available when you get there. I love these old places with the tiling and decor that looks like it hasn’t changed since the 40′s.

Hotel Biarritz Stairs
[Hotel Biarritz Stairs]

Where I Stayed: Kooyk Hotel – Amsterdam

I end my Benelux railpass in Amsterdam, from where I make my way back to London. I have found a great budget hotel near Leidseplein, Kooyk Hotel. I’ve had such a bad run of dirty and cramped hostels in my previous visits to Amsterdam, so I have been looking out for a basic guesthouse instead.

Hotel Kooyk - Amsterdam
[Hotel Kooyk]

Where I Stayed: Botel Maastricht

A different budget accommodation option in Maastricht is the Botel Maastricht.

Botel Maastricht
[Botel Maastricht]

This boat hotel has basic single rooms with shared bathroom for €33. The river is tame and the boat is well docked so the only time you feel you are on a boat is when a barge would go past, and the boat would gently rock. I heard ducks outside my porthole as well as I drifted off to sleep. A beautiful way to go to sleep.

Botel view at breakfast
[Botel view at breakfast]

Arrow to Mecca in hotels rooms

My hotel room in Dubai has a black arrow on the ceiling pointing in the direction to Mecca, a common feature of hotels in Islamic countries.

Arrow to Mecca
[Black arrow on the hotel ceiling indicating the direction to Mecca.]

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