5b Marina Bay Sands IR to feature shows by Hindi superstars
PICTURE this: With just a 10-minute drive from your office in Shenton Way after work, you could catch Hindi superstars like Aishwarya Rai and Shahrukh Khan on stage.
If Bollywood fare is not your cup of tea, how about a glitzy Broadway musical to jazz up your evening?
Mega-mall complete with ice-skating rink
In just a short two years when the Marina Bay Sands opens its door, such live extravanganzas will be regular features at the integrated resort's two 2,000-seater theatres.
That's not all.
Resorts operator Las Vegas Sands will introduce an indoor ice-skating rink in a mall.
It will be located at the atrium of Marina Bay Shoppes, a 1 million-sq ft mega mall the size of VivoCity that will be built along a canal linked to the main waterfront.
And yes, Sands, which opened The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel this week, will also introduce the gondola ride in Singapore.
For shutterbugs, panoramic views can be had at the resort's Sky Park - a 100,000-sq ft rooftop at the 50th storey which links the three hotel towers.
ROOFTOP POOLS
Gondola rides on canal connected to waterfront
You can even swim at one of the rooftop infinity pools for that top-of-the-world feeling. Spas, restaurants and landscaped gardens will complete the enjoyment.
Marina Bay Sands is also to become South-east Asia's top convention destination, expecting to draw at least 600,000 visitors for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions in its first year of operations in 2010.
With 1.2 million-sq ft of convention space, it can accommodate more than 2,000 exhibition booths and up to 50,000 delegates.
Reportedly, organisers of about 20 major events have already made bookings up to the year 2013.
Operator Las Vegas Sands is optimistic about opening the resort in late 2009.
With over 2,500 five-star rooms in three hotel towers and an ArtScience Museum, the entire project will cost more than $5 billion.
In comparison, its sister resort The Venetian Macao - with 3,000 all-suite guest rooms and a 1 million-sq ft mega mall - costs $3.6b.
The mall features 350 luxury shops with upscale brands such as Franck Muller, Chopard, Piaget, Mont Blanc, Mikimoto and Versace.
Some of these global brands can be expected at the Marina Bay Shoppes to attract shoppers from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia.
UPSCALE OUTLETS
View from Sheares Bridge
When opened, the Singapore resort will boast upscale food and beverage outlets too.
In Macau, these include a 1,000-seater Cafe Deco restaurant, and the upcoming 35,000-sq ft Buddha Bar operated by Lifebrandz, a public-listed company in Singapore that runs the Ministry of Sound dance club in Clarke Quay.
In a phone interview from Macau, Lifebrandz CEO Clement Lee told The New Paper on Sunday that he would not rule out the possibility of opening Buddha Bar in Marina Bay Sands, though 'no plans have been drawn out yet'.
But how will The Venetian Macao rival Singapore?
In an e-mail response, Ms Margaret Teo, Singapore's Tourism Board (STB) director of integrated resorts, said: 'Sands have said that both Macau and Singapore resorts complement each other. There are synergies to be tapped.
'When the resort opens in Singapore, Sands will have invaluable experience and insight of the Asian market. This will enable them to make Marina Bay Sands, which is very different in design to their Macau resort, an even better proposition.'
For more than $5 billion, the sands would certainly bind better.
Las Vegas Sands COO William Weidner revealed on Tuesday that rising construction costs and design complexity of the hotel towers are likely to push up the overall project cost from the initial estimate of $5 billion by 20 to 40 per cent.
By opening day, perhaps the resort will wow Bollywood stars who have seen it all.
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