Besides the Merlion, it’s hard to picture Singapore without thinking about Marina Bay Sands – the three-pronged building that’s basically a luxury hotel and resort but also houses a casino, upscale bars and restaurants, nightclub, designer shops, theater, and even a state-of-the-art ArtScience Museum.
This hospitality industry giant the Marina Bay Sands is undergoing a massive renovation and is in its second phase.
Brief History of Marina Bay Sands
The Merlion in front of Marina Bay Sands (Photo credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/76425142@N07/12948445504/)
Since its opening in 2010, this major tourist attraction in Singapore has been considered one of Singapore’s tourism industry linchpins. To date, it has attracted more than 470 million tourists and visitors from all over the world, not only as a tourist attraction but also as a destination for conferences, exhibitions, business meetings, or even incentives.
The Marina Bay Sands, owned by Las Vegas Sands, was initially planned to open as early as 2009. However, construction incurred delays brought about by the effects of the global financial crisis, leading the owner to open the resort by phase.
Instead, the timeline below summarizes the opening of the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort as approved by the Singapore authorities:
- April 27, 2010 – Soft opening for the Casino
- April 27, 2010 – Soft opening for the SkyPark
- June 23-24, 2010 – Official opening of the resort and SkyPark
- November 30, 2010 – The first performance of the theatrical show “Riverdance”
- December 18, 2010 – Michelle Kwan’s performance opened the indoor skating rink
- February 17, 2011 – Grand opening, which also featured the opening of the seven celebrity-owned restaurants
- February 19, 2011 – The ArtScience Museum debuted “Wonder Full,” a water, light, and laser show.
It comprises a total of 2,975 rooms and 15 square meters of gaming space.
The list of its attractions also includes the following:
- ArtScience Museum
- Bay Floral
- Marina Bay Sands Art Path
- Marquee Nightclub
- The Sands Expo and Convention Centre
- The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
- Wonder Full
What We Know About the Tower 3 Construction Project
Marina Bay Sands (photo credits: Las Vegas Sands website)
As if this 55-storey breathtaking Singapore landmark isn’t enough to blow your mind, Las Vegas Sands, which also owns The Londoner Macao, is currently pouring significant investment into renovating the Tower 3 of the Marina Bay Sands, the Sands SkyPark, and the Hotel Lobby. This is actually a continuation of the expansive revamping of Tower 1 and Tower 2 worth SG$1.3 billion.
The Tower 3 renovation project includes the introduction of some new dining establishments, wellness amenities, and retail shops, apart from reimagining 550 rooms that cover their 380 suites. As per its owner, Las Vegas Sands, via its first-quarter earnings report, they expect that the Tower 3 project will be in its serviceable status in time for the Chinese New Year 2025, which falls on the 29th of January. However, its 100% completion shall fall in the second quarter of that year.
The project’s current funding is US$750 million, which is part of the US$1.75 billion investment. That sum includes the refurbishment budget for Tower 1 and Tower 2, which commenced in 2022 and saw the completion of 1,280 upgraded rooms—390 of which are brand-new suites. This is one of Singapore’s major ongoing projects, including Resorts World Sentosa Expansion, ULU Pandan Banks, and Science Centre Singapore.
Once the refurbishments are complete, all three wings of this ultra-luxurious hotel resort will have 1,850 rooms, including 770 suites. The public can also expect the launch of a number of wellness activities within the SkyPark Observation Deck, such as spin classes, Muay Thai boxing, and sound bath medication.
In January of this year, Las Vegas Sands secured approval from the Singapore authorities to develop a fourth tower, comprising around 587 rooms totalling 153.1 square meters. However, the agreement to commence the expansion was moved from April 8, 2024, to July 8, 2025, and is expected to be completed by July 8, 2029.
Marina Bay Sands renovation Factsheet
Owner: Las Vegas Sands
Project: Marina Bay Sands – Tower 3
Project Type: Hotel, Lobby, Skypark
Architect/Designer: Moshe Safdie & Associates and Aedas Pte Ltd
Developer: Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd and Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Location: 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
Contractor: (1) Min Da Group Pte Ltd and (2) Sundart Engineering Services (Singapore) Pte. Ltd
Value: Estimated SG $1,017.97M or US $750 million
Construction Start: January 2024
Construction End: December 2025
