Image © TravMedia/Marina Bay Sands.
If you're building your trip around events at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore (compare rates|buy direct), expect your calendar to get pretty busy over the next few weeks. From the opening of an adjacent MRT station (Bayfront) on January 14 to a series of Chinese New Year events in the hotel and its partner establishments, the Marina Bay Sands will be throwing a big Year of the Dragon bash, and everybody's invited.
January 14: Introducing Bayfront MRT. In ye olden days, guests at the Marina Bay Sands could only arrive via car, taxi, or water ferry. After January 14, guests can add another option on the list: the Bayfront MRT station opens on that day, and train commuters can arrive directly at the integrated resort via five different entrances leading to places including the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the Sands Expo & Convention Center, and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
"The opening of Bayfront MRT station completes the transportation routes to Marina Bay Sands, complementing the current options of land and water transport," says John Postle, Executive Director of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. "This is a milestone for The Shoppes as the Circle Line extension will bring more traffic for our retailers to prosper in the Year of the Dragon and beyond."
To mark the big day, from now till February 5, the first 88 shoppers of the day spending a minimum of SGD 188 at The Shoppes will get a free limited edition EZ-link card with SGD 8 value, a TWG Mandarin Tea macaron pack and Marina Bay Sands red packets. (More on Singapore's ubiquitous transport access tool - the Singapore EZ-Link Card.)
On the first and second day of the Chinese New Year (January 23 and 24), the stored value of this limited edition EZ-link card will be increased to SGD 88, an auspicious number in Chinese numerology.
Image of the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands © TravMedia/Marina Bay Sands.
On January 14, Marina Bay Sands Team Members will wait at the station's Exit D, handing goodie bags to the first 500 commuters from 1 PM onward coming through The Shoppes. The bag will include a limited edition Marina Bay Sands branded cap, bottled water, a complimentary ticket to the Sands SkyPark, and a SweetSpot voucher. Afterward, all visitors to the Shoppes get brochures with redeemable coupons and vouchers.
January 6 to February 5: Chinese New Year Specials at The Shoppes. On the first and second day of Chinese New Year (January 23 and 24), the Marina Bay Sands' retail operations will stay open from 10am to 11pm. But the celebrations begin long before that: stores in the Shoppes will be offering special promotions from January 6 onward, including up to 70 percent off purchases at upscale luxury boutique Robinsons - the Shoppes' most generous offer to date!
Image © TravMedia/Marina Bay Sands.
January 17 Onward: Celebrity Chef Restaurant Specials. French-American bistro db Bistro Moderne offers an assortment of family styled dishes inspired by the Year of the Dragon. Indulge in the Seafood Platter (Lobster, Crab, Shrimp and Oysters etc) and Roast Stuffed Suckling Pig (Gratin Dauphinois, Wild Mushrooms, Garlic Baby Kailan, Butternut Squash, Pork Jus; image above). The establishment's special Chinese New Year menu was created by Executive Chef Stephane Istel, and is available from January 21 to 23.
Sky on 57 offers a five-course menu inspired by ingredients from Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture. At SGD 138++ per person, the menu features dishes like Organic Kagoshima Pumpkin Veloute and Kagoshima Wagyu Beef in Asian Pepper Sauce. The menu will be on offer from January 17.
Image © LaserVision.
January 21-22: Marina Bay fireworks and Wonder Full. The River Hong Bao will be conducting fireworks around Marina Bay, and guests will find the Sands SkyPark and Event Plaza to be perfect vantage points to see the display. Watch the fireworks unfold from 7:30pm to 8:30pm on January 21, and just before midnight on January 22, the eve of Chinese New Year.
Wonder Full, the Marina Bay Sands light and water spectacular (pictured above), unfolds at 9pm, 10pm and 11pm on January 21, as well as 8pm and 9:30pm on January 22.
January 23: Lion and Dragon dance. At the numerologically auspicious time of 3:18pm on January 23 eight lions and a dragon come to life at Marina Bay Sands Hotel Tower 1. After the opening performance, the entourage will be split into three troupes, which will roam through different parts of the property, including the Sands Expo & Convention Center, The Shoppes, the ArtScience Museum, theaters and the SkyPark, ushering in a year of good fortune for all present.
Compare rates on the Marina Bay Sands and other Marina Bay, Singapore Hotels. For more Lunar New Year activities, read our article on Chinese New Year in Singapore, or see images of Chinese New Year in Singapore.