Resorts World Sentosa
Resorts World Sentosa (simplified Chinese: 圣淘沙名胜世界; traditional Chinese: 聖淘沙名勝世界) is an integrated resort on the island of Sentosa, off the southern coast of Singapore. The key attractions include one of Singapore's two casinos, a Universal Studios theme park and Marine Life Park, which includes the world's largest oceanarium.
The S$6.59 billion (US$4.93 billion) resort is developed by Genting Singapore, listed on the SGX. It is one of the world's most expensive casino properties, after Marina Bay Sands. The resort occupies over 49 hectares (121 acres) of land and, when fully open, will employ more than 10,000 people directly. Resorts World Sentosa is a sister resort to Resorts World Genting, Malaysia and Resorts World Manila, Philippines.
The soft launch of the first four hotels took place on 20 January 2010,[1] with the FestiveWalk shopping mall following on February 1.[2] The casino opened on 14 February the first auspicious day of the Chinese New Year.[3] The Maritime Experiential Museum will open on October 15 2011. The Marine Life Park will open in 2012. Resorts World Sentosa is also expected to hold large-scale exhibitions such as Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future.[4]
History
Integrated Resorts in Singapore History
Resort History
Construction of Resorts World Sentosa Singapore began on 19 April 2007 on the demolished plot of Imbiah Lookout. It opened in a record time of 34 months of construction on 20 January 2010. Crockfords Tower, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Festive Hotel and Hotel Michael opened January 20, 2010, followed by FestiveWalk on 31 January 2010. Resorts World Sentosa Casino opened on February 14, 2010.Universal Studios Singapore was opened for sneak peek week in view of the Chinese New Year Celebrations, from 5pm to 9pm every night between 14 to 21 February 2010.[5] The whole park was opened but none of the rides were operational. Visitors had to pay SGD10 to get into the park. Park tickets for the week were sold out in 2 days. The park had its soft opening period from 18 March 2010 to 26 October 2010.[6]
Timeline
- 10 October 2006 - Genting International and Star Cruises submitted its proposal, suitably named Resorts World at Sentosa to the Singapore government.
- 16 October 2006 - Genting International and Star Cruises unveiled its proposal "Resorts World at Sentosa".
- 8 December 2006 - Genting International and Star Cruises won the bid for the Sentosa IR.
- 16 April 2007 - Resorts World at Sentosa broke ground on 49-hectare site.
- 7 November 2007 - Resorts World at Sentosa announced that it will be adding six new attractions to its resort.
- October 2008 - Resorts World at Sentosa announced new Transformers attraction for Universal Studios Singapore.
- September 2009 - Universal Studios Singapore unveiled Far Far Away and Madagascar.
- October 2009 - Universal Studios Singapore unveiled attractions, dining options and merchandise outlets at Universal Studios Singapore
- 20 January 2010 - Soft Opening of Resorts World Sentosa
- 31 January 2010 - Opening of FestiveWalk
- Early February 2010 - Opening of Waterfront Station of Sentosa Express.
- February 2010 - Sneak Peak week for Universal Studios Singapore.
- 14 February 2010 - Opening of Resorts World Sentosa Casino.
- Late February 2010 - Opening of Link Bridge from Resorts World Sentosa to Imbiah Lookout.
- 18 March 2010 - Soft opening of Universal Studios Singapore with Pantages Hollywood Theater, Lights Camera Action, Battlestar Galactica, Accelerator, Revenge of the Mummy, Treasure Hunters, Canopy Flyer, Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, Waterworld, Amber Rock Climb, Dino-Soarin', Shrek 4D Adventure, Donkey Live, Enchanted Airways, Magic Potion Spin and King Julien’s Beach Party-Go-Round.
- July 2010 - New Lake Hollywood Spectacular show on Friday and Saturday nights at Universal Studios Singapore.
- October 2010 - Opening of Candylicious, one of Asia's largest candy store.
- Late October 2010 - Opening of Waterfront Area.
- 25 December 2010 - Opening of Crane Dance.
- Spring 2011 - First year anniversary.
- 21 February 2011 - The re-opening of Battlestar Galactica after a technical glitch caused it to be closed just one week after opening.[7][8]
- 16 May 2011 - The scheduled opening of Madagascar: A Crate Adventure in Universal Studios Singapore.[9][10][11]
- 15 October 2011 - Opening of Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium.[12]
- 3 December 2011 - The scheduled opening of Transformers: The Ride at Universal Studios Singapore.[13][14] The ride will have its world premiere at an exclusive evening event on 2 December 2011 with director Michael Bay gracing the event.[15]
- 2012 - Opening of Equarius Hotel, Spa Villas and Marine Life Park.
- Before End 2012 - Opening of Stage 28 and another 4 new attractions at Universal Studios Singapore
Resort layout
The resort was designed primarily by American architect Michael Graves. Six hotels offer a total of 1,840 rooms for accommodation.[16] Each hotel is designed with a different theme, catering to both the leisure and business visitors.[17] The resort is split into west, central and east zones.[18]
Central Zone
Hotels
The resort has six hotels with 1,800 rooms.
- Crockfords Tower, formerly planned to be named,Maxims Tower,[19] is an 11-storey all-suite hotel[20] overlooking the Singapore harbour and the Southern Islands. The resort's casino is located beneath the tower.[21] The hotel was topped-out on 27 February 2009 and opened on 20 January 2010. Both the latter and Hotel Micheal, sits on the area of the former Sentosa Musical Fountain The hotel also features Crockfords Premier, an exclusive casino club with private rooms for High Roller located on 10th floor
- Hotel Michael is a 11-storey hotel named after Michael Graves.[22] Hotel Michael topped-out on 15 July 2009 and was opened on 20 January 2010. Together with Crockfords Tower, it replaces the site of former Sentosa Musical Fountain
- Festive Hotel is a family-oriented hotel next to Crockfords Tower and Festive Walk.[23] Beneath the hotel is Festive Grand, a 1,600 seat plenary hall which will host Resorts World Sentosa's resident musical Voyage de la Vie.[24]
- The Hard Rock Hotel Singapore is the site of meeting and conference facilities, and indoor exhibition space. This includes 26 differently-designed function rooms and one of Asia's largest ballrooms with seating for 7,300 guests. Construction of Singapore's first Hard Rock Hotel started in May 2008, and the hotel opened on 20 January 2010.
Casino
The casino, capped at 15,000 sq.m. by regulation, is located beneath Crockfords Tower.[21] Government regulations also require Singapore citizens and permanent residents to purchase a S$100 day pass or S$2000 yearly membership for access into the casino.[25] Singaporean patrons can enter/leave the casino freely as long as their levy has not expired. Both types of entry levy (daily or yearly) allow the patron to visit to only one casino.[26]
Overseas citizens can also enter and leave free of charge with their passports or employment passes.
The Casino Levy money is collected by the Singapore Totalisator Board controlled by the Government, and is used for public and charity causes. The Casino does not keep any part of the levy money.
On May 2011, the Casino Regulatory Authority has fined Resorts World Sentosa (Casino) for 2 violations related to reimbursements and 2 other violations related to surveillance practices. The total fine was S$530,000 (US$425,000).[27]
Fine Dining
- Chinois by Susur Lee - Chinese cuisine
- Restaurant de Joël Robuchon by Joël Robuchon - French cuisine
- L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon by Joël Robuchon - Contemporary French cuisine
- The Pastry Shop & Lounge by Joël Robuchon - French patisserie (opening soon)
- Kunio by Kunio Tokuoka - Japanese kaiseki cuisine
- Osia by Scott Webster - Modern Australian cuisine
Casual Dining
- Fiesta at Festive Hotel - Brazilian cuisine
- Palio at Hotel Michael - Italian cuisine
- Rang Mahal Pavilion at Hard Rock Hotel - Indian cuisine
- Starz Restaurant at Hard Rock Hotel - Western & Asian Buffet
Resorts World Galleria Luxury Fashion
The Galleria links the Festive Hotel, casino entrance and Hotel Michael. It includes the first Victoria's Secret boutique in Asia.[28]
Shows
Voyage de la Vie is the first permanent production show to open at Resorts World Sentosa. This resident rock musical is set in the Festive Grand Theatre with a capacity of 1,600 people. The production was created by Mark Fisher.
Martial Combat, Asia's largest mixed martial arts fighting championship, is staged over six months each year at the Compass Ballroom, and broadcast by ESPN STAR Sports.
Crane Dance is a multimedia moving art installation with choreographed animatronic cranes built over the sea, and designed by Jeremy Railton. It opened on 25 December 2010. It sits near the site of where the defunct Sentosa Ferry Terminal is.
Lake of Dreams is a multimedia spectacular that combines the elements of water, fire, air and light, designed by Jeremy Railton. The installation rest on the platform of the former Sentosa Musical Fountain.
West Zone
Hotels
- Equarius Hotel, close to the Equarius Water Park.[29]
- Spa Villas, a collection of more than 30 villas floating on a lagoon.[30] It is set to open in late 2011.
Equarius Water Park
Equarius Water Park is a water theme park with water rides, slides and pools.[31] It is set to open in late 2011.
Salon & Spa
- Salon Royale
- Spa Republic
- The Spa by ESPA (Opening Soon)
Marine Life Park
The Marine Life Park will be the world's largest oceanarium,[32] holding more than 20 million gallons of salt water habitats. It will be home to over 700,000 fish of various sizes and colours inside a 6.6 million gallon lagoon.[33]
Maritime Experiential Museum & Aquarium
The Maritime Experiential Museum & Aquarium will house a 360-degree multimedia theatre where visitors can trace the history of the maritime Silk Route from the 9th to the 19th century[34] It will become the permanent home of the Jewel of Muscat.[35] It is set to open on 15 October 2011.
East Zone
Universal Studios Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore is Southeast Asia's first Universal Studios theme park and opened its doors on 18 March 2010. It features 24 attractions and is divided into seven zones - including Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, New York, The Lost World, Far Far Away, Madagascar and Hollywood.[36]
See also
References
- ^ http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_479729.html
- ^ http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/storyprintfriendly/0,4582,370675,00.html?
- ^ http://www.rwsentosa.com/LinkClick.aspx?link=RWS%2fpressroom%2f2010%2fRWS+press+release+-+casino+opening.pdf&tabid=57&mid=1023&language=en-US
- ^ Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future
- ^ Lim, Jessica (2010). Universal Studios opens Sun. Retrieved on 7.06.10 from Stratis Times.
- ^ Resorts World Sentosa (2010). Extension of validity for your annual pass. Retrieved on 08 November 2010 from Picasa.
- ^ Stratis Times Article.
- ^ "Battlestar Galactica roller coaster ride to reopen.". Channel News Asia. 2 February 2011. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1108444/1/.html. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
- ^ A Crate Adventure - Madagascar - Universal Studios Singapore. Retrieved 13.06.10 from the Official Site.
- ^ Madagascar: A Crate Adventure could be on line by September or as late as Dec of this year. Retrieved 13.06.10 from the Sentosa Theme Park Blog.
- ^ Genting Singapore PLC (2010). FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE NINE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2010 PART I - INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS OF QUARTERLY (Q1, Q2 & Q3), HALFYEAR AND FULL YEAR ANNOUNCEMENTS. Retrieved on 13.11.10 from Official Site.
- ^ "Discovering Southeast Asia’s maritime history". Resorts World Sentosa (Official Blog). http://www.rwsentosablog.com/2011/09/06/discovering-southeast-asias-maritime-history/#more-1071. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ Resorts World Sentosa (2010). "Transformers" To Be Developed As Theme Park Mega-Attraction At Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore. Retrieved on 7.06.10 from Official Site.
- ^ "BREAKING NEWS: TRANSFORMERS The Ride Premieres at Universal Studios Singapore® on 3 December 2011". RWS Blog. http://tftheride.rwsentosablog.com/2011/10/27/breaking-news-transformers-the-ride-premieres-at-universal-studios-singapore%c2%ae-on-3-december-2011-2/. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ "Transformers The Ride debuts Dec 3". Channel News Asia. 27 October 2011. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1161997/1/.html. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ Sim, A. (2008, April 9). Hard Rock Hotel contract awarded. Business Times
- ^ http://app.stb.gov.sg/Data/news/1/3ba9af181751761d3b387f74ded2d783/Factsheet%20-%20Resorts%20World.doc
- ^ Boo, K. (2006, December 10). Genting plays it smart & sleek the second time around. Straits Times
- ^ http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/30583-Resorts-World-at-Sentosa-unveils-Designer-Hotel-rooms-renowned-American-designer-Graves
- ^ http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-US/eBulletin/ENewsBulletinIssue8
- ^ a b World Sentosa | Singapore Resorts, Hotels and Casinos|Singapore Integrated Resorts (IR)
- ^ Tor, C.L. 2006, October 2 Genting's 'lyrical' offering; Bidder pulls in designer Michael Graves to design Sentosa IR boutique hotel. TODAY
- ^ Resorts World Sentosa | Singapore Resorts, Hotels and Casinos|Singapore Integrated Resorts (IR)
- ^ "ChildAid to be FIRST event held at Resorts World Sentosa". 14 July 2009. http://www.rwsentosa.com/press/2009/Press14July2009.pdf.
- ^ The Economist, "Sin galore", 26 February 2011, p. 72.
- ^ http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-US/Gaming/CasinoLevy
- ^ http://www.thebestcasinoguide.com/blog/singapore-casino-fined-for-violations/
- ^ http://www.wayangtimes.com/victorias-secret-singapore-resort-world-sentosa-first-asia.html
- ^ Resorts World Sentosa | Singapore Resorts, Hotels and Casinos|Singapore Integrated Resorts (IR)
- ^ Tor, C.L. (2006, October 17). Royal flush; $5.2-billion: Resorts World unveiled. TODAY
- ^ Tor, C.L. (2006, October 17). Royal flush; $5.2-billion: Resorts World unveiled. TODAY)
- ^ 2007, October 9. Genting International partners Mark Burnett to produce TV programmes. Bernama Daily Malaysian News
- ^ Hardy, A. 2006, October 17. Genting group to re-invest RM465m yearly in Sentosa resort. The Edge Daily
- ^ Sim, A. 2006, October 16. Genting bets on four world-class attractions. Business Times
- ^ http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1034569/1/.html
- ^ Resorts World Sentosa | Singapore Resorts, Hotels and Casinos|Singapore Integrated Resorts (IR)
External links
