Marina Bay Sands seeking land for 60% expansion

The operator of Singapore's iconic Marina Bay Sands is seeking land on which to expand the resort.

The Las Vegas Sands group – the world's biggest casino operator – wants to add 1,500 rooms to the hotel, as well as meeting rooms, ballrooms and expanded exhibition spaces.

Opened in 2010 at a cost of US$6 billion, the resort, with its three 55-storey towers linked by a rooftop SkyPark infinity pool, has proved to be among the most profitable in the Sands empire.

With the 2,563-room hotel running close to full-occupancy Sands Chairman  Sheldon Adelson wants the Singapore Government to releases more land, stating "we need more rooms. We are running at 100% occupancy ... no other hotel in the world runs like this except some in Vegas."

Since opening, the Marina Bay Sands has been a chief beneficiary of the Singapore Government's decision to overturn its casino ban to encourage economic growth. The resort is the centre-piece of an area being developed under government plans to include waterfront pedestrian areas, performance spaces, a museum and restaurants.

Marina Bay Sands' two theatres were featured in the January/February 2014 issue of Australasian Leisure Management.