The welcome
We are welcomed brightly as we exit our taxi outside Tower 1, the first of the hotel's three vast towers and home to its main reception. The lobby is cavernous and impressive, with lots of glass and light and Anthony Gormley sculptures dangling from a great height. There are, however, long queues at check-in. We have a 30-minute wait to reach the counter and staff seem unable to cope with the flood of people, which dampens our mood as we only have one night at the property.
The neighbourhood
The hotel is part of the vast Marina Bay Sands development, an "integrated resort" which includes a large shopping centre, casino, dozens of restaurants, a convention centre and the striking ArtScience museum, all of which sit on reclaimed land. They are part of the new Marina Bay district close to the recently expanded modern financial district. Behind the hotel, a new cruise centre is taking shape next to the port; in front of the shopping centre is Louis Vuitton's Island Maison, which juts out into the reservoir. Bayfront MRT station connects the complex to the rest of the city, and water taxis up the Singapore River go from the jetty beside the ArtScience museum.
The room
We have a standard room on the 47th floor looking out over the Singapore Strait and, below, the still-under-construction "Gardens by the Bay", which will showcase tropical horticulture and serve as an outdoor recreation centre. It's quite a spectacular view, mainly because of the number of ships heading in and out of the nearby port. The room decor is rather bland and Vegas-like, with patterned brown carpet on the floors, brown furniture and light brown walls. It does, however, have everything a five-star hotel guest could want in terms of comfort, privacy and functionality. The bed, bedding and bathroom are large and very comfortable, the pillows are firm and the aircon works properly, which is more than can be said for a lot of hotels that offer frillier gimmicks. I love the fact that we can open our balcony doors to enjoy an un-overlooked view and fresh air.
The scene
The 2,561-roomed hotel is crowded from top to bottom with Chinese, Japanese and Russian tourists and businesspeople who fill the ground-floor restaurants, lifts and rooftop Sands Skypark, which includes the spectacular - but also crowded - infinity pool. Perhaps because of the apparently high occupancy levels and large numbers of walk-in visitors, rather than feeling exclusive, the hotel feels more like a cross between Atlantis and the Venetian in Las Vegas. That's no surprise, since it's owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which also owns the Venetian. The next-door shopping centre and waterfront walkways, however, are much less crowded, and, in a way, more attractive than the communal parts of the hotel.
The food
The complex has seven "celebrity chef" restaurants, most of which are in the shopping centre and are quiet when we visit, so we try the hotel's ground-floor Chinese restaurant, Jin Shan Lou. The grilled cod (S$16; Dh46), steamed chicken in Szechuan sauce (S$20; Dh58) and vegetables in black bean sauce (S$20; Dh58) are pleasant but bland and overpriced compared to the food we've been eating at the city's other restaurants and food markets. The buffet breakfast is also disappointing, with the Asian selection particularly lacking in flavour. We had wanted to try Sky on 57, with a menu by Singaporean Chef Justin Quek, or Ku Dé Ta, another Asian restaurant on the rooftop, but at 3.15pm are told we are too late for lunch. At the adjacent Ku Dé Ta bar, we order the crunchy fried chicken (S$16; Dh46) but find it soft and oily.
The service
The staff at this hotel all seem hard-working and dedicated, and apart from check-in we don't have to wait long for anything.
Loved
The views from our room and the rooftop.
Hated
The crowds in the infinity pool and the lack of spice in the food.
The verdict
This is a great building but a rather soulless hotel, a fun addition to any trip to Singapore but not a place to stay for an intimate weekend.
The bottom line
Double rooms cost from S$422 (Dh1,236) per night, including taxes. Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore (www.marinabaysands.com; 00 65 6688 8897).
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
Company%20Profile
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Company%20profile
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
More coverage from the Future Forum
Company%20Profile
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The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs: Volvo XC40
Price: base / as tested: Dh185,000
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.4L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Sweet%20Tooth
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Company%20Profile
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Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The%20specs
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Civil%20War
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MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')