Marina Bay Sands vs Ritz

[chinhk]

We are considering to stay at either the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) or the Ritz on our up coming trip to S'pore in Feb 2015 (during the Chinese New Year period).

It wil be a 4 days 3 nights trip. We have not stayed at either of these two hotels before so would appreciate if some folks here can give us some useful advice.

The MBS has a good location - close to garden by the bay, next to the mall/casino, the popular sky park and I am sure there are plenty of restaurants nearby. However, we can only afford the premier room (breakfast included) at the MBS. The rooms seem average to me (max 4 star quality) but the rates charged by the hotel is more like 5 star hotels rate.

The Rits is further away from the Garden by the Bay and I know there isn't much to do near the hotel but their rooms seem much nicer and is worthy of a five star. They have an offer now of stay 3 nights and pay 2 nights.
Also tempted to go for the club level as the club lounge seems very nice.

Which hotel is better for a family vacation?
We will be travelling with an elderly so long distance walking is out of the question. We want a relaxing holiday (plan to visit the garden by the bay), have no intention to use the pool a lot or at all, will probably spend more time relaxing and tasting local foods, window shopping.
As much as we would like to stay close to the attractions/restaurants/shops, I fear that the standard of MBS rooms and their service will be a disappointment, especially during busier times like chinese new year.

[9V-JKL]

I'll choose the Ritz. I didn't like my stay at MBS. Too big, not personal and way too crowded.
Like you said, 4*@5* pricing.
There's a mall @ MBS but it's mostly high-end shops.

On paper Gardens is close to MBS but the walk there would be easily 20mins (been there, done that). With elderly parents, a cab from the ritz is an easier option, moreover cabs are not expensive.

[jammed]

i second 9V. In addition to all he's said, the other considerations are:
- MBS has way too many rooms than staff, esp during peak periods. There are anecdotes that waiting to check in, and waiting for the lifts to the rooms can be very long cos it simply doesnt have the capacity for that many rooms.

- cab fares are cheap relative to major cities in other countries and you can cab to Gardens by the Bay and even MBS for less than USD10 (tho I'll cautioned that both Gardens and MBS can be quite a walk by themselves beyond the thresholds of elderly folks).

- actually Ritz is also linked to the Marina Square mall, and from there to Millenia, Suntec even Citylink to Raffles City malls, many of these having food courts where you can sample local hawker food at more reasonable prices (certainly not prices at other local food centres but cheaper than the inflated prices at MBS)

that's all i can think of, i'm sure others can add in more

[yflyer]

I would go for the Ritz Carlton. While the MBS rooms are fine, the service and amenities cannot match the Ritz Carlton, which is in a different league. The only reason I would stay in the MBS is if I were planning to spend a long time in the infinity pool on the MBS roof. Even if I were staying at the Ritz, I would visit the MBS Skypark just to admire the view from up there.

Location wise, not a lot of difference between them (You can walk from one to the other in 10-15 min), but the Ritz is probably slightly more convenient.

The Ritz bathrooms are great, with views of the skyline visible from the large bathroom windows while in the tub -- not a bad alternative to the MBS rooftop infinity pool. :-)

[MAN Flyer]

Total no brainer, go for the RC.

As others have said, give MBS a miss. It's just too big. I haven't stayed there myself but I know a lot of people who have, mainly during exhibitions being held there, and I've been in with them. They all said never again. Breakfast is a zoo.

The RC on the other hand has always been one of the top hotels in Singapore. I haven't stayed there for a couple of years now but the last time I was there it was still excellent.

[Kyo]

Well, if you want to lounge at the MBS pool, there's effectively no choice, you'll have to book a room at MBS. The main advantage would be the slightly nearer (to the tune of 12-15 minutes) location for Gardens By The Bay, which might make it more appealing to the elderly.

Ritz would be the winner for just about everything else.

[chinhk]

Many thanks for all the replies.

I think Ritz is definitely the place to go for :-)

We do not use the pool a lot whenever we stay at a hotel so I don't think we will miss much at the MBS. We may book a meal at one of the restaurants at the skypark instead.

[GLAM82]

Definitely the Ritz for all the points listed above.