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Brad A. Johnson

Food & Travel

Brad A Johnson
  • Blog
  • About
  • Photography
    • Food Photography
    • Travel Photography
    • Restaurant Photography
    • Hotel & Resort Photography
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Happy 10th Birthday to Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands!

  • April 18, 2020
  • Brad A. Johnson
It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since the opening of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Instantly iconic, the resort’s rooftop infinity pool became a must-see attraction for jet-setters the world over. Of course you can only gain access to and swim in the pool (and much of the SkyPark promenade) as a registered guest of the hotel. 
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)

Happy Birthday, Marina Bay Sands! (It looks like we’re both celebrating birthdays in quarantine thanks to that damned coronavirus. We’ll celebrate for real once this all blows over.)

I’ve been lucky enough to stay at Marina Bay Sands several times. My first visit came four months after it opened in 2010. While this isn’t exactly my favorite hotel in Singapore, it is certainly one of the most memorable. Everyone should stay here at least once. 

The Las Vegas Sands Corporation spent a whopping $5.9 billion (twice the original estimate) to build it. The 50-acre complex comprises three 55-story towers, which make up the hotel, all of which are topped with a three-acre SkyPark that includes restaurants, nightclubs and a 490-foot-long infinity pool. At the base, there’s a casino, convention center, more restaurants, a luxury shopping mall, an indoor hawker center, event plaza and museum. It’s a veritable city within a city. 

The pool is everything it’s cracked up to be, although the crowding does get chaotic on weekends, which is not surprising given that those towers contain more than 2,500 hotel rooms. However, when I stayed here midweek, I managed to enjoy several surprisingly quiet moments poolside. The views are incredible from the top: downtown Singapore on one side, the sprawling Gardens by the Bay on the other. 

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For more travel inspiration and photos, I invite you to follow me and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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Brad A. Johnson

Brad A. Johnson is a writer and photographer specializing in food and travel. His work has been honored by the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, James Beard Awards, World Food Media Awards, Food Photographer of the Year Awards, Society of Features Journalism Awards and others. Based in Southern California, Brad currently serves as Editorial Director of the new luxury consumer travel magazine of the Global Travel Collection (launching Spring 2023).

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Cancún’s original grande dame changed its banner from The Ritz-Carlton to Kempinski during the pandemic, but little else has changed (except maybe some upgraded furniture in the rooms and a fresh coat of paint). Posh as ever. Lovely beach. Same staff. Same owner, whose classical art collection alone is worth a look if you've never seen it. You would wander the halls for days looking at art at this hotel. Old-money Cancún at its finest. ⁠ 44 3
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Cochinita pibil with black-bean soup and wood-fired tortillas at @kinichizamal. Tasty detour. ⁠ 61 3
Nobody walks more than a block or two in Espita. Hardly anyone drives. Motorized trishaws are the preferred mode of transport. That last photo is the country road to Espita, which is located about halfway between Merida and Tulum in the Yucatán. ⁠ 54 0
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Brad A. Johnson
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Writer. Photographer. Traveler. Restaurant Critic.

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