Genting and Star Cruises unveil Resorts World at Sentosa

On Monday, Genting International and Star Cruises unveiled details of the consortium’s world-class Resorts World at Sentosa, its proposed integrated resort on Sentosa Island.

Resorts World at Sentosa, a Resort of resorts, will welcome some 10 million tourists by 2015, generating Sin$15 billion in tourism receipts, half of Singapore’s target. It will increase spending on sightseeing and entertainment per tourist from 2% currently to more than 10%.

There will be four world-class gated attractions at Resorts World at Sentosa offering the best of dry and wet for both young and old. Each attraction will be developed by a global brand name; all will be ‘must-visit’ venues.

Resorts World at Sentosa will be home to Quest Marine Life Park, the world’s largest oceanarium. This is a one-of-a-kind marine park, with an emphasis on family fun, providing visitors of all ages with interactive multi-sensory experiences as they learn about and discover the life of marine creatures and the need for ocean conservation.

The eight-hectare Quest Marine Life Park will be home to as many as 700,000 aquatic animals, including bat rays, dolphins and the world’s largest collection of coral reef and open ocean fish. The marine park will also house a 6.6 million gallon lagoon that allows visitors the chance to snorkel and dive with whale sharks, the largest fish in the world that can grow up to more than 14 metres in length.

This is the place for visitors to live once-in-a-lifetime experiences: hand-feed tiger sharks from an enclosed cage; interact up close and personal with dolphins; and swim among sea horses, clown fish and giant groupers in one of the longest reef swim encounters in the world.

Quest Marine Life Park will be designed and operated by one of the world’s leading marine encounter companies, Dolphin Quest.

Resorts World at Sentosa will also feature the Equarius Water Park, an exciting water theme park with a difference – one that is nestled under the natural canopy of Sentosa’s original forest, with the water rides integrated within the island’s natural tropical environment. The water park will be designed by Forrec Limited of Canada.

Incorporating the latest water theme park technology, Equarius Water Park features ‘Water Coaster’, a 450-m water flume that winds through tree tops and jungle; ‘Snakes and Ladders’, where water flows upwards; a surf pool that offers a variety of wave types to satisfy both wannabe and serious surfers; and a water-based adventure zone coined ‘The Cliffs’ that is specially designed to challenge any adrenalin-pumped teenager.

Another ‘first’ for Resorts World at Sentosa will be the Maritime Xperiential Museum, one of the only museums in the world dedicated to the celebration of the maritime heritage of Asia, the Asian voyages of discovery and the history of global trade as revealed through marine archaeology. The museum engages the visitors’ five senses to retell the fascinating history of the maritime Silk Route.

One of the centrepieces of the Maritime Xperiential Museum will be its unique theatre, a 360-degree multimedia experience where visitors board an Arabia-bound vessel that sank near Singapore 1,100 years ago. The deck will roll, pitch, rotate and eventually submerge underwater where visitors see and walk around the actual wreck surrounded by deep water fish and scuba divers.

Created by the world famous museum designers, Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the Maritime Xperiential Museum, will aim be Asia’s most compelling interactive and educational venue.

In addition, Resorts World at Sentosa will be home to Universal Studios Singapore, a theme park uniquely planned for Sentosa that draws on Universal’s rich Hollywood heritage and global experience.

Besides featuring 22 attractions, including at least 16 rides designed especially for Singapore, Universal Studios Singapore will house a ‘live’ studio, with soundstage and back lots for movie and television productions. There will also be a digital animation studio where guests can see and learn first hand about the magic of computer-generated imagery and digital animation.

World-class accommodation and much more

Six hotels at Resorts World at Sentosa will provide unparalleled choice for visitors with a dazzling array of world-class accommodation totalling more than 1,800 rooms. Each hotel is designed to cater to a specific market niche, making the resort suitable for all leisure and business visitors. The hotels include the opulent six-star ESPA Villas with private pools set in an exotic tropical landscape, topped off with the superlative luxuries of a premier resort – a perfect spot for solitude and respite; Hotel Michael, a 460-room one-of-a-kind boutique hotel which showcases the architecture, interior design and product design genius of celebrated US architect and designer Michael Graves, the design architect for Resorts World at Sentosa; and the fun and vibrant retreat of the Hard Rock Hotel, an ideal choice for the hip and active family keen to soak in the atmosphere and culture of 40 years of rock and roll.

Day trippers to Resorts World at Sentosa have not been forgotten with many public spaces providing much for them to see and do. There is FestiveWalk with its unparalleled array of dining and retail options while the Bull Ring will be a hive of activity with roving acts and street performances. When the sun sets, visitors can enjoy the “Crane Ballet”, a pyrotechnics/water spectacle along the waterfront of FestiveWalk. There is also a daily “Imagineering” show, a multi-dimensional display of captivating special effects.

Luxury spa brand ESPA will also be at Resorts World at Sentosa. The region’s first fully integrated wellness spa, ESPA will offer a wide range of programmes including total wellness treatment for physical and mental rejuvenation, lifestyle coaching and stress management clinics and post-operative and rehabilitative facilities for recuperation from injury and surgery. There is also a pioneering interactive dolphin spa programme offered with Dolphin Quest providing spa therapies with dolphin interaction in specially created spa lagoons.

Resorts World at Sentosa will also be home to one of the world’s largest collections of flagship concept stores including some of the biggest international brand names: Cartier, Nike, Zara, Massimo Dutti and Bershka. Hamleys, the hugely popular toys retailer, will have its first store outside Europe at the resort.

Ensuring the comfort of visitors, Singapore’s equatorial climate has been well considered in the design of Resorts World at Sentosa. Protected open-air passageways and covered walkways connect buildings while many places offer shade and capture the breeze so that guests can move throughout the most active parts of the site in cool comfort under cover. The architects have generously employed design features that provide protection from the elements while allowing visitors to feel and experience the outdoors.

A global tourism icon in Singapore

Mr Lim Kok Thay, Chairman and CEO of the Genting Group, said, “We see a unique opportunity for us to create a global tourism icon with this development. Genting and its partners have put together a visionary collection of ideas and a plan that we firmly believe is the right solution to fulfil Singapore’s tourism potential.”

The Genting Group is committing more than Sin$5 billion (US$3.1 billion) to create, develop and deliver Resorts World at Sentosa. It also plans a continual re-investment of more than Sin$200 million every year to ensure that the resort remains fresh, appealing and at the cutting edge of tourism innovation.

Mr Lim added, “Resorts World at Sentosa is my vision for a trail-blazing tourism product with universal appeal. Behind this vision stand the strength of the Genting consortium’s track record – a powerful testimony of how we have the means and ability to fulfil Singapore’s vision for a large-scale iconic development that will shift the paradigm of tourism here.”

“Genting and Star Cruises have combined industry experience of more than 50 years. We grew up in Asia and know the region like the back of our hand. We understand the Asian tourist, whether they are Chinese, Japanese, Indian or Indonesian. And we have extensive and in-depth sales and marketing channels to bring the tourists to our resort and to Singapore.”

“With Resorts World at Sentosa, we aim to do Singapore proud and create a world-leading family holiday destination that will be uniquely successful, uniquely sustainable and uniquely Singapore.”

See other recent news regarding: Singapore, Sentosa