Backstroke in the Sky

MANILA, Philippines - Had the bestseller 1000 Places To See Before You Die been written in 2010, I’m positive Sky Park, featuring the Infinity Pool on the 57th floor of the Sands Marina Hotel in Singapore would be included.

The first time I heard about this man-made wonder that took years to build was from my travel buddy and compadre Joey de Leon who visited it posthaste during a brief stop over in Singapore weeks ago. He was raving how an infinity pool longer than a football field was mounted on top of three hotel towers 57 stories above ground. The Sky Park is considered the world’s biggest public cantilevered platform that could accommodate 3,900 persons.

Then, Russell Hitchcock (lead singer of Air Supply) showed me a video he took of the Infinity Pool when he arrived for the Philippine concert tour. I was in awe. My next impulse was to book a room at the Sands Marina hotel through the Net. Ouch, the hotel rate for the cheapest room was more expensive than what I usually pay for a room at Four Seasons Singapore but I just bit my lip and proceeded with the booking.

I touched down in Singapore on a rainy Monday morning. The atmosphere was dreary but the smiles and hospitality of the Singaporeans wiped that out. Immigration officers were very courteous and accommodating. The cab driver was happy to chat and give advice to a tourist like me. In contrast, most immigration officers in other countries examine tourists, Gestapo style and rude cab drivers drive like maniacs. I think this one of the reasons Singapore, despite being expensive is still a top destination.

Upon check-in at 10 a.m., I was given the key to the “entry level rate” (meaning the cheapest) room I booked.

In Hong Kong, they normally make you wait until 3 p.m. before you get the key.

My room on the 25th floor was huge (Sands hotels and the Venetian, both owned by tycoon Sheldon Adelson are famous for their spacious suite-like regular rooms) with floor-to-ceiling glass that gave a spectacular view of the Singapore Marina.

Creature comforts were good, too. There was a floating bath tub, very comfy king-size bed with duvet, giant LCD TV and a divan.

The elevator to the 57th floor was super fast. The vertical travel made it feel like I just went to the fifth floor. My ears popped though.

I was not disappointed when I caught a glimpse of the Infinity Pool. In fact, I was overwhelmed. It was more than I expected.

It looked like an oasis in the sky where you could swim to the edge and cascade 57 floors to the ground. The water temperature at the pool was a bit cold though but it was a minor setback in dampening my enthusiasm to backstroke in the sky. I tried to swim from end to end and managed to cross only one third of the pool. There were lots of lounging chairs to sunbathe in and jacuzzi pools were positioned on the edge for a full view of Singapore harbor. I was informed that there will be several gourmet restaurants in Sky Park. I wanted to stay the whole day but there were meetings to attend to.

The $9-B Sands Marina Hotel has three towers with 2,560 rooms and lots of gourmet restaurants like Wolfgang Puck’s steakhouse Cut. Adjacent is the humongous Sands Casino and Mall featuring all the high-end designer and jewelry shops. I highly recommend visiting the Infinity Pool on the 57th floor. Booking could be done through the Net 24 hours daily.

The hotel staff is over 50 percent Pinoy so you’ll feel much at home.