SINGAPORE – Las Vegas Sands (LVS)’s Marina Bay Sands soft-opened in the Lion City on April 27. The new leisure and convention facility will open progressively over the course of the year, with Tuesday’s first phase including 963 hotel rooms, parts of the shopping mall and convention centre, some restaurants and bars, the Event Plaza along Marina Bay, and the casino. When Marina Bay Sands holds its grand opening on June 23, the remainder of the property's 2,560 guest rooms, more shops, additional dining options, and nightlife offerings, will open. The Sands SkyPark, which sits 60 stories off the ground and is perched atop the property's three hotel towers, will also debut on June 23. "Singapore's reputation as a world-class international tourist destination will be further enhanced with the opening of Marina Bay Sands and our company's reputation for building economy-changing tourism developments will be cemented around the world. For both of those reasons, I am happy to be in Singapore today to open the first phase of the property and look forward to the grand opening celebration," said LVS chairman and CEO, Sheldon G. Adelson. Adelson said its unique urban location provides Marina Bay Sands an opportunity to become one of the world's most successful hotel-resort properties. "The peak period of operations for most urban hotels is midweek, as they tend to cater to business travelers. The peak period for resort hotels is obviously the weekend when people have free time. For us, with our meeting and convention business and a multitude of leisure amenities, the entire week is our peak period," he said. The company’s industry-leading experience in the MICE business was a key reason Singapore selected LVS. To date, Marina Bay Sands has more than 160 events booked in its Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Those events, beginning in May, are expected to draw more than 250,000 total attendees. Marina Bay Sands president and CEO, Thomas Arasi, said those numbers will increase quickly and dramatically as meeting planners and convention organisers now have the opportunity to see the property themselves. In October, one of the property's two state-of-the-art theatres will welcome Disney's The Lion King. The second theatre, to open later this year, will be home to a variety of special events and famous headline acts. The Marina Bay Sands museum, expected to open by December, will feature international exhibitions.