By akshita nanda
There are no more vacancies at the Merlion Hotel, a five-star
suite temporarily enclosing the tourism icon at Marina Bay.
The reservation hotline switched on at 10am on Monday and an
hour later, by 11.12 am, all nights were fully booked by guests
eager to snuggle up to the half-lion, half-fish statue.
The 'hotel', a 100 sq m luxury room built around the Merlion, is
actually an art installation by Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi. It has
been commissioned specially for the Singapore Biennale, which will
showcase local and international artworks from March 13 to May 11.
The biennale is organised by the Singapore Art Museum.
The Merlion Hotel will host overnight guests from April 4 to May
5 at $150 nett, though daytime visitors can walk through for free
for the duration of the biennale. Only 32 nights were available for
public booking, with the rest set aside for winners of contests
held by the biennale organisers or for sponsors and the media.
The suite can accommodate two adults and will be operated by The
Fullerton Hotel. It comes with a double bed, bathroom, amenities,
as well as a dedicated Merlion Butler. Overnight guests will also
get a complimentary breakfast at The Fullerton Hotel.
Among the earliest successful callers was Madam Shana Tai, 35,
who hit the redial button non-stop from 10am in the morning and got
through to reservations at 10.30am.
