January 11, 2007

ASIA | SINGAPORE

Not Your Mama’s Nanny State

By Michael Rovner

Glitz, glamour, and gambling spice up Singapore.

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If you’re planning a trip to Singapore, your Visa better be gold, baby. Room rates are up, demand for lodging is high (Singapore hosted a record nine-million visitors last year), and old standbys like the York Hotel are investing in cosmetic renovations to up their game. Why? Because this isn’t Asia’s nanny state anymore (even if, for some, it’s still “Disneyland with the death penalty,” as William Gibson put it). Hoteliers across Singapore are planning to raise room rates by 10 percent — that’s on top of last year’s 20 percent price hike. The question remains: will the state’s two new casinos, which will provide an additional 4,000 rooms by 2010, be too much too soon? The government has a few bright ideas on how to keep visitors happy: in addition to lifting the ban on gambling, bungee jumping and chewing gum (so long as it’s sold in pharmacies), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has now legalized bar-top dancing.