SINGAPORE - There's been much buzz surrounding the opening of Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore's newest tourist attraction which will house more than 280 shops and food and beverage outlets.
Though the 10-storey development will officially open its doors only next Wednesday (April 17), Singapore residents who managed to get tickets to the public preview will get an earlier peek this week. A total of about 500,000 free tickets were made available in March for the public preview, which starts on Thursday (April 11) and will end next Tuesday.
A limited number of tickets are still available. Registration is at jewelpreview.com and each person can register for up to four people.
In an interview with The Straits Times, Ms Hung Jean, chief executive officer of Jewel Changi Airport Devt, says the development will be a "game-changer" for Changi Airport in the face of intensifying competition among global airports.
"With a wide range of lifestyle offerings, including world-class play attractions, indoor gardens, unique shopping and dining experiences, as well as a hotel and aviation facilities, Jewel aims to draw Singapore residents and visitors alike."
As anticipation ramps up for the official opening of Jewel, The Straits Times takes a look at the highlight attractions and shops there.
SEE AND DO
1. Book a stay at Yotelair
Those who need an overnight stay to catch an early morning flight can check in to the airport hotel Yotelair.
Best known for its creative cabins and smart beds, Yotelair, which has hotels in London, Amsterdam, Paris and Istanbul, will open its first property in Asia at Jewel on April 12.
It will have 130 cabins or hotel rooms, airline-style self-check-in kiosks, a 24-hour gym and a club lounge that overlooks Jewel's HSBC Rain Vortex.
Rooms are categorised into Premium Queen, Premium Queen Accessible and Family, and each can be booked for a minimum of four hours.
A four-hour stay will start at $100, while an overnight stay will start at $175.
2. Catch a movie
Shaw Theatres Jewel will open next Wednesday, with a few firsts for Singapore. Some of its halls will feature the latest DTS:X sound systems, for example. The cinema will have 11 screens.
One of the halls is Singapore's first dedicated family-friendly theatre, called Dreamers. It has bean bags and lowered sound and brightness settings for young children.
There will be two Lumiere halls featuring more luxurious seating options and seven regular halls.
To coincide with the release of superhero movie Avengers: Endgame on April 24, Shaw will also launch Singapore's first next-generation IMAX theatre. It will have a laser projector, which Shaw says will provide sharper, brighter images.
3. Pamper yourself
Need a haircut or a soothing massage before your family holiday or long-haul flight?
Jewel will offer beauty services such as barbershop Sultans of Shave, nail boutique Picota Nail Spa, and massage parlour and spa Ning.
There will also be a QB House Kids outlet, where both adults and children can get quick haircuts. The family-friendly outlet specialises in haircuts for infants and children, and will include cutting stations equipped with iPads as well as a play area with comics, books, and toys.
Haircuts for children aged 12 and below cost $22, while adults pay $12.
4. Explore different mazes
The 14,000 sq m Canopy Park - the size of 11 Olympic-size swimming pools - will open only in mid-2019, but once it does, visitors can check out various activities.
For example, at the east wing of the park, there will be two mazes spanning over 500 sq m.
The hedge maze will have 1.8m-high walls.
Visitors will also be able to explore a mirror maze, the first such maze designed for an outdoor park environment.
5. Enjoy the view while being suspended
While the 40m-high HSBC Rain Vortex - the world's tallest indoor waterfall - will definitely be a sight to behold, the sky nets at Canopy Park will also offer breathtaking views.
A 50m-long walking net, suspended 25m high, will offer a thrilling perspective of the lush greenery below.
For a more playful experience, there will also be a 250m-long bouncing net, which at its highest point will be suspended 8m above ground.
The park will also have a 50m-long and 23m-high Canopy Bridge, with a glass bottom at the centre portion.
SHOP
1. Risis Tresor (#01-255)
Risis Tresor, a new sub-label from home-grown jewellery brand Risis, will open its first store at Jewel.
It features modern jewellery pieces inspired by nature. For example, the Tresor Blooms Collection ($300 to $1,600) is a limited-edition nine-piece range consisting of pieces made from fresh orchids preserved in gold.
Only one piece of each design has been made, and the range is exclusively available at the Risis Tresor boutique.
The 355 sq ft space will also feature an art installation created with 688 pieces of gold-plated fresh Vanda and Dendrobium orchids.
2. Meyson Jewellery (#B1-252/253)
Jewel will be home to home-grown Meyson Jewellery's new 1,065 sq ft flagship store.
The store will also feature a jewellery care and service centre, which will offer services including jewellery refurbishment, resizing, repair and transferring loose diamonds into new casings.
Meyson Jewellery was founded in 1961 and has five other outlets in Singapore, including a showroom and service centre in Horne Road and stores at Bugis Junction and Nex.
3. Ogawa A.Island (#02-212/213)
The 1,400 sq ft store will be the largest outlet in Singapore for massage chair and equipment maker Ogawa.
Popular items from the brand include the MasterDrive Plus ($8,980), a massage chair with technology that allows it to adapt massage motions and strength to different body contours.
The store will also house traditional Chinese medicine clinic NovaHealth TCM Clinic.
Ogawa has more than 800 outlets worldwide in more than 20 countries.
4. Nike (#02-232/233)
The sportswear giant's Jewel store will be the largest in South-east Asia and will feature the label's most extensive range of footwear, apparel and merchandise in Singapore.
The duplex store will span more than 10,700 sq ft and will also feature a Nike By You customisation service, so fans of the brand can get personalised shoes.
The Nike store is one of 11 duplex stores at Jewel, which also include Foot Locker, Muji, Skechers, Starbucks and Tokyu Hands.
Multi-label lifestyle retailer Naiise is the only Singapore label with a duplex, though the 9,500 sq ft space will open only in May.
5. Pokemon Centre (#04-201/202)
Fans of Pokemon will no longer have to travel to Japan to get their hands on merchandise from the gaming franchise.
The first permanent Pokemon Centre in Asia outside of Japan is set to open next Wednesday.
The retail store, a replica of the Pokemon Centre featured in the game, will offer merchandise sold in Japan as well as exclusive toys, stationery, trading cards and video games created just for Jewel.
6. Oysho (#B1-225/226/227)
The contemporary Spanish fashion label is opening its first store in Singapore at Jewel.
The 2,400 sq ft flagship will feature sleepwear, lingerie, gymwear, beachwear, footwear and accessories.
Prices for sportswear range from $49.90 to $99.90, while sleepwear is $49.90 to $119.
Known for creating garments made with sustainable materials, Oysho also aims to reduce the use of natural resources and minimise its environmental impact.
The brand is available in 58 countries and has over 675 stores worldwide.
