Developing World-Class Hospitality Talent: Marina Bay Sands’ 2026 Interns Reflect on Their Learnings and Experiences

As part of Sands’ commitment to developing world-class talent for its resorts and the hospitality industry as a whole, the company offers formal intern programs that enable students in Singapore, Macao and Las Vegas to gain hands-on experience working for the world’s largest integrated resort company.

In Singapore, Marina Bay Sands offers a year-round, structured internship program that serves as a talent pipeline to induct local students to careers within the integrated resort. Each year, the resort provides approximately 270 internship or full-time equivalent placements spanning food and beverage, hotel and property operations, marketing, mall management, entertainment, cybersecurity and more.

Internships can range from 20 weeks to 12 months, depending on students’ requirements for their degree programs, as well as the program they are entering at the resort. In addition to internship assignments, the resort provides engagement opportunities to further enhance their experience. For example, Begin Bold is an internship showcase event that unites current and incoming interns to celebrate their experiences, showcase their achievements and recognize their mentors’ contributions.

A few of Marina Bay Sands’ 2026 interns reflected on their key learnings and experiences:

Xanthus Ng

Nanyang Polytechnic

Front-of-house Intern with RISE Restaurant

“One of the aspects I have enjoyed most is Marina Bay Sands’ commitment to developing interns beyond our day-to-day operational responsibilities. I have attended training sessions covering service excellence beyond restaurant operations, professional development and how to better connect with Sands Lifestyle members. These sessions encouraged me to think beyond daily tasks and continuously raise my standards in creating exceptional guest experiences.

“Another highlight has been participating in networking sessions and internship engagements with interns from different departments across Marina Bay Sands. Connecting with students from diverse functions gave me a much broader understanding of how an integrated resort operates, while allowing us to learn from one another’s experiences and perspectives. Beyond expanding my professional network, these sessions helped me build meaningful friendships with fellow interns, while also giving me a greater appreciation of how every department contributes to the world-class experiences Marina Bay Sands is known for.

“I have also been fortunate to work with supportive managers and colleagues who genuinely invest in the growth of interns. They are always willing to share their knowledge, encourage questions and provide opportunities to take on new challenges. Their mentorship has made my internship both valuable and memorable.

“This internship has transformed the way I communicate, collaborate and perform in a fast-paced hospitality environment. One of my biggest areas of growth has been my communication. Working in a restaurant that welcomes more than 1,000 guests each day requires constant coordination across multiple teams through walkie-talkie communication, whether it is coordinating guest seatings, identifying the best available tables with fellow hosts or ensuring smooth operations throughout the restaurant. Over time, I have become more confident, concise and effective in communicating under pressure.”

CLIVE LIM

Singapore Management University

Hospitality Planning and Development Intern

“This has been the best internship experience I could have asked for. What surprised me is the caliber of work I’ve been entrusted with as an intern. My managers never treated me as ‘just an intern.’ Instead, they made me feel like a valued member of the team. They gave me the freedom to contribute ideas, propose initiatives and gain industry experience through participating in vendor discussions.

“I’ve valued how seriously Marina Bay Sands invests in its interns. From the opportunities and responsibilities entrusted to us to the support provided by our teams, there’s a genuine culture of recognizing interns as important contributors to the organization.

“This internship has significantly boosted my confidence when presenting to external stakeholders. I’ve also developed much stronger time management skills. Working in hospitality, where project requirements can shift day-to-day, has taught me to adapt and improvise effectively under pressure.

“The hospitality industry is vastly underrated, but it offers some of the most dynamic and rewarding career opportunities. My advice is to stay open-minded and explore opportunities that genuinely excite you, rather than pursuing paths that look good on paper simply because they’re considered conventional.”

Following his successful internship experience, Lim was officially onboarded as a Marina Bay Sands Team Member working part time at the end of July.

FRANCINE TAN

Nanyang Polytechnic

E-Commerce Intern 

“It has been an incredibly rewarding experience – so much so that I decided to extend my internship beyond the initial six months until just before I start university. One of my most memorable experiences was owning a website optimization experiment end-to-end, from analyzing behavioral data and identifying guest friction points to conceptualizing and implementing a test. I eventually saw it become a winning variation that drove measurable impact, contributing to improving the guest digital experience.

“As my first corporate internship, this experience has been incredibly meaningful. I joined with no prior experience, but I leave with valuable skills and knowledge gained from working on real business challenges. It also gave me the confidence to take ownership of my work and contribute meaningfully in a real business environment.

“It is not every day that you get to learn from a world-class destination that continuously sets new standards for hospitality and the integrated resort industry. Beyond the brand itself, what makes the internship experience stand out was the people. I was trusted with meaningful work, encouraged to learn and mentored by a team that was always willing to share their knowledge. It is a learning environment where one would be challenged yet supported. So if given an internship opportunity at Marina Bay Sands, I would strongly encourage one to go for it.”

Hospitality Education at Marina Bay Sands

The internship program is an integral part of the resort’s breadth of programs for developing talent and complements other hospitality career development programs such as the recently introduced ASPIRE training initiative to nurture a leadership mindset among participants and build a pipeline of skilled talent.

Marina Bay Sands also invests in the Sands Hospitality Scholarship Program, a joint commitment between Las Vegas Sands and Marina Bay Sands that is providing $2.5 million in funding for students at seven Institutes of Higher Learning to build a future-ready and inclusive workforce for Singapore.

To learn more about internship opportunities at Marina Bay Sands, please visit: https://www.marinabaysands.com/careers.html

To learn more about Sands’ priority on workforce development and hospitality education initiatives, read the company’s latest ESG report: https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/