To the uninitiated, a room in one of the “Ocean Suites” at Resorts World Sentosa looks like any other hotel room. But at the flick of a switch, a window blind rolls back to reveal a floor-to-ceiling glass panel of an aquarium filled with manta rays and dozens of species of fish swimming past.

At S$2,400 (US$1,967) a night, the rooms – which opened for booking last month – are an extravagant finishing touch to a combined casino and leisure park that has been opening in phases on Singapore’s Sentosa island since 2010.

That was when Resorts World’s owner, Malaysia’s Genting Group, and rival Las Vegas Sands, headed by US casino magnate, Sheldon Adelson, kicked off projects designed to capitalise on Singapore’s move to legalise gambling in its attempt to become a top Asian tourist destination.