Squaring The Circa
Circa soars like a sail in the night sky, the colorful LEDs twinkle across the façade, visible across the valley. Within a year of opening, it is already iconic.
Like Vegas Vickie (or Sassy Sally to the historians), the neon sign that stood at Stupak’s Glitter Gulch, the action at Circa isn’t outside on Fremont Street; it has moved inside the building.
The headlines go to eye-catching hits; the multi-level sportsbook is probably the best place to watch sports in the world. Stadium Swim, the pool deck with the giant outdoor screen is the challenger to the previous claim.
The Garage Mahal parking structure has made parking secure for all of Downtown, (something that was long overdue) restaurants are all approachable and affordable, and the rooftop Legacy Club is perhaps the classiest spot for a cocktail in Las Vegas at this moment. This is a property that knows what it wants to do and does it better than any before.
Yet, beyond the immediate showstoppers, sits a series of sophisticated and innovative business and design decisions that are worthy of analysis for other resort operators and developers.
The thesis formed at The Mirage was that non-gaming amenity drives gaming revenues. The practical application of this is in creating tandem, or indeed, tridem, activations. Whereas the classic form of dinner and a show, or gamble and a drink are natural pairs, at Circa the strategic impetus was to focus the tridem on the three highest margin elements; not just gaming but creating a premium hotel product that The D and Golden Gate couldn’t offer due to their historic aspects, and most importantly capturing an outsized share of the $140m alcoholic beverage sales market.
The evidence that customers would pay for a drink (rather than expect one for free if gaming) had been established elsewhere, and a premium could be achieved if value to an experience could be established. Thus, like Sarno’s desire to offer adult indulgence, Circa created a range of engaging places. The Sportsbook, Vegas Vicky’s Bar, The Mega Bar, Overhang Bar, Circa Bar, Stadium Swim and Legacy Club are all highly social unique environments, with higher-than-average dwell times and all purposely lend themselves to an experience with a drink in hand.
Moreover, unlike nightclubs and showrooms, do not rely on expensive talent and variable overhead. The offering perfectly captures both the existing DTLV customer needs and those customers that seek a highly social experience.
That Stevens so perfectly understood his market and customer is testament to his generational vision, but like in Sarno’s Circus Circus, the translation and implementation could have missed the mark so easily.
The fact that Circa is so perfectly designed to meet these needs is in no small part down to Steelman’s interpretation.
A Whole New (Resorts) World
When the initial renderings for Resorts World Las Vegas were released, an industry commentator observed privately that they couldn’t see an “Asian themed” resort working with the existing customer. They had no concept of the global vision of KT Lim and his family.
As Steelman observes, “Steve Wynn may be the single greatest visionary in gaming development, but KT Lim gets entertainment like nobody else on the planet.”
Lim himself observed, “Las Vegas will always be Las Vegas.” His plan was to out-Vegas, Vegas.
Like Kerkorian’s International of 1969, The MGM Grand of 1973 and second MGM Grand of 1993, entertainment for all is the primary mission. It was no surprise that Scott Sibella, former president of MGM Grand, was appointed in the same role at Resorts World, supported by many executives that made their names at that company.
With over 10,000 drawings and renderings in the process, Resorts World is perhaps the most carefully designed and ambitious hospitality project ever constructed – and this is just the beginning, with several more phases planned over the next decade.
With paint still fresh and construction work ongoing, Resorts World is already staking a claim to be one of those select properties that redefines the Las Vegas Strip. Like many successful properties, notably all Wynn’s iterations and MGM’s efforts, it has borrowed aspects that worked and modified, but in this case, not just from Las Vegas, but lifted from international destinations.
There are no fountains, but the unmistakable landscaping of Brinkerhoff (who passed away within weeks of the opening) is evident throughout the property.
There is a clear sense of arrival, from any of the several entrances, hidden bars and party options galore, operated by Singapore’s Zouk (another Genting business).
Global DJs, Tiesto and Zedd (established as favorites in MGM’s Hakkasan and Caesars’ Omnia nightclubs) lead the roster. The showroom line-up is led by newcomer Katy Perry and Celine Dion, so successfully associated with Caesars Palace for two decades.
Restaurants are a blend of the established concepts, including Genting Palace and Los Angeles’ Wally’s, and new concepts from recognized operators, such as Ray Garcia’s Viva, Billy Richardson (of The Cosmopolitan and Linq) with Marigold, highly rated former Wynn and Venetian chef Nicole Brisson’s Brezza and Carversteak, the anticipated debut of former Wynn and MGM’s Sean Christie.
There is also more than a touch of Steelman to the proceedings. The property has travelled a long way from the initial Asian theming, but there are undoubtedly imported influences of Steelman’s previous international work. The multi-branded resort concept (Hilton, Conrad and Crockfords) is widely seen in Asia, not least in Genting’s own offerings. The bright airy casino is more Macau than Mirage, a galaxy away from the dark, smoke fug of historic Las Vegas. The District retail corridor is certainly closer to Hong Kong and Singapore than Las Vegas’ retail forums, with a curated offering for a distinctly cosmopolitan customer.
Externally, the most striking fixture is the Boulevard-facing 100,000 sq. ft. digital screen, communicating the resort’s attractions across the city, a modern incarnation of the architectural coinage that Venturi denoted as Las Vegas’ own.
With iteration evident throughout, the true innovation is reserved for the customer experience, with the most advanced digital strategy in an analogue town. Rooms, casino games, restaurant bills and reservations can all be made via cellphone. It is conceivable that over an entire stay, the customer need not touch a plastic card or clay chip – a radical departure from the traditional hospitality experience.
Fueled the Lim family’s appreciation of entertainment, art, popular culture and technology, Resorts World has arrived with a bang, but this a long-term project to challenge and disrupt the market, leaning on Las Vegas’ past to define its future.
The established order should already be taking note. These early tremors are a warning of something greater to come.
Learning From Las Vegas, Again.
Circa and Resorts World are both different propositions, but both are quintessentially Las Vegas progenies.
Facing both entrants were the perennial business challenges of new properties to market, however, rather than making radical decisions, both found solutions within Las Vegas’ competitive evolution and bolt play clear homage to the successes of the past.
As noted, both resorts were conceived with customer centrality foremost in the vision. Echoing the most successful properties in Las Vegas’ history’ there was a clear understanding of who the customer was to be. Once defined, then all aspects of the programing were focused on capturing the loyalty of that customer.
Secondly, both new properties are acutely aware of the competitive environment that they were entering. In the case of Stevens, Circa was his third operating investment in the city, and had successfully shaped market trends Downtown in line with his innovations. Lim had also carefully studied Las Vegas over generations, learning from both The Strip’s megaresorts and more recently, developments in major Asian cities. Not only could Resorts World sustain in the existing Las Vegas market, but over time, be the catalyst for the emerging, affluent, Asian middle-class tourist to visit Las Vegas.
Thirdly, they both realized that having the vision was not enough, they needed to acquire the capabilities to turn the theoretical into practical. For this, the solution was found in Paul Steelman and his team’s technical ability.
Dreamers dream daily, however unless a pencil is set to paper, all outcomes are ethereal.
We must acclaim the vision of the Stevens brothers and Lim family and laud their achievements. However, behind these transformative resorts are generations of wisdom and experience, which have been perfectly interpreted and implemented expertly to physical form by Steelman.
Like the legends of Las Vegas featured in the artwork in Circa’s 60th floor Legacy Club, Derek Stevens’ portrait already belongs with the best. He is head and shoulders above his peers.
Genting’s Resorts World is on track to challenge the model that had evolved on The Strip, set attract a global audience to embrace KT Lim’s entertainment behemoth.
And Paul Steelman has filled the Las Vegas sized hole in his resume, twice. His position alongside Las Vegas’ architectural colossi is assured.
The giants for the 21st Century have risen.
