( l . to r .) Franklin Lounge in the lobby , and a suite at the Delano Las Vegas
“ We saw Delano fitting into the category , fitting into the Mandalay Bay campus ,” says Chilton . “ It ’ s a natural fit . More modern , luxury , driven by a boutique style experience .”
The changes were dramatic , but accomplished without closing down the hotel , a feat that is somewhat amazing given the scope of the changes .
“ Everything is different ,” says Chilton . “ All the rooms were completely done over . The public spaces are all changed . We wanted to make sure all surfaces were touched . It was a total transformation of the entire property . The lobby has a new flow , bringing in designs from the desert . Taking the edge off and warming it up .”
Although a hotel with 1,117 suites isn ’ t usually described as “ boutique ”— except perhaps for Cosmopolitan Las Vegas — Chilton says the design takes lessons from true boutique hotels in New York or Miami or Chicago .
“ We added these little vignettes of great , comfortable seating to improve guest-stickiness in our lobby ,” he says . “ It ’ s more than a transition space . The lounges are getting more visitation , and people are just hanging out in this space to take in the great vibes .”
Unlike the Cromwell , which is an entirely new brand , Delano has some cache , particularly for frequent visitors to Miami Beach . “ There is an audience that is familiar with the brand ,” says Chilton . “ It ’ s only 188 rooms so their imprint isn ’ t as big as ours will be now that we ’ ve launched marketing to raise awareness .”
The marketing campaign is called “ Defiantly Inspired ,” and Chilton says his entire staff has taken that to heart .
“ It reflects all the different things we ’ re trying to do with our storytelling and the day-to-night transition when the vibe changes ,” he says . “ It doesn ’ t feel like you ’ re in Las Vegas . We knew there was a desire for this , and it ’ s being reinforced by some of the other brands that have entered the market lately . It ’ s a bit of a lifestyle boutique movement , but we ’ re in our own little niche .”
Despite the fact that the hotel remained open during the renovation , construction on the property was completed within a year .
“ When you do room renovations , it ’ s customary to stay open ,” Chilton explains . “ But it was new and foreign territory for all of us to open a new hotel while the former one was still operating .
“ Essentially , it ’ s a lot of in-depth coordination with our design team , and then the construction team . We told them what we needed to keep operating . There were lots of temporary walls that were up that simply shifted from side to side as the renovations were completed .
“ In my honest opinion , I think it went a lot better than it could have gone . Yes , there are those strings of days when you
have to get the old granite up and it ’ s noisy , but in hindsight , that didn ' t last long .”
New restaurants and lounges also got a full makeover at Delano . Della ’ s Kitchen is described as “ historic farmhouse meets urban kitchen .” Franklin , the lobby bar bearing homage to Franklin Delano Roosevelt , is all about “ the perfect cocktail ,” says Chilton .
But the big changes will come next year when a new restaurant is introduced into the space now occupied by the iconic Mixx restaurant and nightclub at the top of Delano , with its breathtaking views of the Strip . Mixx will disappear but the partnership with Alain Ducasse will continue with the introduction of Rivea , a French restaurant with a Riviera theme , only the third of its kind ( other locations are in St . Tropez and London ). The lounge area of Mixx will also be renovated with a name and theme to be announced . Chilton will try to recapture the magic of what was once one of the hottest nightclubs in Vegas .
The piece de resistance for Delano will be the beach club , which will occupy part of the 11-acre Mandalay Bay complex , and only available to Delano guests .
“ It ’ s such an important part of the Delano brand , as it is in South Beach ,” he says .
HOTEL IMPOSSIBLE o where do we go from here ?
S Hotel conversions aren ’ t limited to Las Vegas . Wherever there are older buildings , a hotel conversion is possible .
In Atlantic City , the closure of four and maybe five casinos has opened up the possibilities of re-use of the former casinos . The Claridge , a stately older building that opened as a hotel in 1930 , converted to a casino in the 1980s and incorporated into Bally ’ s Atlantic City in 2003 , was sold to a Florida company recently . Reopened as a hotel , the casino area will be repurposed for art galleries and a children ’ s museum .
In Sioux City , Iowa , the new Hard Rock Casino was converted from a converted warehouse , the Battery Building , built in 1906 . The building ’ s signature clock tower has been retained , but all the modern elements of a Hard Rock hotel are included in the design .
So whatever becomes of this latest trend in casino design , it will only accent the services and amenities offered to gaming customers , combined with the superior customer service that characterizes top casino resorts .
24 CASINO DESIGN 2014