( opposite page ) Rehab at the Hard Rock Hotel , Las Vegas ; a weekend party at Encore Beach Club
( left ) DJ Calvin Harris at MGM ’ s Wet Republic ; The Pool at Harrah ’ s in Atlantic City is actually a multi-functional meeting space and nightclub
“
In a lot of ways , the pool is really the center of the experience . It ’ s the heart of the resort — the dance floor of the club .
”
— Andrew Kreft , Executive Senior Principal and Director of Design , Lifescapes International , Inc .
The club ’ s success was a light-bulb moment , and helped turn the pool from an afterthought to a pivotal part of the destination .
“ In a lot of ways , the pool is really the center of the experience ,” says Andrew Kreft , executive senior principal and director of design for Lifescapes International , Inc ., which has designed waterscapes for Encore Las Vegas , the Wynn and Red Rock Casino Resort , and is now working on Genting ’ s upcoming Resorts World Las Vegas . “ It ’ s the heart of the resort — the dance floor of the club .”
For resort operators , it is also the gift that keeps on giving . A successful pool can keep patrons on property longer , generating revenues , buzz and a thousand online selfies , along with positive reviews and “ likes ” that make everyone else want to dive in .
“ Properly used , it can be a revenue center with day passes in nearly all markets ,” says Rich Emery , president of Thalden Boyd Emery Architects . “ It ’ s a necessary draw for some nongaming companions and spouses — the more reasons to stay longer , the better the incremental drop on the floor . A firstclass pool is a requirement to a resort property .”
Stephen Ranck , project leader and principal with Gensler Architects , agrees . “ As revenues continue to trend toward nongaming components , a trend that started in Las Vegas in the early 2000s and is now over 60 percent , casinos are investigating a variety of entertainment , food and beverage ,” and other non-gaming amenities like pools . “ They bring a social connection to the casino experience ”— a vital component for millennial customers , who number 80 million in the U . S . alone , with
$ 200 billion in annual buying power , according to a January report in Forbes .
While pools like Rehab clearly target the millennial demographic , an artfully designed pool can attract patrons of many ages at different times , maximizing the value of the space .
“ What makes a resort pool special is its appeal for a wide range of guests ,” says Shannon McCallum Crawford , executive director of hotel operations for Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas . “ We have the luxury in Las Vegas of having large pool spaces . At Aria , we ’ ve used that to our advantage by creating a number of smaller , more intimate environments — some that appeal to a high-energy crowd , some that appeal to those looking for a little more rest and relaxation .”
Day clubs tend to attract mostly millennials , Crawford says , “ but our pool is a beautiful location for all types of special events : meetings and conventions , private soirees and weddings . Events after-hours are particularly inviting in the warm summer months , after the sun sets and the city lights up .”
HIGH WATER MARK
Resort guests tend to spend two to three days on average at the property , observes Kreft . The well-designed pool will offer activities that will grab and hold their interest for the duration .
Take the indoor Pool at Harrah ’ s Atlantic City . Reportedly modeled after Privilege , the world ’ s largest nightclub in Ibiza , Spain , it features a 90-foot-high glass dome and 82,000-gallon
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