The new trend is to take a restaurant with a good reputation in the hometown you live in , put it in the Xerox machine , blow it up and out , and put it on the Las Vegas Strip . Why ? I don ’ t know . Why would I hop on a plane and go to the same restaurant 10 minutes from my home ?
There was a time when the industry would invent new menus , beverages and experiences . Then , as designers we ’ d be challenged to create spaces that were new and original . Fix , Aqua and many others turned the design world upside down . New materials , detailed ceilings and open facades challenged designers and paved the way for us to think differently and to push the boundaries .
Those were the days that Las Vegas and Dubai would compete for the cover of design magazines each month . Proudly , most months Las Vegas graced the covers with the most beautiful spaces ever designed . Money was no object — the only thing that counted was giving the customer an incredible memory to take home and carry them over until their next trip back .
Everything Small Is Big Again !
Small-format restaurants are a big hit and offer guests greater variety and experiences . Wynn and Galaxy in Macau both do this very successfully . Ramen bars for 12 , yakatori for 20 and a small French cafe for 45 people are the norms . Galaxy has more than 85 restaurants and bars , and most have fewer than 75 seats .
The lines are long , but the food and designs are worth the wait . In such small spaces design can let loose . You can spend a week there and never eat your way through the property ’ s restaurants . Some are focused on female retail shoppers , others on bridal parties only , with all the flowers made of delicious sweets . Such focused food and design can really make guests feel special .
Food superstar Gordon Ramsay recently opened a “ Hell ’ s Kitchen ” experience at Caesars Palace
Celebrity Chefs
It ’ s a trend that ’ s been around for a while and just won ’ t die : the celebrity chef . As long as you have Facebook , you can brag to your friends how much better your life is than theirs because you ’ re at a certain restaurant . It ’ s too bad the designs aren ’ t as nice as they used to be in those chef-driven restaurants . So live in the moment , not online . The food is better .
Our challenge is to set the trends , not follow them . We must challenge ourselves to strive for the new and different . Push the boundaries . Focus on the guests . Exceed their expectations . If we make them dream about their next trip to Las Vegas , we ’ ll always be relevant and desirable .
Paul Heretakis , RA , vice president of Westar Architects , has more than 30 years of experience overseeing hospitality design , integrated resorts and mixed-use master planning projects throughout the world . His focus and direction has established Westar Architects as a key player in hospitality design as he continues to work with many of the largest gaming companies in the industry . His portfolio includes more than 1,000 casino , restaurant , retail and hotel projects throughout the U . S ., Europe and Southeast Asia , many of which have been featured in industry books and magazines .