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Nature-Inspired

Posted on November 4, 2020 by -

Set amid the lush tropical landscape and spectacular coastline of the city, Casino & Resort Phú Quoc delivers a world-class entertainment destination inspired by history, culture and nature.

Generating a vibrant seaside escape, this integrated development offers rich experiences of commercial and lifestyle activities to its guests.

Phú Quoc is also the first casino that allows Vietnamese citizens to gamble, one of only four casinos that are permitted to do so. Should the experiment prove a success, all casinos will be permitted to appeal to locals.

Jerde architects created a master plan to take advantage of the site’s beautiful natural settings and to maximize long-range and unobstructed views toward the seaside by the careful positioning and orientation of the different buildings.

A pedestrian-oriented design also organizes the districts within the resort, allowing guests to explore the unique amenities as they stroll from the beachside to the commercial area.

Within 663,684 square meters (7.1 million square feet), Jerde developed one five-star resort, two four-star resorts, a casino, conference facilities, a retail village, and a water park. Launched in 2018, the project is currently run by local partner Vingroup.

OWNER: Phú Quoc Tourism Investment and Development JSC
LOCAL PARTNER: Vingroup
SIZE: 663,684 square meters (7.1 million square feet)
ARCHITECT: Jerde
INVESTMENT: $4 billion

 

Green Scene

Posted on November 4, 2020 by -

The new Quil Ceda Creek Casino in Tulalip, Washington is currently under construction and scheduled to open early next year.

More than doubling the size of the current casino located across the street, TBE Architects’ design for the all new “Q” casino covers over 120,000 square feet, providing space for 1,500 gaming machines (an increase of 500 machines), additional table games, an expanded entertainment lounge, state-of-the-art food and beverage services, and a multi-story parking garage.

“From the front door to the back door and beyond, the restaurants at the new Quil Ceda Creek Casino will be the ‘greenest’ in the Northwest when they open,” says Belinda Hegnes, interim executive vice president of Quil Ceda Creek Casino. “It’s a tribute to forward-thinking by the Tulalip Tribes.”

Menu items at each of the dining venues will feature fresh, local ingredients that are prepared using the latest “green cooking” techniques. To prepare food efficiently in a high-output kitchen—without sacrificing flavor and character—the new Q culinary team will be introducing windspeed ovens and other innovations to the food preparation. It’s a no-fry, greaseless kitchen with no vents, and the integration of new kitchen technologies will greatly reduce waste output and energy consumption. Even to-go containers will have a short “life” of 90 days and will be compostable.

“The Kitchen” provides a new food hall dining experience where guests may visit one or multiple stations and choose from a variety of made-to-order menu items. Selections are recorded on a single card as they go, and guests pay one bill for all orders when they are finished, as opposed to the traditional “food court” experiences at most other casinos where patrons pay at each and every station or restaurant they visit.

In addition to “The Kitchen” food hall, the new Quil Ceda Creek Casino will also offer an a la carte dining experience at “The Landing” and several other new food and beverage venues, providing a total gaming, dining and entertainment experience.

OWNER: Tulalip Tribes
SIZE: 120,000 square feet
OPEN: Early 2021
INVESTMENT: $125 million
ARCHITECT: TBE Architects
CONTRACTOR: Andersen Construction

Uniquely Functional

Posted on November 4, 2020 by -

The new 42-meter-long (138 feet) swimming pool at Odiseo Casino in Murcia, Spain, will form part of the Odiseo casino and leisure complex, with cantilevers 20 meters on each side of central supports.

According to project architect Clavel Arquitectos, this makes it the longest overhanging pool in Europe.

Studio founder Clavel Rojo took the first swim in the pool to mark the completion of its construction. “We looked to the tradition whereby the creator has to test first his own creation,” he told Dezeen architecture and design magazine. “This is something really imbricated in the pop culture—just think about the crazy scientist that tries some new vaccine on himself.

“Obviously the structure is totally safe, but definitely there was some reluctance to be the first to try it. So we thought it was powerful that I was the first to try it—jumping into the pool in speedos in frozen water. That talks about the way we see life and architecture in my office!”

When the building is complete, the swimming pool will be located within an elevated forest that is being built as part of a leisure complex on the outskirts of the town of Murcia.

The forest, which will be enclosed by a latticework of pipes to help shade the plants, will stand on top of the three-story building that will contain a casino, as well as a nightclub and restaurants. The swimming pool will be part of a raised platform that is cantilevered on either side of two lift cores.

According to Rojo, the pool’s large overhang was a result of the client making the decision to add it to the project once construction had begun. “Even though the pool was in the first sketches of the building, the client discarded it before we started the detailed design,” he explained. “They only decided to build it when the project was halfway of the construction process. That meant the structure was not ready to resist that new weight, so we came up with the idea of supporting it over the two more rigid existing elements, the stairs cores.

“We strictly reinforced those foundations, not being able to touch the building in any other point. On the other side we clearly had to go through the façade to get views from the pool to the horizon. Once it was clear that it was going to be a very extreme structure, we just pushed it a little further, to the limit, producing this really fun experience for the users of swimming in a 20-meter cantilever, second in the world and probably the slimmest as far as we know.”

Rojo hopes that the building can bring excitement to the city of Murcia, which was heavily impacted by the financial crisis. “Consider that Murcia, the city where Odiseo is being built, is as a small city, far from everywhere and extremely hit by the last crisis that devastated not only the economy but somehow the citizens’ self-esteem,” he said. “Cities like this have heritage, great architecture since Roman times. The question is: What is the architecture we are building for the next generations?”

OWNER: Resa Group
SIZE: 138 feet long
OPEN: March 2020
ARCHITECT: Clavel Arquitectos

Petals to the Metal

Posted on November 4, 2020 by -

The Sydney waterfront is iconic. From the elegant Sydney Opera House to the Sydney Harbour Bridge where the world welcomes every new year, Darling Harbour now has a new icon: Crown Sydney.

As befits a new building in such a storied area, Crown Sydney is an architectural gem. Inspired by nature, Crown Sydney seemingly curves 60 degrees as it rises more than 275 meters above the harbor. Its “petals” twist and turn, providing visitors and residents maximum views of the surrounding landscape.

Conceived by James Packer and Crown Resorts in 2012, the arduous approval process included a concession that limited the gambling to a VIP casino aimed at Asian high rollers. The rest of the facility includes 350 hotel rooms, residences, shops and other uses. The top two floors encompass hotel suites, while hotel rooms and residences fill out the rest of the tower. Fourteen restaurants, shops and the casinos are located in the equally impressive podium.

According to the lead architect, London-based WilkinsonEyre, which won an international competition to design the building, the project was conceptual from the start.

“Central to the design of the hotel is the idea that it should be a sculptural, curvilinear form, an inhabited artwork, which contrasts with the more orthogonal geometry of the tall buildings in the central business district.”

The Barangaroo project has a vertical core structure with a glass and metal skin that was designed using parametric 3D modelling and helical perimeter columns in concrete. The result is a stunning structure that stands out even among numerous other high-rises in Sydney.

With the small VIP casino, Crown Sydney was going to depend upon junket operators to fill the space with the whales who would make it a success. But troublesome regulatory concerns about money laundering and ineffective leadership caused Crown to back off that plan. The debut of the casino, set for December 2020, may be delayed as the company scrambles to rework their business plan.

But the building remains a sculpture in the heart of the Barangaroo district. At the topping off, Crown Chairwoman Helen Coonan said it will be a new positive outlook for Sydney.

“This building was designed to be a tribute to Sydney and a landmark recognized around the world,” she said.

OWNER: Crown Resorts
ARCHITECT: WilkinsonEyre Architects, Bates Smart, Robert Bird Group
INVESTMENT: A$2.2 billion (US$1.55 billion)

Tent Transformation

Posted on November 4, 2020 by -

When BWA first met with the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, management team and contractor for the construction project at the Apache Casino Hotel, the collective goal was to create a plan for expansion by adding amenities, improving the guests’ experience and eventually replacing the aging tent structure, which was getting more difficult and expensive to maintain. This work was to be completed over several phases to make the projects more affordable.

The design team’s first step was to create a master plan and identify opportunities to improve the guest experience with the owner and management team. A roadmap was created that defined the phases of work, which included a new event center, additional office and back-of-house space, a new restaurant, a players club, additional gaming space and remodeling of several locations within the facility.

These initial efforts were completed in 2017, and enclosing the gaming tent within a permanent structure was completed in January 2020 over two additional phases.

During the entire planning process, BWA worked with the owner and contractor to establish budgets for these components based on owner-defined priorities for the sequence of phasing.

The last two phases of work were unique and technically challenging because gaming could not be moved to a different location during construction, and it was imperative to ensure that gaming operations be maintained to the fullest extent possible at all times during construction.

The aging tent structure had reached a point where it could no longer serve as the exterior of the casino, and a more permanent solution was needed. The legal boundary (trust land) for gaming is the footprint of the tent structure, so gaming could not be moved to occur anywhere else in the facility. After the team reviewed all options, the best solution was to build over the top of the existing tent and enclose the existing structure while keeping the casino operational during construction.

The first phase of the building enclosure was to construct the front part of the building, which contained new office space, enclosed the utility courtyard, would house new mechanical systems on the roof, and would be a landing point to support the large trusses that would span the top of the tent structure and tie back into the existing building completed in earlier phases. This phase of the building enclosure also created the new front entry into the casino.

Once this was completed, phase two of the enclosure started with the removal of the old mechanical yard behind the tent structure so new foundations could be placed and structural steel erected.

The tent structure had a second level which needed to remain intact, which required the design team to design an appropriately tall building enclosure to surmount the tent and still tie in proportionately with the rest of the complex. To compensate for the extra height, the building was stepped up from the porte cochere in several steps, with a final step that creates a signage shelf near the top of the new building.

Programmable color-changing lighting from the old exterior of the tent was removed and reused. Its control systems were updated and ribbon LEDs were installed on the building steps to afford the building a dramatic effect at night which can be programmed to change lighting effects seasonally and for special events. This portion of the building creates a distinct new focal point and main entry into the casino, which ties the whole complex together with a sleek, modern and contemporary style that blends seamlessly into the location.

During construction, careful planning allowed most casino operations to continue without interruption while smaller sections of the casino were closed for less than an hour at a time as trusses and decking were installed over the gaming floor.

The final phase in the future will be to remove the tent structure from inside the building and remodel the gaming floor. For now, the Fort Sill Apache Tribe is enjoying the use of their gaming floor in a space that is comfortable, more energy-efficient, safer and secure from the elements and without concern about the further deterioration of the original facility.

OWNER: Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
OPENED: January 2020
ARCHITECT: Bergman Walls & Associates
CONTRACTOR: Knutson Construction
INVESTMENT: $50 million

Culture Meets Design

Posted on November 4, 2020 by -

Cuningham Group and Full Circle Indigenous Planning worked with the Puyallup Tribe to balance eye-catching flash of a Las Vegas-style resort with memorable references to Puyallup tribal culture for the new Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel.

The 310,000-square-foot facility in downtown Tacoma, Washington, opened on June 8, relocates the tribe’s existing gaming operations to a highly visible site along Interstate 5. The 155-room attached hotel is expected to open at the end of 2020.

The design and integration of the Emerald Queen Casino into Tacoma’s urban infrastructure sets a groundbreaking precedent while creating an iconic landmark. Due to site and infrastructure constraints, the gaming floor and amenities are strategically placed four levels above the ground floor, spanning over two city streets and supported structurally by two parking garages.

This unusual and unexpected design approach creates a breathtaking building that is highly visible from the highway and provides panoramic views to downtown and to the culturally significant Mount Rainier and Puget Sound.

The Cuningham Group and Full Circle design team provided master planning, architecture and interior design services, while incorporating meaningful cultural elements.

The team collaborated with Puyallup cultural leaders to develop an interior design concept that draws influence from the textures, shapes and colors of the mountains, rivers, forests and sound that define Puyallup tribal land. Traditional and contemporary Puyallup art, cultural patterns and language adorn the casino.

The casino further distinguishes itself by incorporating large windows and daylighting into the gaming floor, maintaining guests’ connection with nature and providing sweeping views of Mount Ranier, Puget Sound and downtown Tacoma.

Completion of the casino and construction of the hotel have continued through the unprecedented challenges of 2020. The teams developed creative solutions to deliver a seamless transition to a more remote process, and the tribe’s willingness and dedication to adapt are key factors in the successful completion of this project.

OWNER: Puyallup Tribe of Indians
SIZE: 310,000 square feet
OPENED: June 8, 2020
ARCHITECT: Cuningham Group
ARCHITECTURAL PLANNING: Full Circle Indigenous Planning
INVESTMENT: $370 million

Podcast with Steve Peck

Posted on December 15, 2019 by -

It’s been open less than a month and already the Guitar Hotel at Hard Rock Hollywood is a must-see attraction in South Florida. Steve Peck was the lead architect on the project, working alongside his partners at Klai Juba Wald Architects based in Las Vegas. Peck explains how the logistics of designing and building a guitar-shaped structure worked, what were some of the hurdles they had to overcome, and how it wasn’t just a design challenge, but a renovation of the entire property—while it remained open. He also reveals how he worked with the design partners and restaurant and retail tenants to create the stunning property.

Podcast with Jim Allen, President and CEO, Seminole Gaming & Hard Rock International

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

The opening of the Guitar Hotel at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, was a seminal moment for Jim Allen, who is the CEO and chairman of Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International. His vision of a truly iconic building that will transform the Hollywood property into a destination resort took more than five years to develop, but the results are stunning. Allen leads a rapidly expanding Hard Rock International with new projects in California and Mexico, as well as proposals to build casinos in three U.S. states and two European countries. He sat down with Casino Style Publisher Roger Gros during the opening of the Guitar Hotel in October to discuss the company’s roots, the tribe that supports him and the success of the enterprise.

 

Back to the Future

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

When the communist revolution of Fidel Castro toppled the regime of Fulgencio Batista in 1959, it also toppled Cuba’s healthy and thriving gaming industry. Of course, the industry was thriving for its organized crime owners and for Batista, who got a cut of their end, but it also employed lots of Cubans.

Starting in the 1920s, thousands of Americans and Latin Americans traveled to Cuba each year to enjoy the legal alcohol, wide-open gambling, bordellos and Havana nightlife.

After World War II, the casino industry developed robustly. Many casino resorts opened, and like Las Vegas a decade or two later, each one was more elaborate than the last.

But one hotel was the center of the casino industry: the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in Havana. Opened in 1930, the hotel was on the Hill of Taganana, with panoramic views of the city and the ocean. The hotel has a unique parti pris design that gave a majority of the rooms a view of the ocean across the road. Each of the eight floors held 74 rooms, except for the top, which has 64 rooms. The hotel was developed by the U.S. engineering firm of Purdy and Henderson, and designed by the New York architecture firm of McKim, Mead and White. It’s clad in coral stone and is a mix of architectural styles.

The Hotel Nacional was owned and operated by a group of investors who also owned New York’s swanky Plaza Hotel. Its early history was somewhat tragic, as the revolution that brought Batista to power in 1933 ravaged the hotel. The hierarchy of the Cuban military defended the hotel against the military rank and file, culminating in the Battle of the Hotel Nacional, which decided the conflict but caused substantial damage to the hotel, including many shell and bullet holes, some of which remain today.

In 1943, it was purchased by the Kirkeby Hotels company and operated by the firm for more than a decade.

In 1946, the infamous “Havana Conference” of mob bosses was held at the Hotel Nacional. The meeting was called by Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. Attendees included Santo Trafficante Jr., Frank Costello, Albert Anastasia, Vito Genovese and many others. You may remember a depiction of the conference in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II.

Lansky was the power, and in 1955 persuaded Batista to allow him to take over a wing of the hotel and create high-roller suites for gamblers at his casino downstairs, Casino Internacional. Run by Wilber Clark, who later was the owner of the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, the casino boasted revenue that routinely bettered any Las Vegas gaming hall. Lansky sold the casino to Michael McLaney and Baltimore Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom in 1958.

When Castro took over a year later, he immediately closed all Cuban casinos, but relented a few days later after massive demonstrations by casino workers—and warnings from his advisers that the closure would destroy the economy. But the damage had already been done. U.S. tourists avoided the island. The casino industry, along with the Cuban economy, collapsed anyway. Castro later reinstated his ban on casinos in Cuba.

Today, the Hotel Nacional de Cuba still stands and welcomes guests, albeit with a vacant casino area awaiting a revival. With relaxed relations with the U.S. and the easing of travel restrictions, it could still happen.

The Leading Edge

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

Cuningham Group, an international design firm founded in 1968, and Full Circle Indigenous Planning, a Native American-owned design firm, understand the gaming industry’s shifting demographic. In response, they create award-winning gaming resorts and entertainment venues to meet clients’ needs.

Cuningham Group helps clients evolve their facilities to feature dynamic gaming and entertainment experiences that attract guests of all ages. Together, Cuningham Group and Full Circle use an integrated approach and cutting-edge technology to design energized spaces and amenities that stand out in competitive markets.

 

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino

Following the design of the original LEED-Gold-certified Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cuningham Group designed a 119-room hotel tower expansion that features a spa and additional meeting space.

The 19-story hotel tower expansion brings the total room count to 500, making it the second largest hotel in Milwaukee. The existing hotel contains a casual dining restaurant, a lobby bar/lounge and meeting space.

To reflect its setting, the hotel’s façade is a combination of green-tinted transparent and opaque glass to resemble Lake Michigan’s shimmery waves on a sunny day.

 

Angel of the Winds Casino Resort

The 300,000-square-foot expansion and renovation of Angel of the Winds Casino Resort in Arlington, Washington elevates the property to a destination resort.

The expansion adds 275 slot machines and 12 new table games, a 200-seat buffet and 60-seat upscale steakhouse, and an entertainment block with a multi-purpose 750-seat entertainment facility, 12-lane HyperBowling facility, and virtual sports simulators.

The design takes its cues from the natural, organic forms in the Washington landscape with sweeping pathways and strong ceiling elements.

 

Rival House

Rival House at Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota combines gaming and music for a dynamic experience.

Rival House’s front half contains high-top seating, stage and dance floor, and the back half offers arcade-style games. It also contains one of two HyperBowling facilities in Minnesota.

The stylish, smart and whimsical design of the space utilizes unique materials such as reclaimed wood, theatrical lights, decorative tile, triangular ceiling elements with integrated lighting and inconspicuously designed acoustic wall panels.

For more information, please visit cuningham.com.

Comfortable Chairs Handcrafted By Artisans

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

Gary Platt Manufacturing offers a dream come true for designers approaching projects of all types and scale. That’s because Gary Platt doesn’t have employees—it offers a team of artisans who design, create and construct every chair by hand.

This dedication to craft results in unsurpassed attention to detail, meaning every designer’s vision is perfectly and meticulously brought to life by artists who treat every chair as a work of art. Plus, each chair is customizable to the exact specifications of the designer.

Choosing Gary Platt is a decision every designer can be comfortable with. The company has more than 20 years of experience, handcrafting chairs using only the best materials, right down to the proprietary blend of foam that that goes into each chair so it perfectly pairs fashion with unsurpassed comfort.

While Gary Platt perhaps is best known for bringing incomparable comfort to the casino floor, the company has a deep portfolio of seating solutions for the entire enterprise: gaming and hospitality. Traditional chair companies seem to have forgotten that comfort still matters in bars, restaurants, guest rooms, convention halls and other hospitality areas. However, Gary Platt brings its ergonomics and comfort solutions to every chair, everywhere.

Two examples of Gary Platt’s innovative design are its Tesla and Savannah models. The Tesla model recently received the company’s third patent, preceded by patents for Gary Platt’s best-selling Monaco chair and Epic Frame, known globally for versatility and durability. Sleek and modern, the Tesla wraps players in comfort with a wing-style back and legs that cascade down from the seat.

Classic design meets elegance and class in Gary Platt’s Savannah, with a custom-upholstered back, hand-stitched channel front and versatile bases that allow it to fit into any area of the casino.

For more information, please visit garyplatt.com.

Intuitive, Thoughtful Solutions

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

Friedmutter Group is an award-winning, internationally recognized master planning, architecture and interior design firm specializing 100 percent in multi-use hospitality resort projects of all sizes.

Brad Friedmutter founded the firm in 1992 for the unique purpose of exclusively providing professional architectural and interior design services to the gaming industry. Friedmutter Group’s expertise includes hotels, casinos, entertainment venues, restaurants, bars and lounges, convention and meeting facilities, pools and spas, retail facilities and hotels.

In the past year, Friedmutter Group was proud to have been included as the architect and designer for several new build projects, such as Hard Rock Casino and Hotel-Sacramento at Fire Mountain, the Soboba Casino Resort and MGM Springfield. In addition, Friedmutter Group created unique interior designs for the rebranding and renovations at iconic Las Vegas Properties including the Palms Casino Resort, the Strat (formerly Stratosphere) and Palace Station. Current indications are that 2020 also is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Friedmutter Group.

Friedmutter Group provides critical and comprehensive understanding of the many required elements of the gaming industry, from site selection and development to operating fundamentals, while successfully creating unique architectural and interior designs in existing and new markets.

The firm provides intuitive, thoughtful solutions that manage access and easy circulation of large numbers of people into and through venues, while providing highest-quality design, best efficiencies and adjacencies of space and maximum profitability opportunities during all phases of development, construction and operations.

Offices are located in Las Vegas. Nevada and Newport Beach, California. More information may be found at fglv.com.

American-Crafted Comfort

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

Most chairs are designed to fill a space. Gasser chairs are designed to elevate it.

Gasser Chair Company is a premier American designer and manufacturer of seating products for worldwide gaming, hospitality and casino venues. For more than 70 years, Gasser has been designing, building and perfecting the art of commercial seating.

Rooms come in all different shapes, colors and sizes, and so does Gasser seating. Gasser is not one to provide cookie-cutter solutions to complex challenges. As a true commercial seating manufacturer with in-house design, engineering and R&D, Gasser is ready for anything. From custom upholstery methods to completely original designs, Gasser encourages customers to let their imaginations soar and then custom-designs solutions specifically to their needs.

Each Gasser chair is handcrafted and manufactured in the U.S., using only the finest components that provide the comfort and structural integrity Gasser is known for. Gasser furniture is modularly constructed to allow unique customization and parts to be easily replaced if incidents occur, such as a tear in the fabric or damage to a seat or back. This modular construction is an important feature as Gasser values each purchase as an investment for the customer and stands prepared to assist customers through many years of service.

For more information, please visit gasserchair.com.

Designing Experience

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

For 40 years, HBG Design has been pioneering the creation of imaginative and memorable guest experiences.

As a Top 5 hospitality and entertainment design firm in the U.S., its team of 120 architects, interior designers and building professionals in Memphis, Tennessee and San Diego, California share a passion for making stories come to life by shaping physical space and connecting people to place.

Guests crave distinctive, transformative experiences, and that’s what HBG Design delivers—through esteemed projects spanning the country for diverse clients, including more than 40 Indian gaming enterprises, as well as commercial hospitality and entertainment giants such as Caesars Entertainment, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Hyatt Hotels and Hilton Hotels.

In the last two decades alone, the firm has designed more than 21,000 resort and hotel rooms and more than 22 million square feet of hotel, gaming/entertainment, food and beverage, conference/meeting, events and retail space.

Understanding that architecture and interior design are intrinsically connected to the guest experience, HBG Design’s in-house teams of architects and interior designers work side-by-side to approach hospitality and entertainment design as a collaborative, intentional process.

HBG Design’s philosophy of experience-driven design is well represented in several recent project openings, including the acclaimed $226 million, 500,000-square-foot expansion of Sycuan Casino Resort in El Cajon, California. The 300-room hotel tower, casino and food and beverage expansion has created an array of revenue-generating opportunities for Sycuan and helped fulfill a need for more distinct cross-generational and upscale guest experiences in the competitive market.

Offering guests a sensory nourishing wellness experience, the new Spa at Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, California was luxuriously reimagined by HBG Design ahead of the resort’s eagerly anticipated opening of the 459-room hotel expansion in early 2020.

The firm also looks forward to the opening of the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino Resort in Glendale, Arizona and two urban hotel experiences for Canopy by Hilton and Hyatt Centric in the coming year.

Collaborators. Storytellers. Market surveyors. Experience curators. HBG Design is absolutely passionate about entertainment and hospitality design.

Learn more at hbg.design.

Synergy At Its Best

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

Las Vegas-based Klai Juba Wald architecture + interiors provides comprehensive design services creating award-winning projects that enhance communities nationwide. The company’s talented team creates design excellence for integrated gaming resorts, retail, dining, entertainment, sports and convention venues.

Klai Juba Wald takes pride in its loyal employees and teams hand-picked with owners, each committed to listening, sharing expertise and ensuring operational acumen—“whatever it takes”—to shape successful and acclaimed projects.

Collectively, the firm’s principals have 200 years participating in the evolution and reinvention of Las Vegas and the hospitality industry. Klai Juba Wald has led major remodel and expansion projects at MGM Grand, Luxor, Planet Hollywood, Palms Casino Resort, Silverton and numerous Boyd Gaming Group properties. Recent projects include Las Vegas Convention Center Phase 3; Hard Rock Las Vegas’ conversion into Virgin’s flagship resort; remodels and expansions at San Manuel, Chinook Winds and Rivers Des Plaines, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia; and Maryland Live!

The company also served as architect of record for Mandalay Bay, the Four Seasons and the Hotel Delano, its signature beach and conference/event center; and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Thomas & Mack modernization and Fertitta Football Complex.

Klai Juba Wald takes pride in nurturing enduring client relationships while providing vision, leadership and support to architectural education. The firm believes in giving back to the community it calls home. Employees are champions for education, children and the homeless—and are proud of its namesake lecture series, founded at UNLV’s School of Architecture in 1997. UNLV Foundation’s 2019 Palladium Society inductee, Klai Juba Wald remains “proud of every endeavor—the firm’s work—its reputation—and the company it keeps.”

For more information, visit klaijubawald.com.

The Industry’s Premier Purchaser

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

Connect with Purchasing Management International, the gaming industry’s premier purchaser of furniture, fixtures and equipment and operating supplies and equipment.

With extensive experience in the gaming industry, PMI works with designers, architects and owners to offer the accuracy, integrity and buying power needed for demanding gaming resort projects. PMI saves clients time and money.

The company has purchased and installed more than $3 billion in furnishings, operating equipment and systems throughout the gaming industry at properties such as Maryland Live!, Rivers Casinos, Churchill Downs, Isle of Capri, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, Harrah’s, Treasure Island, Mirage, Wind Creek, Choctaw, Bellagio, Tropicana, Hard Rock, Station Casinos’ Red Rock Resort and the Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Michigan, owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.

PMI’s well-trained staff, vendor knowledge and unique system of checks and balances offer clients better project results, more project savings and higher design execution.

PMI understands that in the gaming world, every minute matters on a project. FF&E and OS&E sourcing and procurement are no different. PMI choreographs thousands of moving parts from international sources to deliver some of the most well-designed and complex projects in the gaming industry, on time and under budget.

For the best in gaming FF&E and OS&E procurement services, connect with the best—connect with Purchasing Management International.

For more information, visit pmiconnect.com.

Discover. Collaborate. Deliver.

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

WORTHGROUP Architects & Designers specializes in design and planning for diverse project types, and are authorities in commercial projects including hospitality, gaming, retail and mixed-use, community and well building and industrial design.

Since opening its doors in 1990, WORTHGROUP has delivered hundreds of innovative designs both nationally and internationally. Renovating an existing facility or designing a completely new, from-the-ground-up property, WORTHGROUP has the creative team of designers, architects, interior designers, planners and animators to deliver a successful project.

With a design-led-by-discovery approach, the WORTHGROUP team is committed to providing creative and distinctive project solutions through a close partnership with clients. Staying true to architectural intent while considering factors such as functionality, cost and performance, the firm is committed to always respecting the bottom line, focusing on the guest experience and delivering a project both memorable in narrative and true to the clients’ unique story.

Discover. Collaborate. Deliver.

For more information, please contact Christina Stanfill at 303-649-1095, email cstanfill@worthgroup.com or visit worthgroup.com.     

The Rewards Of Quality Design

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

SOSH Architects was founded in 1979 on the core conviction that quality design continually rewards the community, the client and the design team.

The firm has steadily grown from a company of four partners to its current size of 45 design professionals and support staff, all engaged in the execution of master planning, architecture and interior design commissions worldwide.

SOSH’s philosophy drives a design process that values exploration, visualization and the contributions of multiple voices. Together, they deliver the best design solutions, the result of thoughtful collaboration and creative analysis.

With offices in Atlantic City and Philadelphia, SOSH has handled every aspect of hotel and casino design—from small, intimate VIP lounges and retail spaces to expansive casino floor renovations and new tower and resort construction. Each project has its own unique set of design opportunities and technical requirements, which SOSH addresses to meet client needs and stay ahead of market trends.

SOSH has played a pivotal role in many successful launches of sports betting venues over the last two years as gaming legislation evolves in various states across the country. Other current hospitality and gaming projects include work with high-profile clients including Eldorado Resorts, Hard Rock International and Mohegan Sun.

While hospitality-based work is a substantial aspect of its business, SOSH also is engaged in a variety of project types around the globe.

To learn more, please visit sosharch.com.

All Hospitality, All the Time

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

Over the past 48 years, Thalden Boyd Architects LLC, dba TBE Architects, has become one of the best-known hospitality and gaming architectural firms in North America.

The firm has designed more than 400 unique hotel projects and 300 casino projects, so “All Hospitality, All the Time” is much more than a tag line—it’s the very foundation of TBE’s client base and an integral part of defining its team culture.

TBE Architects provides full architectural services including master planning, architectural design, theming development and interior design. Its highly experienced design teams work tirelessly to deliver bold, high-quality and fully integrated projects on time and on budget.

Much of the firm’s “adaptive theming style” is a direct reflection of the team’s ability to meet the unique demands of diverse clients, and it is proud to say that no two TBE casinos or hotels are alike. With roots firmly planted in gaming and hospitality, the team has an exceptional understanding of sophisticated entertainment for adults.

TBE has dedicated a significant portion of time to the growth and development of several national and internationally recognized brands such as Caesars, Churchill Downs, Delaware North, Harrah’s, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriot and Jacob’s Entertainment. It also has designed directly for 116 Native American tribes and First Nations.

Throughout the firm, each employee shares a common goal: to fuse the talents of the team with the needs of the client; designing architectural destinations that are fresh, exciting, appropriately themed and fully functional.

TBE Architects is an active associate member of the American Institute of Architects and an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Association.

For more information, visit tbearchitects.com or contact Vice President of Client Development Linda Roe at 602-321-6207.

From Old School to New Kids—Everybody’s Playing Casinos

Posted on December 9, 2019 by -

In November, Wayne Newton announced that his residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas would continue through 2020—the legendary crooner’s 61st year in the business of show.

These days, old-school entertainers like “Mr. Las Vegas” are sharing the stage with rock ‘n’ rollers, country bands, hip-hop artists and even rappers. Stroll the Strip these days and you’ll see marquees promoting vintage metal bands (Aerosmith), ’80s phenoms (Backstreet Boys), and contemporary performers (Drake, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars) along with the likes of Barry Manilow and—of course, eternally—Cher.

The sheer breadth of entertainment gets everyone in the door and on the floor, even those who don’t typically gravitate toward casinos.

“The casino demographic is still age 60-plus and down to the early 40s or so, people who are still gambling, but younger ones want things to do as well,” says veteran entertainment buyer and talent manager Bill Talarico.

“The only reason you don’t see more residencies in Atlantic City is that it’s not as much as a resort destination as Las Vegas. But when Vegas residencies take a break—for example, Elton John—the AC casinos can pick up those shows.”

 

Down Memory Lane

Talarico’s resume includes stints at the Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza and Bally’s in Atlantic City, back when Nevada and AC were the only games in town. He’s been entertainment director at Atlantic City’s newest property, the Hard Rock Hotel Casino; served as tour director for Harry Connick Jr., Patti Austin and the Gipsy Kings; and engineered stage productions for the Temptations, Liza Minelli and the Everly Brothers.

He’s seen it all, and says nostalgia acts will always go over “because of the memories. That’s what draws people and makes those shows viable in the market. If it didn’t touch their heartstrings, they wouldn’t come out.”

As writer Shaun Assael somewhat cynically put it, to mount a boffo Vegas show, “All you had to do was brush off the old act and play to people who didn’t see you the first time around because they were busy raising kids and putting food on the table.”

But that’s the nature of nostalgia, and comedy acts are potent draws too. Comedians of a certain age and era have the same sort of sentimental appeal—witness the successful pairing of Steve Martin and Martin Short, whose current global tour includes stops at Atlantic City’s Borgata and Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida.

Martin himself has said he and Short initially wanted to do all fresh material. But their audiences demanded at least a taste of the comic routines they loved back in the day.

“So we put them back in,” the comedian said in a 2019 interview, “and now the show is about 70 percent new material and then 30 percent on demand.”

Acts like Cheech and Chong, ’60s stoners who once epitomized the pot-smoking counter-culture, have gone from “underground to mainstream” and are now staples of the casino stage; their 2020 tour includes multiple dates at tribal properties, from coast to coast and also in the heartland (look out, Iowa).

 

Big Business

The diversity of entertainment now served up in casinos was reflected at the 2019 Casino Entertainment Awards, a highlight of the G2E trade show held each October.

In 2019, the CEA Entertainer of the Year award went to Peter Noone, “Herman” of the ’60s-era pop group Herman’s Hermits, in a race that also included Manilow and country hitmaker Dwight Yoakam. This year, the still-youthful Noone will perform at a number of casinos including Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and his Las Vegas stomping grounds, the South Point.

Casinos and entertainers mine extra revenue from these shows with enhanced levels of patron access, says Talarico. “That’s become big business. Now you can get a VIP pass to go backstage and meet performers like Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and people on that level.”

For example, Live Nation subsidiary VIP Nation offers an “Ultimate Experience Package” where, for a price, an avid Ozzy Osbourne fan can slip the velvet rope at Osbourne’s No More Tours tour, visit the Prince of Darkness in his dressing room, attend a pre-show sound check, get goodie bags, posters and other memorabilia, and, oh yes, snap a selfie with the former Black Sabbath frontman.

“People love that part—Instagram and social media have spawned a lot of the VIP experience,” says Talarico.

High rollers may get the same treatment on a complimentary basis—though of course, they pay while they play.

Martha Reeves: From Motown

Songbird to Casino Legend
The first time Martha Reeves and the Vandellas performed in Las Vegas, they shared the bill with none other than the King himself: Elvis Presley. That was 1970. Today, after more than 50 years, Reeves continues to tour, backed up by her sisters Lois and Delphine, singing hits like “Come & Get These Memories,” “Heat Wave,” “Nowhere to Run,” “I’m Ready for Love,” “Jimmy Mack” and her signature tune, “Dancing in The Street,” which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Casino Style spoke to Reeves from her Detroit home, shortly after she received the CEA’s Casino Entertainment Legend Award. The honor recognizes lifetime achievement in the casino entertainment industry—recognition that Reeves richly deserves.

Casino Style: Can you share a few memories of your first time in Las Vegas?

Martha Reeves: I thought we’d really made it in show business when were asked to open for Redd Foxx in the lounge of the International Hilton. Elvis was there with the Sweet Inspirations. Ann-Margret was also on that bill, and Pearl Bailey, too, with the road show of (Broadway musical) Hello, Dolly!

Around that time, we did a three-month tour of one-nighters all across the United States. Smokey Robinson was the star of the show, singing all the hit records he and the Miracles made. It was 12 acts in the show with a 12-piece band on a broken-down bus, but it opened the way for all of our music to chart. It also opened the hearts of America to our sound, the sound of the Motown family.

Since then, we’ve played nearly every casino in Las Vegas: the Sands, Circus Circus, New
York New York, and the Four Queens Downtown. It’s always been a thrill.

Your hits are timeless and so tuneful. It seems like it would be inevitable that your audiences would sing along, and maybe get up and dance too.

There’s no “maybe” there, honey! We look forward to it. People know all the songs, and I insist that they sing along—it’s a wonderful choir when everyone starts in with, say, “Nowhere to Run.” Then it’s a nice place to be, a place of harmony and unity.

That’s how we started, and you know, music helped to settle a lot of the civil rights problems in the early years, when there were still segregated audiences. Back then, people were inhibited; they didn’t think it was right to get up and sing and dance. Then Smokey spoke up at one of our events and said, “Listen, let’s have fun. Our music is family music, so let’s all enjoy it as a family, together.”

I don’t think there’s a person in the world who wouldn’t join in and start singing if I were to break into Mary Wells’ “My Guy.”

Do you tend to see multiple generations out front at your concerts?

Oh yes, I think three generations come to see our show—grandparents, parents and grandchildren, all enjoying the music together.

You’ve been called the Queen Mother of Soul, and you’ve had a long and illustrious career. Do you plan to continue touring and performing?

Someone asked me recently when I’m going to retire. I told them, “I am a bird. Birds don’t send in retirement papers. They just keep on chirping until they fall off the limb.”

When you’ve been onstage as long as I have— well, this is where my happiness is. I’ll sing until I can sing no more.