VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/33897
THE POOLS With three pools from which to choose at the resort’s “Pool District,” guests are likely to find one that fits their pace and tastes. The Boulevard Pool is a social scene showcasing upbeat music, oſten live from the pool stage, or movies, in an open-air environment with unobstructed sightlines in all directions. The Bamboo Pool is intended for those who prefer a more private experience. Its spa-like atmosphere features soothing music, outdoor yoga and Pilates. The Day Club Pool, shown at right, is an extension of the resort’s Marquee Nightclub. It features cabanas with infinity pools, three-story bungalow loſts and a party deck. gambling problem would seem to be threefold: Informational, architectural and demographic. The resort is a stand-alone property without the sophisticated database of gamblers so prized (and necessary) by the big players. Analysts and operators marvel at the effectiveness of Caesars Entertainment’s program, which enables it to lure its best customers nationwide to their local casinos and then occasionally rewards them with a trip to Vegas, running them in a beautifully profitable circuit. Marchese, interestingly enough, held a similar position at Caesars, or, as it was known then, Harrah’s. She says Cosmo’s partnership with Marriott gives the company access to a huge and strongly loyal customer database, though those aren’t gamblers, per se. Marchese also says by starting from scratch, Cosmopolitan’s rewards program, called Identity, which rewards for gaming and nongaming spending, could be designed as a new, superior product. She declines to give specifics, but says growth is strong. As always, time will tell. The second problem, industry people say, is Cosmopolitan’s architecture. Much of the cool stuff is on the second and third floors, where there’s no gaming to speak of. This is probably why locals hang out at Cosmo. It’s a real public space without the maddening clatter of the | 13 JUNE 2011 | machines we all endure at, say, every Station Casinos property. We like the Cosmopolitan because it’s so easy to ignore gambling. We’re given a choice that’s seldom offered. Other resorts constantly funnel people toward tables and machines, often purposely helping them get lost in the labyrinth. The genius of Rockwell’s design is also its very real weakness as a casino. Finally, there’s the demographic problem. It’s not entirely accurate to say Cosmo appeals to a young crowd. The clientele at the Hard Rock and the Palms feels younger. The Cosmopolitan is more expensive and thus a bit older. Still, it’s youngish, if upscale. The issue is whether these people are even attracted to gambling as a pastime in the same way older Americans have been drawn to it. Older Americans grew up in a world where gambling was illicit and maybe felt a little dangerous because it was banned everywhere but here and Atlantic City. Not so, this generation. Harvey Perkins, executive vice president of Spectrum Gaming Group, notes how quickly and arbitrarily tastes can change—in World War II and the Korean War, GIs played craps; in Vietnam, they passed the time in other ways, which led to a craps decline. Marchese says Cosmopolitan is focused on “activating the casino” and bringing back the “old school Vegas experience” to the casino floor. This means focusing on table games and creating a Rat Pack atmosphere. I’ve certainly seen energized craps tables on a Saturday night. The Cosmopolitan is said to have acquired a bevy of heavy-hitter casino hosts, but “It’s hard to get these high-end players to move. Even if they can get a player to check it out once or twice, it doesn’t mean they’ll stay,” says Hunter Hillegas, editor of the blog RateVegas. And the slots often look empty. Hillegas says the empty slots are a significant and growing problem among young consumers, perhaps just manifesting itself a lot more intensely at Cosmopolitan. “I’m 31. I have no interest in slot machines. I don’t find those machines compelling,” he says. “Table games are fun, and there’s an allure. James Bond was never sitting at a slot machine.” LaFleur notes that for older players, spinning reels and bouncing pieces of fruit are perfectly fine, but people born after 1970 grew up with increasingly sophisticated video games that make today’s slot machines look unappealing. Think of the Cosmopolitan’s customer: Perhaps a well-paid designer for Apple who lives in San Francisco and comes twice a year. Will he play a slot machine? Dan Savage, vice president of marketing at game manufacturer Bally’s, says the company is investing heavily in games that are more sophisticated, skill-based and incorporate social media. For instance, the company hired a Mortal Kombat developer, among others, to produce next-generation games. Marchese can’t wait. He says: Bring on those new machines. “There’s always room for innovation and we want to be at the forefront of that,” she says. Cosmopolitan, depending on your view, has shown itself to be either innovative, or dangerously naive. One night at the lower level lounge right off the Strip, I heard Cat Stevens’ “Here Comes My Baby,” which Wes Anderson used in Rushmore. This is a song I can’t imagine hearing in another casino, but one that somehow worked at Cosmo because it fit with the hard-to-define sensibility of a place that blends Mad Men and Wes Anderson and James Bond and New York Magazine and throws in a dash of Las Vegas to create its own cultural cocktail. It’s all very Las Vegas without being of Vegas, which is its appeal. If it succeeds, it will have broken the mold and brought us something new. It would be a piece of Las Vegas a little less focused on manipulating customers to lose their money and more on encouraging guests—for a steep price—to soak up the energy of this great moment to be alive. That seems like something to root for. I’m in: Go Cosmo! 23