Question of the Day - 06 March 2024

From what we read, though it might be a bit of hype, the fun begins on the escalator from the casino to the pool deck, which has been called in various places “Nevada’s tallest escalator.” We suspect that one at Fontainebleau and two at Sphere might give the one at Circa a run for its money, but we haven’t seen any length comparisons.

When you arrive at the top, you’re immediately blown away by the monumental screen: 143 feet wide and 14 million pixels of HD video that can be programmed for a single event and broken into multiple screens for different broadcasts. In addition, the deck overlooks the downtown skyline, so the background is also part of the scene.

The “stadium” occupies three levels. Altogether, it boasts a capacity of 4,000, which is like a medium-sized arena, with upwards of 350 chaise longues, 40 daybeds, and 30 cabanas.

Unlike many Vegas pools, it’s open 365 days a year.

Insta-ready selfie walls, two swim-up bars, and ultraviolet-light sanitation and water-recirculation self-cleaning patterns (which reportedly provide guests with a state-of-the-art public-pool experience in terms of cleanliness) round out the amenities.

As for the pools, there are six. They’re all temperature controlled and you can warm up on cold days in the two hot tubs. Poolside table games open at busy times and you can place sports bets at a wagering window. Lulls in the action are filled by a DJ spinning tunes.

Derek Stevens, one of the owners of Circa, explained the motivation for Circa Swim. “It wasn’t built to be the best pool in downtown Vegas. It wasn’t built to be the best pool in Vegas. It wasn’t built to be the best pool in the west. It was built to be the best pool-party venue in the country. We were trying to drive people from around the country and internationally to come here.”

To come up with the design and amenities, Stevens and a crew visited pool parties all over the country, renting cabanas, getting bottle service, seeing what worked.

The inspiration to combine the Circa pool with a massive screen broadcasting sports came from several directions. First was the hassle of having to check the results of their sports bets on their phones at the pools they visited in L.A., Miami, Scottsdale, etc. Second were the watch parties at Stevens’ Downtown Events Center next to the D, where he installed a giant aboveground pool to test the concept for the Golden Knights runup to the Stanley Cup playoffs in their first season, which attracted thousands of people, many in bathing suits carrying beach balls and pool toys.

Everyone who stays at the D, Golden Gate, and of course Circa gets into Stadium Swim as part of the room packages. Otherwise, full-day general-admission tickets start at $30 and you can rent water couches, day beds, booths, poolside boxes, cabanas, and owner suites from $300 to $2,000 (more during special events); those are the minimum spends on food and beverage.

No doubt about it, Stadium Swim at Circa is the greatest attraction downtown and a one-of-a-kind anywhere.