Mixed signals from Vegas

Sahara veep Cary Berner sees things getting only darker, telling Casino.org, “We anticipate a continued significant decrease in revenue; cancellation and non-booking of the hotel, restaurant, and entertainment events; and significant postponement and cancellation of convention bookings.” However … bargain-tier business is good enough at Caesars Entertainment that the company has slated a reopening of Bally’s Las Vegas for July 23. Given that July 4 business didn’t live up to the hype, we don’t know how much of this is an effort to instill confidence but, if so, bravado like that doesn’t come cheap, especially with Tom Reeg breathing down Anthony Rodio‘s neck to cut costs.

Then there’s Derek Stevens, whose near-incessant pronouncements re: Circa are starting to seem supremely beside the point, like a critique of dormers and lintels while the house is burning. The latest is to tout the health benefits of Stadium Swim, his six-pool, multi-tier, rooftop extravaganza, meant to be open year-round. (When I first came to Vegas, temperatures were hovering near 32 Fahrenheit; how would Stevens cope with a day like that?) The half-dozen pools will range in temperature from 78 to 104 degrees. What’s more, Stevens is promising that the “venue also will feature state-of-the-art Ultraviolet Light (UVL) sanitation and water-recirculation patterns, providing guests with the cleanest and healthiest public pool experience in Las Vegas.”

For those interested in the technical details, they are as follows, “

Circa’s team conducted in-depth research on the development of a pool that can self-clean several times a day. As a result, Stadium Swim’s water will be fully recirculated four to six times faster than required by codes. While typical pool filters are filled with sand, Stadium Swim’s will use an activated material that is 100 percent bio-resistant and self-sterilizing glass material. This will allow for a greater surface cleaning area, resulting in clearer and healthier water that is two times more effective than if sand was used.  

All eight water bodies will have UVL sanitizers, which are technologically advanced devices designed to destroy pathogens, bacteria, viruses, organic and inorganic contaminants, and greatly reduce chlorine use. Additionally, the pools will have highly sophisticated and real-time chemical monitoring controllers in place to continuously analyze the composition of all pool and spa water, second by second. Automated chlorine and chemical-dispensing systems will instantaneously adjust water chemistry throughout the day.

STO Design Group, Inc., Circa’s pool consultant, stated, ”Circa has adopted by far the fastest recirculation times of any pool in Las Vegas, and has invested in the most effective filter, continuous UV light treatment of all systems, top-of-the-line water chemistry analyzers and chemical feed systems. Together, this will deliver the cleanest and most sustainable pool water in the city.”

That’s a big promise but Derek Stevens never thinks small.