Circa Resort Airs National TV Ad to Promote October Opening in Downtown Las Vegas

Posted on: September 30, 2020, 02:50h. 

Last updated on: September 30, 2020, 03:29h.

Larry Henry Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Gaming Business, Legislation, Politics, Regulation.

A nationwide television ad for Circa Resort is airing this week in hopes that it will attract visitors to the adults-only hotel-casino soon to open on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas

Circa Resort
Circa Resort towers over other properties in downtown Las Vegas. The resort is set to open on Fremont Street on Oct. 28. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

The 30-second spot starts with a woman lifting the window shade at her seat on a commercial aircraft, gazing at the Las Vegas lights below. Circa owner Derek Stevens briefly appears in the commercial. “I love this city,” the voice-over states.  “It’s always reinventing itself.”

The advertisement is airing Wednesday, Sept. 30, during Major League Baseball’s playoff games. The ad also was shown during games on Tuesday. Teams from the nation’s four largest media markets — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston — are participating in the playoffs.

Circa is slated to open Oct. 28 at 12:01 am, when patrons will be allowed into the gaming areas. Hotel rooms won’t be available until the end of the year.

The television ad comes at a time when air travel in and out of McCarran International Airport is down compared to last year. From August 2019 to August 2020, arriving and departing passenger totals declined 56 percent at the airport, according to the latest figures available.

Nevada tourism has slumped overall, with mandatory casino closings that began in March at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. However, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) permitted casinos to reopen June 4. Most casinos on the Las Vegas Strip and downtown are open again, albeit with limited capacities.

Flying Into Las Vegas

In the past, Stevens has discussed the feeling visitors get when arriving by aircraft and seeing Las Vegas below them. He mentioned that emotion again in a tweet this week announcing the television ad.

For a lot of us who love Vegas, the excitement starts the minute you see the lights of the city,” Stevens said on Twitter.

The commission unanimously endorsed Stevens’ license. He also owns two other Fremont Street properties, the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate hotel-casinos.

Circa is being constructed at the western end of the Fremont Street Experience, a pedestrian mall covered with a canopy that displays light shows. The Las Vegas Club and other older properties were demolished to make way for Circa. During construction, Stevens saved the iconic Vega Vickie sign that had been a tourist attraction for decades atop one of the now-demolished properties. The sign was restored for display inside Circa.

Over 21 Club

During the commission meeting, Stevens also discussed Circa’s policy of banning people under 21 from almost every place on the property. This includes hotel rooms.

The only place people under 21 will be allowed is Barry’s Downtown Prime, a steakhouse in the resort’s basement. The steakhouse is set to open Oct. 29.

Stevens said security guards will meet guests under the age of 21 at an entrance and escort them to the steakhouse. Guards also will escort these guests off the property when the meal is over.

One reason for the adults-only policy is to create a positive customer experience that includes not having to wait at a bar or elsewhere while another patron’s ID is being checked, Stevens said.

He said all patrons will have their identification and age checked at one of four entrances to the property before going in.