"When Circa Resort & Casino opened four years ago, it not only changed the skyline of downtown Las Vegas but also signaled a shift that the old city core was staging a comeback. The hotel came about when the Fremont Street Experience was the main attraction, the bars in Fremont East were popular haunts and the walkable dining and drink scene of the Arts District was gaining attention. What it gave downtown Las Vegas was a reason for people to stay there. It was a relaxed luxury vibe with Strip-like amenities and an adults-only resort to boot. Now, nearly to the day of the resort’s fourth anniversary, Circa Resort & Casino unveiled 106 new rooms and suites in its curved 458-foot-tall hotel tower. It increases Circa’s room inventory by 20 percent taking it to 618 rooms — a small resort by Las Vegas standards but one of the largest downtown. Circa spent $22 million on the renovation to complete open floors that were previously unused. “Demand’s been great,” Derek Stevens, Circa's CEO, told Travel + Leisure. “When we opened four years ago we always knew there would be a substantial demand for high-quality hotel rooms in downtown Las Vegas. We have effectively been sold out every single weekend for the last four years. So the demand is there. A lot of people really enjoy the energy downtown gives you.” What makes this resort unique are the smaller details. Every room is furnished with a king-size bed, all come with a refrigerator and instead of flimsy, folding luggage racks, each has a standard banquette for storage. Stevens also pointed out that Circa ceilings are several inches higher than most hotel rooms in the city, allowing for shower heads to travel upwards accommodating taller guests. “People are a lot taller than what they were 50 years ago,” Stevens said, as we stood near the well-lit three-mirrored vanity wall. Fitting another need, Circa also added a dozen or so connected rooms so larger groups can maximize space. As for the breakdown of the new accommodations, Circa added 72 Single King rooms, more than two dozen Single King Premium or Double King rooms, and four 1,187-square-foot Panoramic Sunset Suites. (The latter features a living room with a wet bar, dining table, and built-in Inova beds, which can be pulled down from the wall to add an extra bed.) And while Circa’s modest room count may keep guests from possibly staying, its massive multi-story sportsbook and year-round Stadium Swim pool complex reels in sports fans — upwards of 5,000 people on busy weekends, said Stevens as we gazed out the window of one of the rooms looking at the four-story, 143-foot-wide screen. “I’m biased,” Stevens said. “But look at the window. This is one of the best views in all of Vegas — day or night.”" - Ryan Slattery
