Circa Resort & Casino

"A resort in Las Vegas that recently added 106 rooms as part of its reinvestment in updating in-room products." - Ryan Slattery

"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

"Legacy Club at the Circa Resort & Casino hosts a private celebration on the 60th floor for fireworks viewing."

"Until Circa opened in October 2020, no new hotel had been built in Downtown Las Vegas for 40 years. What a tribute to all the fun and wackiness of the area; the place has distinguished itself as an unapologetic, adults-only temple of fun. It plays to a pretty specific demographic: sports lovers who come for its Stadium Swim pool complex—pool, lounge seats, sports bar, and bungalows all facing a massive, 40-foot-high HD TV that always has a major game playing. For dining it has the obligatory Las Vegas steakhouse, but also a pan-Asian eatery that’s both an ode to the Midwest and to Las Vegas, and a fantastic (if very expensive) deli. There’s plenty to keep you inside this resort for days, but you could easily venture out to the funky dive bars, the (wild) people-watching, and the galleries of the 18b Arts District, all just steps out the front door. And if it’s views of the Vegas Valley you want, Circa’s Legacy Club, a partly open-air lounge on its 60th floor, has some of the best. (You can enjoy them Vegas-style next to 500 custom gold bars and a ticker that shows their fluctuation in value in real time.)" - Andrea Bennett

"Why book? In a city of superlatives, it seems Vegas was lacking a few things, like Nevada’s longest bar and the largest sportsbook in the world, as well as massive pool area facing a 40-foot-high screen devoted to professional sports watching. Circa has stepped in to fill that void. Set the scene For years, Downtown Las Vegas has been threatening to gentrify. With the continuing renovation and expansion of the Fremont Street Experience, the rotating programming at the Mob Museum, and the renos in the Arts District, it’s come a long way. But until Circa opened in October 2020, no new hotel had been built here for 40 years. And what a tribute to all the fun and wackiness of Downtown. The soaring, streamlined tower was an instant landmark, and the place has distinguished itself as an unapologetic, adults-only temple of fun. It plays to a pretty specific demographic: sports lovers who come for its Stadium Swim pool complex—pool, lounge seats, sports bar and bungalows all facing a massive, 40-foot-high HD TV that always has a major game playing. (A major perk here is that the pools are always heated to between 78 and 94 degrees, which sounds odd in the city’s 100-plus-degree temps, but is so crucial. Vegas hotel pools can be shockingly cold.) Those same, hard-partying sports aficionados love the three-story, amphitheater-style sportsbook, which seats 1,000 people in stadium seating and private boxes for viewing on the 78-million-pixel screen. Even with all its high-tech features, Circa is meant as a paean to Downtown’s golden era. You’ll see plenty of old-school touches, like Vegas Vickie, the 25-foot-tall reclining neon cowgirl who used to grace the Glitter Gulch casino and now greets guests just past the lobby, and in the swanky 60th floor rooftop Legacy Club (with a case of 500 gold bars whose fluctuating value you can see on a ticker above them). The backstory Derek Stevens, who developed and owns Circa, has been betting on Downtown since the early 2008, when he and his brother Greg Stevens bought The Golden Gate and later Fitzgerald’s, which he renovated and transformed into The D. The Michigan-born sports fanatic and auto part manufacturing company owner bought the Las Vegas 51s baseball team, built the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, and finally went really big with Circa. While this part of Downtown was attracting plenty of looky-loos to the circus that is the Viva Vision light show over Fremont Street (and to get spit out of Slotzilla, the slot machine-themed zipline that travels over it all), Circa ushers in a new demographic. They’re a well-heeled crowd here to have fun, bet real money, and pay up for some of the best new dining experiences in town. The rooms Circa’s standard rooms are refreshingly straightforward king rooms configured in different ways depending on whether you’re traveling as a couple or a group. In other words, no one is looking askance at those who are rolling with a crew and need a pull-out couch (such as in the “flex king” room). The contemporary-leaning mid-mod vibe of the rooms is all masculine chocolate browns, white and navy—heavy on functionality and low on fluff. If you’re planning on some in-room entertainment, the suites, which range from 822 to 1,612 square feet, are the way to go. Think full wet bar and refrigerator and black quartz dining tables. The rooms come with a variety of views, but we think the view over Stadium Swim is the most fun. Food and drink Circa was not messing around when it came to not only installing the obligatory Las Vegas steakhouse, but also a pan-Asian eatery that’s both an ode to the Midwest and to Las Vegas, a fantastic (if very expensive) deli, and some other good dining. Barry’s Downtown Prime Steakhouse moved in when Chef Barry Dakake exited the Palms, and this venue occupies a sexy space lit by an artificial tree in one room, and with lots of little nooks for intimate dining in booths and a wine rack-enclosed private dining room. Major standouts include braised beef short ribs with harissa, surf & turf elevated as filet medallions with Maine lobster and truffle aioli, and a truly eye-popping 40-ounce tomahawk ribeye. Dakake is only sourcing from humane farms and doesn’t serve foie; and though it’s a tabernacle for carnivores, there’s also a great vegan menu. Don’t miss the pan-Asian eatery 8 East by local culinary celeb Dan Coughlin, whose Le Thai has been a Downtown standby for years (he learned to cook from his Thai mother and he’s a bit of a culinary celeb around these parts). Saginaw’s Deli is another standout, opened by the owner of famed Michigan deli Zingerman’s. Its Royal Flush Reuben is not cheap but will easily feed two (or four). The neighborhood/area The Fremont Street section of Downtown is like the blowsy old lady in your neighborhood with red lipstick on her teeth who you can’t help but love for her general wackiness. It was the original Vegas before the multi-billion-dollar production values of the Strip and elevating it to contemporary Strip standards—even with all its high-tech tourist attractions—is a heavy lift. But Circa is doing just that while staying true to the unapologetically hard-partying nature of the neighborhood. The entrance, right on the Fremont Street Experience, is a glittery nod to 60s and 70s-era glam. There’s plenty to keep you inside this resort for days, but you could easily venture out to the funky dive bars, the (wild) people-watching, and the galleries of the 18b Arts District, all just steps out the front door. With so much to do, you might not even make it to the Strip. The service Service here is friendly and accessible—but also totally capable. Like other of the best concierge teams in Las Vegas, they’ll make tee times, remind you about games, suggest things to do around town, help secure concert tickets. Las Vegas is all about having connections—and they’ve got them. For families Circa is the only hotel-casino in Las Vegas that limits its guests to those who are 21 and older. In other words, this is not a family-friendly destination. Accessibility Circa is fully accessible, with pool access ramps, wheelchair-accessible restaurants, van parking, accessible meeting spaces and business center, as well as a fitness center that’s accessible. Anything left to mention? You won’t want to miss an evening at Stadium Swim. During the day, it’s a full-fledged party (there’s a certain cruise ship feel to the pool and screen scene). But at night, sitting in a rooftop pool looking out at all the old Vegas icons that surround you is one of the most nostalgic feelings you can have—even if you never experienced Downtown in its golden era." - Andrea Bennett