Circa Resort and Casino is a relatively new addition to the Las Vegas skyline. Although it’s got a retro vibe, the technology that powers the resort is decidedly modern — and it has to be, given the amenities within. Start with the outdoor pool amphitheater dubbed “Stadium Swim,” which features six pools, private cabanas, and a 143-foot HD LED screen. Circa is also home to the world’s largest sportsbook, which features a 78-million-pixel screen spanning 145 feet and room enough for 1,000 guests on three viewing levels.
As we mentioned in the Crestron case study on the Circa Resort and Casino:
The show-stopping attraction is ideal for watching a big game or streamed event, as Stadium Swim delivers the ultimate viewing experience, relying on an extensive DM NVX® technology deployment. A combination of encoders and decoders feed live content to the screens, ensuring guests can watch the action in real time without worrying about latency. Stadium Swim was designed to give unobstructed views of the screens at all times. Attention to detail went beyond the technology that supports the space and even included measuring the chairs’ height and cabanas’ positioning.
While the resort is truly unique, the technology in the Circa has something in common with more than 40 hotels and casinos in Las Vegas (not to mention sports facilities and stadiums). Crestron technology — including AV-over-IP devices, control systems, and much more — has earned a reputation for speed, scalability, and reliability. All three are an absolute must for gaming environments.
TAKE OUR SURVEY: Adaptability in Commercial Design
The technology Crestron’s brought to Vegas has proven its worth — so much so that you’ll find it in other destinations that rely on gaming and sportsbooks. And that tech can power the rest of a resort, as is evidenced by a hospitality venue elsewhere in Nevada.
The Technological Center
As we noted on the Crestron blog, when the team at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada, began to give their sportsbook a makeover, they made a key decision: that particular part of the operation would serve as the technological center of the property.
“We’ve made our sportsbook the central hub for the entire property because of DM NVX AV-over-IP technology,” says Zak Gulling, CIO of both the Atlantis and the Monarch Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk (Colorado) properties, which are owned and operated by Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRI). In a gaming environment, an AV-over-IP system delivers content at near-zero latency over a network — and not only is it fast and efficient, but it is also incredibly scalable.
It’s worth noting that Crestron solutions are used throughout the property. The meeting rooms, ballrooms, restaurants, shops, spa treatment facilities, and even the luxury suites are outfitted with the latest Crestron Home® OS and its attendant solutions, including lighting and shading control.
“Everything distributes across the network from that point, with the exception of our meeting rooms,” says Gulling. “They have their own head end, but we could route between the two.” That potential for connectivity anywhere in the resort is a big part of the system’s success. “It doesn’t matter where you are on the property — you plug in a DM NVX AV-over-IP device, and we can show our content anywhere.”
Expandable Solutions
An expandable solution is a huge help in a gaming setting, as Gulling explains: “Because of all the feeds that are required, including DirecTV, Dish Network, horse racing, even local and network TV for NFL games and so on, it’s absolutely vital that our system can handle it all.” By standardizing on a single technology, other rooms full of gear could be taken offline as the casinos’ content feeds (and other functions) were consolidated into a single room. “The solution tidies everything up and makes preventative maintenance easier with a single distribution point.”
Speedy video is just one aspect of the overall package. Another key to the overall resort experience is the deployment of simple, easy-to-use interfaces for both staff and guests.
Gulling has a prime example: “Our spa, Spa Atlantis, is Forbes Four-Star rated — one of just a few in the world with that designation.” The systems in the spa can be set to provide the perfect environment for a massage or treatment with a single tap. “The therapist just hits a start button, and the room knows what type of massage and how long it should last, so the lighting, audio, and climate automatically adjust.” Video displays will present cozy firelight scenes in winter or Hawaiian beaches for a Lomilomi massage.
The Heart of the System
The spa illustrates something that drives high ratings across the entire property, says Gulling. “Our watchword is consistency. Our audio’s consistent, our lighting’s consistent, the video’s consistent, so it’s repeatable every single time, and we run all that through Crestron.” That extends to the Forbes Four-Star-rated Atlantis Steakhouse. “A staffer simply hits the ‘open’ button, and the restaurant is set, lighting, video, audio — everything.”
That one-touch, intuitive trigger is indicative of something that Crestron-powered properties have in common: An ease of operation that lets hotel staff focus on the guest experience, not the technology.
“At the heart of all these solutions — the thing behind every interface — is Crestron’s five decades of experience with control solutions,” says Joel Mulpeter, Crestron’s senior director of product marketing. “With most of these systems, all that’s required from the user is one touch, and then everything happens automatically — content sharing, lights, shading, HVAC, name it.”
And as Mulpeter notes, it’s something that extends well beyond the hospitality vertical.
“Whether you’re conducting a critical C-suite meeting or spending the day at a luxury resort, no matter what you’re doing, you don’t need to think about the technology driving that experience.”
