Circa has made it clear that it is an adults-only resort, with its 21-and-over age restriction for guests. But co-owner Derek Stevens and his team are partnering with the family-friendly Museum of Ice Cream.
Know that you will not see youngsters and families filing into Circa for banana splits. But grown-ups who like ice cream will know where to find the museum’s delicacies (and branding) downtown.
“We will have Museum of Ice Cream-themed margaritas and drinks there,” says Manish Vora, the museum’s co-founder and CEO. “We will have a museum-themed section of the drink menu.”
Larger plans, or the cherry on the sundae, as it were, are still to be announced. But expect a Museum of Ice Cream-themed suite at Circa as that hotel adds two floors. Work started on that project in March and should be finished by the NFL season in September.
Vora met with Stevens and Circa Vice President of Operations Jeff Victor about a year ago to chat about partnership concepts. Victor was at the Museum’s July 9 ribbon-cutting, alongside Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley, Mayor Pro Tem Olivia Diaz and representatives of Gov. Joe Lombardo and Nevada Rep. Susie Lee.
Victor says Circa is expanding its customer base, one scoop at a time.
“The explanation was that the museum has this product that they’re building and that it’s got a 60-plus percent female base and that was attracted to us because we’ve got so many masculine products,” Victor says. “We are fixing that, over time … but this was a way for us to be a hotel partner with them. We are on the right side of I-15, and we just instantly came up with a plan to do something that would include cross-selling each other’s properties, tickets on their side and hotel rooms on ours. Part of that vision included having a room that had some theming in it.”
The museum has hit the mark with bachelorette parties in its other locations. The Las Vegas attraction offers an upstairs bar and specialty cocktails. The hope is that the museum will attract the party crowd to Area15 and to Circa.
“We know that bachelorette parties are attracted to their place, and are going to need a place to stay,” Victor says. “And we’ve got Stadium Swim, Barry’s (Steakhouse) and Legacy Club, and a hotel product we think they would enjoy.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.