Las Vegas Circus Circus Hotel and Casino undergoes major renovation
June 5, 2022
Iconic property on the Las Vegas Strip Circus Circus Hotel and Casino is undergoing renovations since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, The Las Vegas Review-Journal recently reported.
The resort has taken a different approach from Caesars and MGM, which generally announce their major projects. But, it has not made any major publicity announcements. An estimated $30 million will be spent on renovations, a modest amount in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is making a comeback following the Covid-19 pandemic. In recent months, Sin City has seen record numbers of visitors and casino revenue, an impressive turnaround for a city whose casinos, hotels, and entertainment venues were closed during the pandemic.
It took some time for the crowds to return fully even after reopening. Conventions have either been canceled or conducted in hybrid virtual/in-person ways sometimes, just like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year.
Every hotel room in Las Vegas is usually booked at premium rates during CES. But, many of Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International properties did not have more than half of their rooms filled during the show since only about 30 percent of the normal number of visitors came this year.
Las Vegas, however, has put the terrible times of the past behind it. The city is booming and people are flocking to it once again. Multiple new large-scale projects are also in the works, including an NBA-ready arena, at least two casinos, and probably a Major League Baseball stadium.
Circus Circus and its family-friendly concept
Excess and grand ideas have always defined Las Vegas. In the 1990s, there was a time when the city sought to be a family-friendly destination. It was envisioned that attractions for all age groups would be constructed to complement the nightlife of the casinos.
Las Vegas Strip casino/resort Circus Circus adopted the family-friendly concept by providing free circus acts, amusement park rides, and games. It was a bold move to entice families, and at the time, it symbolized what Las Vegas aimed to become.
Despite Las Vegas moving away from that branding concept, Circus Circus still welcomes families. It still markets itself as a family-friendly destination with the slogan "Circus Circus Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip is your family-fun destination" under its current owner Phil Ruffin.
Circus Circus' renovation
Circus Circus is quite different from other resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. However, it has been dated for quite some time now.
“The owner that we have now, he is fantastic and he really puts a lot of effort and energy into making Circus Circus better,” said Circus Circus Senior Vice President Shana Gerety.
“A lot of it is just to continue to create Circus Circus to be the property that people thought of back when it was built in 1968,” Gerety added. “Bring back some of the glory days and really try to capture an all-inclusive experience.”
The hotel's concept will not change as part of the renovation. Paint will be applied to bring back the original vibrant "circus" feel, as well as the signature "big top". The resort's pool was completely redesigned, doubling its capacity and creating a "new resort" feel. Furthermore, the Adventuredome theme park area has also added new rides, including NebulaZ and Twistin Tea Cups.
“It’s great to see that an amusement park that was built in the 1990s is getting some new acts of new rides added to it,” Gerety added.
