When it opens its doors in the summer of 2021, Resorts World Las Vegas promises to uphold the Strip’s long legacy of big debuts. Not only will Resorts World be the first new casino resort on Las Vegas Boulevard since The Cosmopolitan drew its violet curtain in 2010, but the $4.3 billion crimson tower will offer a handful of first-to-market entertainment experiences, which its executives are betting on to attract throngs of curious travelers from far and wide.
The center of the social spaces at the 3,500-room casino resort developed by Malaysian corporation Genting Berhad — a newcomer to Las Vegas with affiliated operations in the Americas, Asia (including Malaysia’s Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Crockfords at Resorts World Genting), the United Kingdom and the Bahamas — will be a partnership with Zouk Group. Headed by CEO Andrew Li, Zouk Group owns multiple Asia venues, including Zouk nightclubs in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
The Las Vegas hotel will operate a 100,000-square-foot ecosystem of daylife and nightlife experiences, says Scott Sibella, president of Resorts World Las Vegas.
“We wanted to bring something to Las Vegas that no one has done. We could have selected a Las Vegas nightlife operator. But after we went over to Asia and visited Zouk, we knew we wanted a partner who was good at creating experiences at all levels,” says Sibella, who is quick to point out that Zouk is “not just a nightclub.”
Imagine starting the day at AYU Dayclub, an opulent Southeast Asian island oasis for sun-worshipping and frolicking to pulsating beats. “Think Bali, Phuket and Koh Samui,” Li says.
Then pre-game for an evening out at RedTail, a social gaming bar where cocktails and shared plates pair with the spirit of competition — beer pong, darts and pool.
“We actually customize all our games into the space. We have a giant beer pong,” Li says. “So instead of playing pingpong, you’re throwing a football into massive cans.” After RedTail, revel in a culinary moment at FUHU, Zouk Group’s gift to vibe dining that serves contemporary Asian cuisine. “It’s the party before the actual party,” he says.
The pinnacle of an evening at Resorts World, Zouk Nightclub, will give all other Las Vegas megaclubs a run for their money. It also will have the advantage of being the newest and most technologically advanced venue in a city known for its nightlife one-upmanship.
“We have the flexibility to increase the size of the nightclub and decrease it depending on the different nights of the week,” Li says. “We tested this in Singapore and Malaysia, where we actually combine concepts together to make a bigger space, which we found to be extremely fruitful in terms of getting bigger acts.”
With a 29-year history, Zouk is regarded as a pioneer of electronic dance music in Southeast Asia. It all started when Lincoln Cheng, the founder of Zouk, visited Ibiza in the early 1990s.
Asia hadn’t heard of trance and house music at that time. Cheng wanted to take that bohemian experience to Singapore. “It was all about bringing something back no one has ever heard of,” Li says. Cheng opened the Zouk in a warehouse in Singapore, and the rest is history. “People didn’t know what to expect,” Li says. “We want to continue that journey.”
For some, the adventure at Resorts World will be the clubs; for others, the restaurants; and for even more people, the accommodations. When not being fully immersed in the party at Zouk, Resorts World will offer guests three distinct hotel options: Hilton, Conrad and Crockfords.
Known for its luxurious amenities, Crockfords Las Vegas from LXR Hotels & Resorts will have 230 luxury guest rooms and suites. Expect a slew of perks, including discreet check-in, private access to rooms and suites by way of an exclusive entrance and grand lobby. This is one of the first U.S. locations of LXR Hotels & Resorts, Hilton’s collection of independent luxury properties. Each hotel, from The Biltmore Mayfair in London to Zemi Beach House Hotel & Spa in Anguilla, offers a distinct travel experience rooted in its place, history and tradition.
“We want everybody staying here to never have to leave — it will be a truly integrated property,” Sibella says. “We want the people staying at Resorts World to come to Zouk and we want the people not staying at Resorts World to come to Zouk.”
