Just add water: Hotel-casino pool parties offer wet and wild fun

Kirk Baird

Thursday, June 7, 2001 | 8:51 a.m.

As temperatures reach meltdown level, one would think it's time to take the party indoors and seek the God-given relief of air-conditioning.

Not quite.

Not known for missing an opportunity to attract customers some Las Vegas hotel-casinos are taking the "if you can't beat it, join it" approach to the desert heat in the form of pool parties.

With admission prices ranging from free to $10, the parties typically feature music via a band or DJ snack food and drinks, games and enough thongs to fill a Sisqo video.

For some the parties are simply too cool to pass up.

"It's like taking a vacation two miles from home," said Jessica Lee, 31, as she and some co-workers from a local investment company relaxed after work at a recent pool party at the Regent Las Vegas.

A frequenter of the casino's J.C. Wooloughan Irish Pub, Lee said she prefers the great outdoors when it comes to having fun, and Las Vegas' sunny skies provide the perfect opportunity.

"It's time to venture out and see what Vegas has to offer in the summer," she said.

Going on from 5 p.m.-midnight every Friday through September, the Regent Las Vegas' pool party in addition to food, drinks and a changing lineup of bands features an odd assortment of games, such as a frozen T-shirt contest for men, where they have to don an icy shirt; a hula-hoop contest (also for men); and a bikini contest, referred to as the more politically correct Miss Summer Splash Contest.

"I think for a while people thought of (the hotel-casino) as a little stuffy," said Allen Grant, entertainment and advertising director for the Regent Las Vegas. "But now they realize we're having a good time out there, and it's close to home."

Grant said the first party on May 18 attracted about 800 people, and the second event nearly doubled in attendance.

"We're definitely broadening our scope to people," he said. "From an entertainment standpoint, we're trying to appeal to that type of crowd," meaning the 25- to-45-year-old age group who, Grant said, isn't afraid to "let down their hair and have a good time."

It's the same type of crowd that parties poolside at New York-New York.

The until recently the hotel-casino featured a pool party primarily for hotel guests on Saturdays. To generate publicity for its soon-to-open ESPN Zone theme restaurant, New York-New York opened its pool May 31 to the public for a party.

"It's one of the first times New York-New York has aggressively reached out to the local community," Stephanie Johnson, vice president of marketing, said.

The pool parties will continue every Thursday from 7-10 p.m. through July 20, when the ESPN Zone is scheduled to open. If all goes well, however, the event may continue the rest of the summer, Johnson said.

With more than 1,000 people expected to attend the opening party, it's not just locals who are coming to listen to music and have a good time.

"Give me a six-pack next to a pool and I'm on vacation," said Jim Hum, 34, from Chicago, who, in fact, was on vacation with girlfriend Shelly Berg, 33, during a recent party.

As the two watched the festivities -- including water volleyball, a live band and a water-golf game -- from a table near the pool, Berg couldn't resist having a shot of alcohol.

A few minutes later Berg was all smiles as she watched the band. "It's been fun so far," she said.

New York-New York's pool is blessed by being located behind the hotel-casino's nine-story parking garage, which envelopes the pool area in shade during the late-afternoon/early-evening sun.

Even if the sun were a factor, Hum said he wouldn't mind. "When you're from Chicago, you eat this up."

Although some hotel-casinos have abandoned the pool parties they hosted in previous years, such as the Hard Rock, others -- such as the Orleans, which has a party from 7-10:30 p.m. Tuesdays, and the Suncoast (7:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesdays) -- are going strong.

Even the Plaza has jumped on the bandwagon.

After hosting successful weekly pool parties last year, the hotel-casino decided to do it again.

"It's building," said Janda Hooper, the Plaza's executive casino host for special promotions. "It's starting (off) better than last year.

"We wanted to give something to the guests who come in -- a poolside activity (and) also to help bring traffic through the casino," she said. "It's brought in a lot of locals and tourists. It's something the Plaza needed."

The Thursday-night parties, which begin at 6 p.m, feature a DJ, games, food and drinks and have averaged about 150 people in attendance, Hooper said. The Plaza's parties are considerably smaller in size than those at the Regent Las Vegas and New York-New York since the pool isn't as large.

Which helps explain the smaller attendance -- 50 people -- at a recent party.

"It's kind of a bust" so far, said Donna Lawniczak, 41, from Waterville, Ohio, who stayed at the hotel recently with family and a friend. "It doesn't look like much of a party. We were just debating whether to leave."

"It would be cool if they got people out here," said her friend Mark Tyrrell, 34, also of Waterville. "I don't know how well it was advertised."

"Hopefully it'll pick up," Lawniczak added.

Others, however, said they were having fun.

Lisanne McMurray, 37, of Phoenix, who arrived at the party shortly after its 6 p.m. kickoff time, said she wasn't too concerned about the lack of participation.

"They did enough to get the word out. I'm sure it'll pick up as the evening wears on," McMurray said. "I'm glad to be here tonight."