Park MGM, Las Vegas

Taking up residence in what was once the Monte Carlo, MGM Resorts and Sydell Group come together to reimagine a Las Vegas landmark for a new generation. Words: Kristofer Thomas | Photography: © Patrick Micheal Chin. Park MGM, Las Vegas

Where this long list of features may seem daunting to most projects, Sydell Group and MGM have collaborated to turn what could have been a disordered catalogue of offers into a coherent experience, tying it all together with a design that brings the outdoors in. However, where the hotel’s surrounding landscape is largely arid desert and neon lights, within Park MGM the focus is on greenery, light and nature. From the introductory white and emerald green marble lobby and its centrepiece tree-root sculpture by Brazilian woodworker Henrique Oliveira, to guestroom palettes reminiscent of desert flowers, the organic world informs the hotel’s aesthetic spine. “The design is largely about parks and gardens in Park MGM,” Zobler explains. “But we did reuse the chandeliers from the Monte Carlo’s casino because they remind us that we are layering on top of an existing building with a history. We never forget the history of a building.”

The natural theming is most visible in Primrose, the hotel’s all-day restaurant, where the dining room is split into two distinct areas: the mid-century inspired interior featuring plush terracotta-shade armchairs and drawing-room inspired details, and an outdoor portion that spills into a leafy cove at the heart of the project, against a backdrop of trees, wicker chairs and wooden tables. Marked rustic wood detailing links the space with Bavette’s Steakhouse; a more seductive affair with red velvet banquettes and maroon leather stools – the hues of both perhaps calling to bottlebrush plants found in the surrounding desert. Cocktail lounge Juniper meanwhile, located just off the gaming floor, channels the sophistication of its high-stakes surroundings through intimate yet ornate Cox London lighting, rich Ulster carpets, dark furnishings contrasted with vibrant paisley-patterned cushions and a marble topped bar to appease high rollers.

Topping the project, NoMad Las Vegas draws influence from its sister properties and New York roots, but channels this through a distinctly Las Vegas lens, bringing together classically styled and residentially influenced guestrooms with a private swimming pool and casino, as well as a restaurant and bar from the returning duo of chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara, solidifying the brand’s origins as a guiding theme. “Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas are quite different, however, there are many connections between the two in terms of sensibility,” Zobler explains. “The most common design characteristic between them is the extensive art programme. Although the art programmes are different between NoMad and Park MGM, they connect with Las Vegas to provide the traveller with a sense of place.”

From a nature-focused lobby to a darkly refined cocktail lounge to an entirely separate hotel, the property is defined by its differences, but has been tied together by the presence of both skilful design and the vein of art Zobler speaks of, curated by Paris-based studio Be-Poles. Flowing throughout the project and its disparate tones, a curated selection of specially commissioned photography, paintings and prints – from surrealist abstraction to playful portraits – sews the myriad together as one coherent character. Whilst the storied hotels of Las Vegas regularly undergo incremental refreshments to keep them in line with contemporary tastes, it is rare that one experiences a complete repositioning or comprehensive, topto- bottom makeover. Though the city is undeniably a hotel hotspot, operators here face the challenge of dealing with modern history, and some of the most instantly recognisable projects committed to film, television, literature, postcards and more. Cultural sensitivity can be a difficult obstacle at the best of times, but here, where guests arrive with a specific image or offer already in mind, altering one of the core hotels becomes a delicate process.

Deftly handled by a Vegas newcomer with fresh and increasingly acclaimed hospitality ideas alongside a strip veteran with intimate knowledge of exactly what its guests have sought since the early 90s, the collaborative Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas embraces the scale and entertainment war chest of classic Vegas hotels, but takes its cues from the more intimate settings of boutiques and lifestyle projects, resulting in a property that offers guests something different in the context of Las Vegas, but still wholly familiar. “I would like guests to feel that the experience reminded them of staying somewhere smaller and more intimate than a large casino hotel,” Zobler concludes. “But also that it still offered everything they wanted from a Vegas experience in terms of excitement and breadth. It is an entirely new offer intended for the lifestyle customer seeking an experience of place and attention to detail, but with all the fun that comes with a large Las Vegas casino resort.”

sources: Sleeper, July-August 2018.