M Resort - Las Vegas

Signalling the return of the Marnell family to Las Vegas gaming, the US$1 billion M Resort opened in March on a 90-acre site south of the main Strip in Henderson. The property is the result of a collaboration, which involved Chairman and CEO Anthony Marnell III commissioning his father’s firm Marnell Corrao Associates to push the envelope and deliver a destination with a difference. “We wanted to break out of the typical Vegas mould, moving away from dark and gloomy casino hotels to a concept that combined modernity, warmth, clean horizontal lines and light,” Marnell explains.

Drawing on invaluable casino-building experience – Marnell Corrao counts Wynn, Caesars Palace, Bellagio and The Mirage among its portfolio while the Marnells previously owned and operated the Rio – the father-and-son team has succeeded in producing a design that not only harnesses natural materials and non-reflective glass to create a contemporary feel, but one that also benefits from the addition of characteristics inspired by the family’s Italian heritage.

Situated 400 feet higher in elevation than any other hotel on the Strip, the 14-storey gently curved glass tower offers optimal views of the Vegas skyline from many of the 390 guestrooms and outside terraces. Hotel guests approach the property via a sweeping entrance and through a heavily sculpted glass and stone porte cochère. Indeed natural stones such as Turkish travertine and Sardinian marble have been generously used both outside and inside the M to lend a sense of continuity, and pay respect to the surrounding landscape. “I wanted the hotel to have a consistent voice and for there to be a total integration of design, even though it was more expensive to achieve,” says Marnell. This can be further seen in the installation of water feature walls inside the lobby and outside in the 100,000ft2 Villaggio Del Sole pool and events piazza. The majority of the hotel’s restaurants have their own terraces looking out to the piazza and onto the Strip. “The idea is for guests to feel like they are in the Italian Riviera – somewhere romantic, open and warm,” suggests Marnell. While he was keen to return to ‘traditional’ Vegas values of personal interaction and value for money, Marnell was adamant that he didn’t want to build a carbon copy of the Riviera or any other time/place theme. “Everyone is moving away from that,” he comments. “Besides when you do time/place, the architecture can age fairly quickly unlike M where it will stand the test of time.”

With its stylish marble flooring, rolling red fabric set into wooden beams, displays of while lilies, mother-of-pearl clad columns and water walls, the hotel lobby certainly conveys a sense of luxury that should hold onto its contemporary quality for some years to come. Guestroom elevators are located close to the lobby so that visitors can bypass the casino if desired.

It feels as though Marnell Corrao has had most fun interpreting what contemporary Italian design might mean, particularly in some of the restaurants. In Marinelli’s, for example, beautiful LED-lit cases display herb-filled plant plots to mimic the atmosphere of a basil garden while real grass has been pressed into the glass as part of the presentation. Hand-painted frescoes and a blown-glass red chandelier add to the Italian feel. In the rooftop restaurant, Veloce Cibo, the designers have taken inspiration from old Italian speedboats, adding polished metal accents to the mahogany, slatted wood, which is complemented by leather-panelled booth seating. Lemon trees encased in transparent cases act as section dividers in the space, while a lemon graphic print runs playfully throughout the ceiling. On the way down to the resort’s own winery, the Hostile Grape, authentic terracotta flooring has been installed, once again summoning up visions of Italy. The overall design gets bolder in the 92,000ft2 casino where a graphic print carpet, leather seating, and specially commissioned lighting features add theatre.

Indeed, a good proportion of time, effort and budget were spent on designing and redesigning unusual lighting fixtures. “In some cases, the very size and intensity of rich, swirling colours that we achieved in our resin chandeliers had never been done before,” points out Marnell. “We wanted one-off pieces that would represent elegant props throughout the design scheme.” The guestrooms are suitably upscale with dark wood, warm reds, tactile fabrics and marble bathrooms. What really impresses international visitors, though, is the relatively small number of rooms, just 390, in relation to the resort’s extensive facilities, including a contemporary 23,000ft2 spa. There is even an on-site pharmacy and petrol station – a clear indication that the Marnell family is catering strongly to local and national visitors, particularly traffic from California. But for those savvy international travellers who want a sleek and sophisticated casino-resort experience offering value for money just 10 minutes from the Strip, the M Resort definitely ticks all the right boxes.

M Resort Spa Casino
12300 Las Vegas Blvd. S
Henderson, Nevada 89044, USA
Tel +1 702 797 1000
www.themresort.com

Rooms    390 rooms including 40 suites
Dining    Baby Cakes, Marinelli’s, Red Cup Cafe, Studio B Show Kitchen Buffet, Terzetto, Veloce Cibo, Vig Deli, Piazza Grille (seasonal)
Drinking    32° Draft, Hostile Grape, M Bar, Lobby Bar, Ravello Lounge, Villaggio Bar
Leisure    Spa Mio, Fitness Centre, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Casino
Facilities    60,000ft2 of flexible conference/meeting space, including a ballroom, reception areas and business centre