Sunday, September 07, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Rick Henderson

Look and feel and Las Vegas

An article in the Review-Journal's Aug. 28 Living section by Joan Whitely revealed that plenty of Las Vegans would rather drive an hour or more out of town for a brief gambling retreat than take advantage of the offerings on the Strip, in their neighborhood local casino ... or especially downtown.

"Such short-haul travelers claim their gaming dollar goes farther in the outlying towns, and service is friendlier and more personal than in Las Vegas," the story says. "Other amenities -- such as river activities in Laughlin, five golf courses in Mesquite and outlet shopping paired with a roller coaster in Primm -- are just frosting on the cake, these gamblers say."

It's this "frosting" that should give particular pause to the downtown gaming operators, who are failing to sell the experience of "Old Vegas" to tourists and locals alike. Why cringe in smoky, dank, low-ceilinged betting parlors when you can play the slots in an open, pleasant atmosphere and then relax with a massage ... or shop at Tommy Bahama?

The allure of outlying resort areas -- and the relentless demise of downtown -- would be no surprise to libertarian journalist Virginia Postrel, author of the delightful new book "The Substance of Style: How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture & Consciousness" (HarperCollins).

Ms. Postrel, a New York Times business page columnist, author of the 1998 book "The Future and its Enemies" and the former editor of Reason magazine, argues that contemporary policy-makers, entrepreneurs and cultural critics must pay heed to the burgeoning role of aesthetics, or they'll miss the emerging social and economic patterns of the new century. (Full disclosure: For nine years, I worked for Reason while Ms. Postrel was the editor, and we remain friends.)

While the 20th century will be remembered as the era that brought mass-produced abundance to everyday people -- from indoor plumbing to automobiles to air conditioning to housewares -- Ms. Postrel says the 21st century will be more focused on "look and feel," on making goods and providing services that offer both utility and pleasure.

Among the trend-setting businesses highlighted by "The Substance of Style" include Starbucks, Target Stores and Apple Computer -- companies that have altered commerce and culture, being successful by "making nice."

"Aesthetics has become too important to be left to the aesthetes," she writes. "To succeed, hard-nosed engineers, real estate developers, and MBAs must take aesthetic communication, and aesthetic pleasure, seriously. We, their customers, demand it." Those who satisfy aesthetic desires meet deep-seated human needs.

Not that Ms. Postrel advocates a particular style or a uniform standard of beauty. Certain types of visual symmetry, tactile sensations, aromas and patterns of sound may have a universal, biological appeal, but aesthetic pleasures are important, deeply individual preferences.

"The issue is not what style is used but that style is used, consciously and conscientiously, even in areas where function used to stand alone," she writes. "Sensory appeals are everywhere, they are increasingly personalized, and they are intensifying."

All of which calls to mind a person (Steve Wynn) and a place (Las Vegas). While the casino magnate has often been referred to as a "visionary," it's clear that the vision he has offered to this city and to the larger hospitality and resort industries is centered on look and feel.

Wynn decides that Las Vegas has to move beyond the showgirls, cheesy lounge acts and smoky gambling rooms to offer something truly dazzling and different to the traveling public ... even those who may drop only a few bucks in the slot machines. Give them pirate fights, volcanoes, synchronized fountains and a Chihuly chandelier. Bring world-class exhibits of fine art to town and display them in a gambling hall. Encourage celebrity chefs to sell their wares in high-dollar restaurants a few steps off the gaming floors. The overused cliche "adding value" may have more meaning now than ever before.

While Wynn first identified innovative ways to utilize aesthetics as a marketing tool, others have followed suit. Visitors to the Strip can frequent the canals of Venice, ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower or take a stroll on the sidewalks of New York.

And some of the most dramatic improvements in aesthetic qualities can be seen in the newer off-Strip and locals casinos -- from the adult-oriented Palms, which sells sex appeal, to the Cannery, with its '40s motif ... or the cowboy/wildcatter theme of Texas Station. The owners of these high-concept properties have succeeded by offering sensual attractions that reach beyond the action at the tables.

Of course, as Ms. Postrel points out, aesthetics isn't the only value, nor does it trump all others. "We expect shops to look good, but we also want service and selection," she writes. "We still care about cost, comfort and convenience."

This explains the struggles at the new Aladdin (soon to become Planet Hollywood) and the Rampart/Regent/Resort at Summerlin. Both are elegant properties that went bust financially because of inadequate access, poorly designed gaming areas, and other miscalculations of the marketplace. As these high-profile failures show, look and feel are not just skin deep.

These failures should also signal a warning to the region's successful resort operators. The concentration of gambling and related entertainment options in Las Vegas has always offered travelers a "nowhere else" experience. But as legal gambling proliferates, and as tribal operators in nearby California and Arizona become more attuned to the value of aesthetics -- witness the spiffy new properties in San Diego, Sacramento and Phoenix -- Las Vegas must continue to differentiate itself from its competitors by providing more: greater amenities, better service, more value.

Otherwise, the Strip may eventually resemble a larger version of today's downtown.

Rick Henderson (rhenderson@reviewjournal.com) is a Review-Journal editorial writer.

Vin Suprynowicz is on vacation. His column will return next Sunday.