Mambo Jambo in Las Vegas?
Along with the Zouk Group's nightclub and food and beverage concepts, the quintessentially Singaporean, retro-themed club night could be making its way to Sin City.
The group is slated to open a multi-concept complex in Resorts World Las Vegas next summer.
Its concepts will occupy 100,000 sq ft of space in the US$4.3 billion (S$5.8 billion) integrated resort, which will be the Las Vegas Strip's first development to be built from the ground up in over a decade.
It marks the 29-year-old home-grown lifestyle and entertainment group's first foray into the United States, and its most ambitious venture yet.
Speaking exclusively to The Straits Times, chief executive Andrew Li says: "When Genting Hong Kong acquired Zouk in 2015, it was always the plan to build this lifestyle portfolio under the Genting Group, so this partnership with Resorts World Las Vegas is the next transition.
"There's almost 30 years of history, brand DNA and legacy with Zouk, and we can bring something special to this already quite momentous project."
Several tried-and-tested concepts by Zouk in Singapore and Genting Highlands, Malaysia, will be set up in Las Vegas - namely the "best of brands accumulated over the last five years", says Mr Li.
Besides recreating the iconic Zouk Nightclub, the group will also open the third outlet of social gaming bar RedTail - where guests can enjoy premium beer, wine, cocktails and shared plates while playing games like beer pong, darts and pool.
Zouk Genting's "vibe dining" concept Fuhu - a high-energy, experiential dining venue that serves contemporary Asian cuisine - will also go to Las Vegas.
The new AYU dayclub, on the other hand, will be an all-day, outdoor venue inspired by South-east Asia's idyllic islands.
Zouk Singapore's lessons from the pandemic - including turning its club space at Clarke Quay into a spin studio and cinema - will also be applied to the Las Vegas complex.
"The pandemic has made us think what else we can do, because nightclubs in the day are massive unused space that have so many possibilities," says Mr Li.
Besides the venues within Resorts World Las Vegas, he adds that the concepts that Zouk is bringing in will complement one another and provide "various touch points (for the guest to enjoy) from the start of the day till the end".
And that is the edge Mr Scott Sibella, president of Resorts World Las Vegas, feels they have over established players like Wynn Las Vegas, The Cosmopolitan and The Venetian on the crowded Strip.
Located on the north end of the Strip, the resort, which will house two 66-storey hotel towers with 3,500 rooms in total, is being built on an 35.6ha site by Genting Berhad. It will also have a 5,000-seat theatre, 350,000 sq ft of convention space and a 2.2ha pool complex.
"Given its size, you never have to leave the property and that's not something you see a lot of on the Strip," Mr Sibella notes.
"We feel comfortable that it hasn't been done this way and we don't have to survive off just Saturday night's takings."
He adds: "From what Zouk can bring here in terms of its culture and brand of Asian hospitality, maybe we can change the way it's programmed in Las Vegas, where the venues could see everything from a band or a DJ playing, or be used for conventions and hospitality... There will be something for everybody."
Both Zouk Group and Resorts World Las Vegas are optimistic about opening next summer, even with the uncertainties of the pandemic, which is still plaguing many parts of the world.
Mr Li says: "When you look at places like China and Taiwan, where they've things under control, life is back to normal, and you see that people crave social interaction and entertainment.
"After all this pent-up frustration from the pandemic, it will be a great time to open... This world-class property is new and ready to welcome back people to Las Vegas."
