‘Las Vegas Magazine’ editor Kiko Miyasato takes you through a perfect stay at Circa Resort & Casino

Once you check into Circa Resort & Casino, you’ll have everything you’ll need and want for that perfect vacation. Journey with me on my own 24-hour stay (a staycation in my case) and read about some of the highlights and fun to be had at this amazing property located in downtown Las Vegas.

Day 1

11 a.m.-1 p.m.:

You can ask for an early check-in, but it’s not always guaranteed. We got lucky! We stayed in a standard guest room that is anything but “standard.” Every room at Circa has a king-sized bed—we jumped onto the Serta Prestige mattress and sunk in … ahhh! A cool feature: A lot of the rooms have a Murphy bed! Owner Derek Stevens made sure all rooms offer a king-sized bed so everyone could feel royal! Technology reigns throughout the room. We adjusted the air and played music through our tablet and asked Alexa questions about the resort. The bathroom has dual vanity sinks (I set up my beauty tools right in front of the makeup mirror with special lighting) and the shower has a sizable built-in bench and luxurious bathing products.

1-3 p.m.:

You must see the property’s sports book, even if you don’t place bets. Circa | Sports encompasses three stories with stadium-style seating, VIP booths and on-point service. We checked into one of the booths and ordered lunch. Menus from nearby Victory Burger & Wings Co. and Project BBQ are available. We noshed on the Hangover Burger piled with french fries, cheddar cheese, thick-cut bacon, caramelized onions, crispy onion straws, creamy blanco cheese, boom boom sauce and a fried egg; an order or boneless wings in sweet chili sauce; smoked Gouda mac and cheese bites; and fire-roasted elote in a cup. Indulging was joined by eye candy—nearly a dozen huge screens, nearly floor to ceiling, displaying all manner of sports.

3-4 p.m.:

Before we went back to our room to get ready for dinner, we made a quick pop into the lobby lounge, Vegas Vickie’s, to try some of the most inventive cocktails available downtown. (Plus, the historical Vegas Vickie’s neon sign is a must selfie moment). If you’ve got a sweet tooth, don’t miss the S’morus Taurus cocktail, basically a s’more in cocktail form!

Night 1

6-8 p.m.:

We headed down the final set of escalators to the bottom floor of Circa, where you’ll find down the doors to amazing steakhouse Barry’s Downtown Prime. This place is sexy and cool and has amazing old-school music (before the DJ takes over). And the food? Primo! Don’t miss the vegan menu. (Yes, at a steakhouse!) As a vegetarian, I dipped into crispy veggie spring rolls, “chicken” & dumplings and a hearts of palm ceviche. My dining companion’s knife melted into the 8-ounce wet-aged filet mignon from Omaha Farms and filled in the rest of his meal with a side of decadent whipped Belgian potatoes and grilled asparagus with a lemon vinaigrette. Can we take a minute to talk about the dessert—each one is more than generous in its serving size. We delved into the banana cream pie and the sticky toffee butter cake … We should’ve started with dessert because buttons were popping; we couldn’t manage to put our forks down even though we were full—the recipes were that good!

8-11 p.m.:

We finished up the evening with some after-dinner cocktails and some of the best views of the city, checking in at the hostess podium and then heading into the elevator and up 60 floors to the always-a-good-time Legacy Club. A trip to Circa wouldn’t be complete without making it up to this rooftop hot spot. Bartenders here are often voted the best in the city (many of them are recipients of cocktail competition awards), so ask them to whip you up something special off the menu. We grabbed our cocktails and headed outdoors to the oversized lounge chairs surrounding a fire pit and gazed at the city lights and stars. Another great thing about Legacy Club? There’s a DJ that plays top 40 music. Party in plain sight or sneak into a corner booth or one of the outdoor firepits off to the side and make it a romantic date night.

Day 2

8-11 a.m.:

We didn’t even have to get dressed of leave the room to enjoy some breakfast. We simply scanned a QR code that took us to the Saginaw’s Delicatessen menu. Circa’s 24-hour diner-like restaurant. We ordered up Nate & Sally’s house-made vanilla-cinnamon French toast with house-made whipped cream, fresh berries and pure maple syrup, The Chief’s Smoked Salmon Platter with generous salmon portions, toasted bagel, cream cheese, capers, slices of tomato, cucumber and red onion, and the Saginaw’s Breakfast Sandwich, two eggs over medium, bacon, white cheddar cheese and Sam’s Sriracha mayo on a sesame brioche bun. The breakfast menu offers so much more, and having Saginaw’s delivered to your room for breakfast blows the traditional room service meal options out of the water with its delicious options.

11 a.m.-2 p.m.:

We checked out of our room and decided to spend our last hours at Stadium Swim. We booked a daybed right alongside one of the six pools available and settled in for some sun and fun. A DJ keeps the music in party-vibes mode, and the 40-foot tall, high-def screen played that day’s basketball games. The multilevel pool complex offers big cabanas, open lounge chair seating, a (huge!) cocktail and food menu and outdoor table games. Stadium Swim is a destination downtown, not just a hotel pool—you have to come to the hotel to check it out. You just pay a reasonable cover to get in and enjoy the facilities, even if you’re not a hotel guest.

My Circa Tips:

• There’s a hidden bar behind the “Marilyn Monroe eyes” inside the high-limit area. You’ll need a reservation. (The concierge has details.)

• Don’t miss the cocktail cart at Barry’s Downtown Prime. A server brings the cart tableside to mix you up your choice of a Manhattan or Old-Fashioned. You’ll want to take out your phone to record this one.

• If you snag a VIP booth inside Circa | Sports, you’ll have fun checking out the table. It’s covered in old Las Vegas advertisements and newspaper articles about sports betting. We cracked up as we read an ad for the Sundance Casino that offered a breakfast buffet for 69 cents and a prime rib dinner for $3.95.

• If you book a Circa suite on the 52nd floor, one of the coolest features is the Circa Book, a specially created tome that shows renderings and tells stories of how the hotel was built.

• In case you didn’t know, Circa offers two levels of gaming.

• Mega Bar is a behemoth drinking destination, spanning 165 feet with more than 50 seats, flair bartenders, 46 double-stacked TVs and more than 100 beers on tap. It’s Nevada’s longest indoor bar. It’s also where you might be lucky enough to spot owner Derek Stevens enjoying his drink of choice: Captain Morgan and Diet Coke.

Circa Resort & Casino. 702.247.2258. circalasvegas.com

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