Hail Caesars Republic: Talking to Ryan Kirby about MULO Hotel Expansion

Many hotel companies now have different brands within their brand, offering various price points and experiences underneath their multi-location (MULO) umbrella. You may have thought of Caesars as just a casino experience in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, with giant statues and endless slots and tables.

But Caesars is about to open its second non-gaming resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. (The first one was in Dubai.) When a MULO brand goes in that direction, what do they keep, and what changes? We sat down with Ryan Kirby, Director of Sales and Marketing, to discuss this new luxury resort opening in February 2024.

I also had the privilege of touring the property.

What lessons did you learn from Dubai that were applied to this project?

“While so much of our business in Scottsdale will come domestically compared to Dubai, the Caesars Rewards program will be the common thread. We believe in rewarding our guests when they choose to stay at our hotels or eat in our restaurants. Now that consumers and businesses have so many choices, acknowledging them for their trust and spending is critical.”

Your icon in Arizona is a she-wolf from Roman mythology. Who came up with the branding and why?

“La Lupa (the she-wolf) was developed by the marketing team in Las Vegas (in-house). She was a protector and wanderer. She nursed and sheltered the twins Romulus and Remus after they were abandoned in the wild. Her image appears throughout the hotel in surprising ways.”

Did you apply anything from Vegas and Atlantic City, or is Caesars Republic a total departure?

“As I mentioned earlier, our Caesars Rewards program (60M members) will be a big part of the experience. Caesars is known for its fine and exciting dining options, and we’ve forged a partnership with Italian celebrity chef and Food Network Star Giaa de Laurentiis. She has been very involved in the design of our restaurants in both Las Vegas and now in Scottsdale. She believes in community and free-flowing conversations, and the restaurant Luna and the hotel bar were designed with that in mind.

We are also known for our attention to amenities and details. From the in-room liquor towers to constellation lights in the ballroom to expansive showers, we’re building a luxury guest experience.”

What about the basics?

“We’ll have 265 guest rooms and suites, ranging in price from $400 to $1000+ per night, depending on season. We also have 20K square feet of event space and a 7K square foot ballroom. We can host up to 1,500 people for an indoor/outdoor event or 400 for a sit-down dinner.

The hotel is located within walking distance of the Fashion Square Mall, so visitors won’t require a car. Everything they want to experience is a short walk from our doorstep.

But we’ll shield guests from the hustle and bustle through landscaping and cozy interior design features. Guests will be in the ‘epicenter of energy’ but have spaces to relax and escape.

We’re hosting a recruiting event in January and will be looking to hire the best-of-the-best hospitality workers from around the world. As we know, staff excellence is a critical part of the hotel experience. Passion for the industry is our main hiring criteria.”

How are you marketing the property?

“We’ve been hosting local hard-hat tours every week and have been building relationships with conference organizers, companies that may host executives from outside the area, and wedding planners.

Luxury leisure travelers (including the international market) are expected to be among our guests, as are local influencers for our bar and lounge business.

We’re starting by targeting California, the East Coast, Denver, Austin, and Chicago — “feeder markets” to Scottsdale, based on visitor data.

We have several conferences already contracted with us in 2024 and 2025. We can’t wait to welcome them.”

What’s next?

“We’ve targeted 30 different venues for expansion under the Caesars Republic brand. Just follow La Lupa!”