Minus 5 Experience Opens First Permanent Ice Lounge in the United States: Debut Takes...

Minus 5 Experience Opens First Permanent Ice Lounge in the United States:
Debut Takes Place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The first U.S. permanent ice lounge
has opened at Mandalay Place, adjacent to Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las
Vegas.
The 2,000 sq. ft. Minus 5 Experience welcomed its very first patrons with
an "Elvis sighting," an unveiling of a life-sized ice Elvis, complete with
signature pompadour, glasses, side-burns, and guitar. On a day when the
temperature topped 90 degrees in Las Vegas, the inside of the newly opened
Minus 5 ice lounge pushed the mercury to a frigid 23 degrees Fahrenheit, or,
true to its name "minus 5" Celsius.
Owned and operated by the Minus 5 Group, a New Zealand-based company that
has "ice-cool" attractions with six other Minus 5 ice lounges currently in
operation in three countries around the globe, the new Ice Lounge, located in
Mandalay Place adjacent to Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is certain to be one
of the new "must experience" attractions in Las Vegas.
"Las Vegas is the perfect city to launch Minus 5 in the United States
-- it creates a great juxtaposition of a frigid, winter wonderland in the hot
arid desert," said Craig Ling, president and founder of Minus 5. "We are
excited to introduce what is a truly unique experience to an American audience
and we believe Las Vegas is the ideal destination." Since opening in 2002,
the Minus 5 locations in Australia and New Zealand have become one of the most
visited man-made attractions in their respective cities.
The Minus 5 Experience
Guests are invited to come in from the Las Vegas heat and don Minus
5-issued parkas and booties over their t-shirts and flip-flops. Then the
arctic adventure begins, as patrons enter the ethereal blue and white world of
the shimmering Minus 5 ice lounge. An icy wonderland of intricately
hand-crafted ice sculptures and architecture, guests are promptly served an
ice glass filled with exotic vodka-based cocktails ("mocktails" are also
available for non-drinkers). Then, guests can relax on ice couches and enjoy
what is literally the coolest lounge on the planet where the temperature is a
constant -5 degrees Celsius or 23 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Our focus at Minus 5 is the art of ice," said founder and president,
Craig Ling. "We have our own ice carvers who change the lounge and sculptures
every six-to-eight weeks. This also provides us with the ability to
tailor-make sculptures for any function or event. With the ability to create
anything from a company logo to an actual-sized replica automobile that you
can sit in, the possibilities for the Minus 5 ice experience are only limited
by your imagination."
The Minus 5 Lodge (opening November 2008)
After enjoying the wonders of the sub-freezing environment, visitors can
make their way to the Minus 5 Lodge, a warm, rustic pub adjacent to the Minus
5 Experience that is themed after great arctic explorers. The Minus 5 Lodge
features ironwood beams, river stones, leather seats and an open-hearth to
create an earthy, natural environment and a welcoming ambience that also
features artifacts from famed explorers and ski huts of old. Group function
catering is available with a sumptuous menu by celebrated chef Rick Moonen of
rm seafood restaurant at Mandalay Place. The Minus 5 Lodge is a superb
environment where guests can warm up in style and reflect on their Minus 5
encounter -- the perfect end to an entirely unique experience.
Ice Weddings
Restrain yourself from making jokes about cold feet, but Minus 5 will
certainly be the only Las Vegas venue to perform "ice wedding" ceremonies.
With stained "ice" windows and pews, beautiful ice sculptures and ice
candelabra, the Minus 5 ice-chapel creates an unparalleled setting for a
romantic wedding ceremony. Brides are outfitted with an elegant white satin
fur-trimmed cape to keep warm, and all ceremonies are organized in conjunction
with the wedding professionals from the Mandalay Bay wedding department.
http://www.mandalaybay.com/thingstodo/weddings.aspx.
Environmental Responsibility
Inside the shimmering ice lounge, the proprietary climate control
engineering allows the Minus 5 Experience to maintain its frigid environment
using a monitored amount of power. In addition, the operators import ice from
Canada, ensuring the ice is the clearest and purest available, and use pure
New Zealand artesian water for the ice glasses which are imported in their
frozen form to ensure that an ice lounge in the Mojave desert maintains a
responsible environmental footprint and does not encumber the limited Las
Vegas water supply. Minus 5 also supports environmental conservation
programs, and their international "Adopt a Penguin" program will soon be
offered to U.S. patrons.
The Las Vegas location will be the first of many U.S.-based Minus 5 ice
lounges, with other locations currently in the development stage in New York,
Miami, Hawaii, and Los Angeles. Admission into the ice lounge is $30 and
includes a cocktail. Reservations, group, corporate and wedding arrangements
can be made by calling 702.632.7714; or lasvegas@minus5experience.com. For
more information, http://www.minus5experience.com.
SOURCE Minus 5 Experience

Kurt Ouchida, +1-702-300-5756, kurt@braintrustlv.com, or Bri Ulivarri,
+1-702-275-4003, bri@braintrustlv.com, both of BRAINtrust Marketing +
Communication, for Minus 5 Experience