Pool & Spa News: It's Vegas baby! No other place on the planet is hotter or more in your face. F

Once upon a time, the typical Las Vegas resort pool sported rectangular lines and an institutional look. It was a place for one parent to take the children while the other played in Sin City.

Steve Wynn changed all that when he built the Mirage in 1989. "He made lying out by the swimming pool a social [activity]," says Bill Palmer, who built at the Mirage and other Wynn properties. "It was a place to be seen, to conduct business and be part of the pretty people crowd."

Last year, more than 1,700 pools were built within Las Vegas' city limits. Compared with 10 years ago, this represents an increase of nearly 54 percent, according to the City of Las Vegas Building Department. And last year, 35.5 million people visited Las Vegas, almost double the number of tourists since 1988.

Wynn's vision, combined with the burgeoning Vegas home market makes the city doubly important. Not only are its residents building more pools, but visitors are inspired to take the resort feeling to backyards all over the country.

The new oasis

The Mirage started a revolution of sorts. A huge faux volcano--a precursor to the current swell of interest in fire-and-water effects--stopped foot traffic on the Strip. Inside the resort, an intricate network of pools and interconnected lagoons wound through the property. Slides entertained the kids.

Across the way, the Carnival-themed Rio put beach-entry pools lined with real sand on the map.

Throughout the decade, other hotels followed suit. The Hard Rock Hotel created a tropical poolscape while the Mandalay Bay upped the ante with its wave pool and lazy river.

After selling his properties to MGM Grand Inc. in 2000, Wynn now is working on the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, due to open next spring. Who knows what he has in store?

Home resorts

What tourists do in Vegas may stay there, but many visitors want to take the resort philosophy with them when they head back home. "We've had potential clients say, 'I understand you did that thing at the Rio. Can you put in a sand beach at my house?'" says Palmer, president of Prestige Pods Inc. in Las Vegas.

"But by the time you do what you have to do, it's going to cost between $15,000 and $30,000 to do it," he notes. Don Rowland, owner of DBR Enterprises, a plumbing company in Las Vegas, has had customers ask for the Mirage volcano. While it's not practical in a residential backyard, the spirit of these properties can be incorporated into larger waterfeatures.

Most people can't afford such features, but they still want whatever touch of luxury they can get, Palmer says. "It at least piqued their interest. It added a different dimension and interest that wasn't there before," he says. "I think that was a positive."

Maybe clients can't have the Mirage volcano in their backyards, but they can get miniature versions of other features. Besides, the point isn't necessarily to imitate Vegas resorts, but to capture their essence. "Now you're looking at caves, fountains and fire around the swimming pool," says Scott Waldo, president of Platinum Pools in Houston, a Pool & Spa News Top Builder. "People get creative now because they know they can."

At this rate, every town will have a little piece of Vegas eventually.

Snapshots From Around the World Special places that inspire Americans' backyard desires

In the early 1980s, Hawaii's resort pools took the same turn as those in Las Vegas. Elaborate water slides began enhancing the lagoon-style pools meant to blend with the Hawaiian scenery.

Today, more than 4 million Americans visit the island each year. Here are three resort pools that people most commonly ask to replicate in their own backyards:

* Grand Wailea, Maui

With three pool areas, visitors of any age and temperament can enjoy themselves here. The Wailea Canyon Activity Pool actually is a network of nine free-form pools connected by a river that carries swimmers from one pool to the next at water speeds ranging from white-water rapids to lazy currents. A "water elevator" takes youthful, as well as young-at-heart swimmers, to the slide area. A sand beach, waterfalls, caves and swim-up bar keep adults occupied. The Hibiscus Pool offers a more elegant environment with its mosaic tile hibiscus on the floor.

* The Hyatt Regency, Kauai

Two freshwater, outdoor pools are connected by a winding stream. A 5-acre saltwater lagoon keeps families busy. Rock waterfalls abound, as do plenty of coves to make large pools intimate nonetheless. Lush landscaping comes right to the pool in certain areas to help shield swimmers from nearby foot traffic.

* Hyatt Regency, Maui

Recently renovated, this resort pool features a loose-sand beach and children's area with interactive fountains and soft-play sculptures. The tropics also permeate this aquascape through Hawaiian-style rockwork and waterfalls, a large cavern and swim-through cave. Koi ponds look connected to the swimming areas, leaving a flow of water that covers the entire property. A 150-foot, enclosed "lava tube" water slide entertains the youngsters.

Pool styles of the rich and famous

Hawaii and Las Vegas may be fine for us mere mortals to emulate, but the ultra-rich and famous want the newest, edgiest installations. Like the rest of us, though, they want to bring memories of their favorite resort pools into their backyards, says Skip Phillips, president of Questar Pools & Spas in Escondido, Calif., and a co-founder of Genesis 3 Design Group.

"Our market is going to be driven by a look that's a little more sophisticated than the water park-type application." Phillips says.

His signature style incorporates a lot of vanishing edges, perimeter overflows and other ways of bringing the waterline close or even flush with the deck. That sits fine with Phillips' clients, who ask to copy pools from the following international and/or exotic destinations:

* Thailand and Indonesia

"These are only the most innovative pools on the planet," Phillips says. Resorts such as The Oriental Bangkok in Thailand and Amandari in Bali, Indonesia, use sleek, tiled vanishing edges and perimeter-overflow pools to reflect the lush surroundings. "You'd be hard-pressed to find more dramatic pools," he adds.

* Las Ventanas, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

With its winding lines and slot overflow, this pool creates a work of modern art at the resort. The pool's color blends right in with the Sea of Cortez. "They took it a step further, recognizing how important the person's relationship with the water is," Phillips says. "They went ahead and cut the legs off the lounge chairs, so you really get a feel that you're at the plane of the water when you're lying alongside the pool."

* Delano Hotel, Miami

Not only does this pool feature an overflow perimeter, but it has a prominent shelf access. The area holds tables and chairs so visitors can enjoy the water without getting completely wet. An arcing handrail adds a touch of class.

--R.R.