Las Vegas hotel pool boasts a unique feature … a ‘death ray’

Guests at Las Vegas‘ newest addition to the strip, Vdara Hotel & Spa, may be getting more than they bargained for when they head to the pool for some fun in the sun. According to several recent reports, the hotel’s southern-facing tower causes hot spots of up to 130 degrees to be reflected across the pool deck at various times of day.

Vdara employees have referred to the spots as the “Vdara death ray,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote in a recent article. Apparently MGM prefers “hot spot” or “solar convergence.” We wonder why …

Despite high-tech film installed by hotel architects, the pool still experiences periodic temperature spikes as the sun moves across the building’s surface.

Bill Pintas, a guest from Chicago, reported to the Review-Journal that after taking a dip in the hotel pool on September 16th he became so uncomfortably hot that he felt as if he was “effectively being cooked.” He reports that his hair had been scorched due to the high temperatures and that hotel employees were aware of the issue.

Other reports include the melting of disposable drink glasses and the melting of a portion of Pintas’ plastic newspaper bag.

MGM management reports that while they are looking into the issue, the ‘death ray’ is effectively a “moving target” and thus poses a difficult problem. The hotel has proposed additional sun cover in the form of umbrellas, shade structures and increased foliage.

Although the Review-Journal article reports that Pintas doesn’t plan to sue, we wonder if recent media attention will prompt a slew of lawsuits against the hotel or designers.

Image via [http://www.lasvegashotelcasinodeals.com]