There is no such thing as a "hiring freeze" when it comes to the Minus 5 Experience, a new sub-arctic ice lounge attraction set to open this September at Mandalay Place. The New Zealand-based Minus 5 Group will be hiring more than 70 personnel to staff the first permanent ice lounge to hit U.S. soil.


Applications will be accepted beginning Aug. 22 for various positions including bartenders, bar managers, model cocktail servers, model promoters, model hostesses or "Eskimo Girls" and photographers. For those interested, resumes can be sent to davidkuhn@minus5experience.com.


"The Minus 5 experience provides a unique job opportunity for those with a sense of adventure and fun," said Craig Ling, President and Founder of the Minus 5 Group. "We are seeking highly motivated, energetic and experienced staff that will help shape our vision and create an unparalleled experience for our guests and patrons."


Overseeing the hiring process is newly appointed General Manager David Kuhn, who worked most recently as beverage manager for Parasol at the exclusive Wynn Resort. With an extensive background in the hospitality and nightlife industries, Kuhn will be instrumental in the opening of Minus 5's first U.S. location inside Mandalay Place, where he will oversee all aspects of the company's day-to-day operations of this unique sub-arctic ice lounge experience.


The focus at Minus 5 is the art of ice where everything inside the lounge is made of ice including the walls, seats, bars, décor and sculptures – all kept at a chilly minus 5 degrees Celsius or 23 degrees Fahrenheit. The experience begins when guests are outfitted with special ice gear which includes insulated jackets, gloves and boots. Once inside the lounge, visitors will be greeted with an icy wonderland of intricately hand-crafted ice sculptures and architecture. Guests can relax on ice couches and sip on a wide range of vodka cocktails using only the world's premium vodkas, or non-alcohol "mocktails" served in custom-designed glasses made from pure New Zealand water.


The threshold for the human body to endure this igloo-like environment is 30 minutes, ample time for guests to enjoy this unique encounter. Visitors then make their way outside to The Minus 5 Lodge, a sumptuous Aspen-style lodge bar which combines outstanding cuisine with a superior beverage list.


Ironwood beams, river stones and an open-fire create an earthy, welcoming ambience that is reflected in the cuisine, which has been created by celebrated American Master-chef Rick Moonen, owner of Rick Moonen's RM Seafood Restaurant in Mandalay Bay Casino. 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.


"We are creating a winter wonderland 365 days a year. And to accomplish this, we have a team of designers, technicians and talented carvers who transform crystal clear blocks of ice into a range of ice sculptures – each extremely high quality in terms of design and detail. By changing the lounge and sculptures every 6-8 weeks, we can tailor-make sculptures for any particular season, promotion, function or event. With the ability to create something as effective and simple as a company logo made out of ice, to something as grand and impressive as an exact scale replica car that you can sit in, the possibilities are only limited by the imagination," said Ling who is focusing on the tourism, locals, weddings and corporate markets.


After successful ventures in Australia and New Zealand, 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. Minus 5 Ice Lounge is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in September 2008. Admission into the ice lounge is $30 and includes a vodka cocktail or "mocktail" of your choice, ice gear rental and a 30 minute experience like no other. Reservations, group, corporate and wedding arrangements can be made by calling 702.632.7714; or lasvegas@minus 5experience.com. For more information, www.minus5experience.com.


Minus 5 – Company History


Created in New Zealand, Minus 5 is an ice lounge where you can touch, feel, and explore handcrafted ice sculptures. What makes us unique is our ever changing ice sculptures and the lounge is made from 100% pure Canadian Ice. Minus 5 ice guides are specially trained to the highest level that ensures that your visit is safe and enjoyable. The first of the Minus 5 Ice Lounges was Auckland, NZ which opened in 2002. Located in the heart of Auckland's revitalized waterfront precinct and new tourism hub Princes Wharf, it is adjacent to the Russian themed vodka bar Lenin Bar, another concept by the Minus 5 Groups' parent company Fusion Hospitality. Auckland continued to grow steadily in popularity and so the company continued to expand. A second Minus 5 lounge was opened in New Zealand in Queenstown on the Steamer Wharf in 2004. The waterfront location provides the Queenstown lounge with constant foot traffic and a steady stream of tourists. In 2005 Minus 5 crossed the ditch and Sydney, Australia opened its doors. Set in Circular Quay with fantastic views of the spectacular Sydney harbour, the lounge has a unique outlook and was the largest built at that time. The site is also adjacent to Fusion Hospitality's Lenin bar and Bubble which again act as feeder bars to the ice lounge. With the increase in size and architectural design, Sydney set the benchmark for the international branding and was a precursor to global franchising. Following the success of both NZ and Sydney, Minus 5 expanded and opened another venue in Australia in Surfers Paradise in December 2006. Located in the heart of Surfers Paradise in the newly established Circle on Cavill, Minus 5 Gold Coast boasts the first ice aquarium in the world.


In order to expand internationally at a faster pace, Minus 5 began focusing on franchising, and Viseu, Portugal saw the opening of the first Minus 5 in Europe in 2008. Located inside the aptly-named Palacio do Gelo (Palace of Ice), the largest shopping centre in Portugal, Minus 5 is successfully presenting Europeans and tourists with its unique ice lounge experience.


September 2008 will see the opening of the first Minus5 in America in Las Vegas, Nevada at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Las Vegas will eclipse the previous venues in size and artistic impression and is set to be the most unique, coolest experience in the desert. But, that's just the beginning as Minus 5's global expansion in the U.S. is moving at anything but a glacial pace, with additional Minus 5 international venues secured and in development in India, Singapore, Dubai, and Manila for 2009 openings.


Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino