NEWS
In Vegas, the hot new game is rooms and restaurants
Despite consumer caution, casinos are refurbishing to gain market share
While times have not always been good in Las Vegas of late, and the economic slowdown has stalled much new construction, competition for the consumer dollars that remain is encouraging casino operators to invest heavily in revamping their properties – especially beyond the gaming floor.
At the MGM Grand, for example, a $160m remodelling of
accommodation in the main tower that began a year ago covers 3570 rooms and 642 suites. An in-house team designed the new-style rooms with an emphasis on environmental responsibility leading to the inclusion of features such as LED lighting, improved thermostats and solar shades, and biodegradable bath supplies. Luxury hasn’t been ignored either,
however, with the venue now offering Stay Well rooms and suites with features such as light therapy and vitamin-infused shower water. And next on the calendar for MGM Grand is the opening next spring of Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub.
Palms Casino Resort has also
been redesigning its 428 tower rooms as part of a $50m refurb. Klai Juba and Seed Design were
brought in to create a new look described as “sensual and edgy”, with wall-to-wall 16-foot murals above guest beds. Technology in each room includes a 46-inch Samsung HD LED
Perhaps the most impactful aspect of the D is right outside on Fremont Street: an interactive video display
4 JUNE 2012
television with a media hub to allow connections with laptops, cameras, media players and game systems. And, as at MGM, plans don’t stop
there. Developments next to come include a new centre bar on the casino floor and culinary ventures such as a sports bar and pan-Asian restaurant, while the casino resort has also launched the Ghostbar Dayclub, a Saturday-afternoon event. Caesars Entertainment, meanwhile, is going a step further with a complete relaunch of its Imperial Palace property on the Strip. A transformation programme starting this month and scheduled for completion in about a year will see it become The Quad Resort & Casino. The same is happening at the
former Fitzgeralds Casino & Hotel, which has been reinvented as the D Las Vegas.
A new lobby leads guests to a two- level casino with current slots and table games on the first floor contrasting with a vintage gaming experience on the second, featuring coin-operated slots. Food and beverage offers include two new bars, one inside the casino and the other on Fremont Street, as well as the first non-Michigan location for Detroit’s American Coney Island restaurant chain. And in the hotel accommodation, 624 guest rooms and 14 suites have been remodelled. But perhaps the most impactful aspect of the D is right outside on the street, where an interactive video display designed by Cirque du Soleil’s Roger Parent and called Face to Face comprises 40 large LED screens streaming colourful content throughout the day and night. Next to this, LEDs on an escalator leading to the second floor encourage patrons to head inside. “We’re incredibly excited to be part of a new era in downtown Las Vegas,” said the D’s CEO Derek Stevens. “The D’s renovations reflect the high energy and friendly atmosphere of Fremont Street, and
we want everyone to have a blast when they stay and play with us.” And Golden Gate Hotel & Casino is also undergoing sweeping change. The very first venue in Vegas, which opened in 1906, says that a new five-storey, 35,000-square-foot addition marks its first major expansion in five decades. That new space includes 14 hotel suites designed as tributes to notable past guests like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin; two penthouses on a vintage showgirl
Caesars is going a step further than many with a complete relaunch of its Imperial Palace
theme; an expanded casino floor with a 1920s-style high-limit gaming room; and a new lobby featuring historic artefacts from the hotel’s early days and lit by an antique sign. As at the D, modern technology is also helping the Golden Gate celebrate its past, with the restored original facade complemented by a digital marquee and LED lights that the venue says represent 1920s- style pinstripes.
“The expansion and renovation of the Golden Gate preserves and enhances a Las Vegas legacy – not only this classic 106-year-old building, but the Las Vegas spirit and the mystique it embodies,” said President and Co-owner Mark Brandenburg. “Throughout the renovations, our goal was clear: remain true to our vintage Vegas character and deliver an experience that is original, people-centric and bursting with energy.”
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