The famed Artisan Hotel is getting a second lease on life. Garrett Capital, an affiliate of The Siegel Group, announced today it has acquired the foreclosed non-gaming hotel.
Bally Technologies has acquired employees from Arizona-based Games4You, a supplier of gaming and engineering technologies, the company announced today.
International Game Technology President and Chief Executive Patti Hart brought home more than $1.7 million in compensation for the 2009 fiscal year, according to a Las Vegas Sun calculation from a filing today with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A Florida woman who was staying at the Monte Carlo when a fire broke out in January 2008 is suing the resort for damages, according to a lawsuit filed in Clark County District Court earlier this week.
Boyd Gaming President and Chief Executive Keith Smith has been elected as the new chairman of the American Gaming Association, the AGA announced today.
November visitors increased 2.9 percent from a year earlier
Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010
November marked the third consecutive year-over-year increase in monthly visitation, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced today. More than 2.9 million people visited Las Vegas during November 2009.
E-readers, 3-D and cloud computing examples of disruptive technology
Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010
E-readers, 3-D and cloud computing are among the top technologies showcased at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, and a group of tech company executives said the concepts will be changing the face of their industry for years to come.
Intel Corp. Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini showed that the future of the fully connected home isn’t so far away. Otellini showcased how Intel is helping users stay connected with their smartphones, TVs and computers during his keynote address Thursday night at the Consumer Electronics Show.
This isn't your grandfather's 3-D, product designer says
Friday, Jan. 8, 2010
In-home 3-D technology is right around the corner, but it won’t arrive without some bumps along the way, a group of experts said Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Gadget lovers from across the globe will convene in Las Vegas this week for the Consumer Electronic Show, the world’s largest technology expo. The show is expected to bring more than 110,000 attendees and 330 exhibitors who will be showing off their latest and greatest innovations. Here’s what tech writers and bloggers are saying about some of the buzz-worthy trends and products expected to hit this year’s show floor.
The International Consumer Electronics Show won’t officially begin until Thursday, but the convention center halls already are abuzz with anticipation of the products that will be unveiled. For decades, CES has been a place for the world’s top names in electronics to debut their newest products and latest innovations. Some hit the store shelves and are in consumers’ hands almost immediately while others remain mere concepts for years.
New Year’s Eve couldn’t come soon enough for Strip hotels. After taking a yearlong beating, offering rooms at prices that haven’t been as cheap for a decade, some Strip hotels are sold out for New Year’s Eve weekend at relatively jacked-up prices. The operative word: Relatively.
December has been filled with hotel openings in Las Vegas and today will mark yet another when the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s all-suite HRH Tower welcomes its first guests.
PH Towers by Westgate opens doors Friday to 20 residents
Friday, Dec. 18, 2009
The first 20 timeshare owners of Planet Hollywood’s PH Towers by Westgate checked in Friday morning, marking the first of several residential tower openings over the next few months.
The first 20 residents of Planet Hollywood’s PH Towers by Westgate will be moving in Friday, marking the first of several condo tower openings over the next few months. Upon completion, the two towers will house more than 2,700 units.
MGM Mirage debuts Aria, final component and crown jewel of newest casino-resort
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009
The wait is over. After a two-minute fireworks display, the Aria Resort & Casino opened its doors to the public late Wednesday night, giving tourists and Las Vegas residents a glimpse inside the centerpiece of CityCenter.
Veritable who’s who of celebrity chefs headline casino-resort’s restaurants
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009
The list of chefs behind CityCenter’s restaurants reads like a celebrity who’s who in the culinary world — Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, Michael Mina, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Julian Serrano, Martin Heierling. They are part of MGM Mirage’s effort to create food offerings at CityCenter that are as unique as the rest of the new casino-resort.
Occupancy is higher than last year with slightly lower prices
Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009
Las Vegas visitors will find some of the lowest room rates of the year around the Christmas holiday. Travel Web sites are boasting low room rates for properties on and off the Strip for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with prices like $32 a night at Palace Station on Vegas.com, $34 at the Sahara on Expedia and $25 a night with a buy one night, get one night free deal at Hooters on Travelocity.
For the Marnell family, picking a Christmas tree for their casinos is a holiday tradition
Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009
Every family has its holiday traditions, but none may be as stressful as picking out the perfect Christmas tree. Families can spend an entire day wandering tree lots in the cold to find the one that’s just right. Either that or they throw in the towel and settle for an artificial tree.
MGM Mirage executive says investment will pay off over years
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009
MGM Mirage Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Murren this week said he isn’t crazy and neither was opening his company’s $8.5 billion CityCenter project in one of the worst economies Las Vegas has seen. “We have to look back and look at how long it's taken to develop this, look at the money we've expended and look at it from a return on investment perspective,” Murren said.
High-end mall is the second of three CityCenter buildings opening this week
Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009
Adding a slew of high-end retailers to the Las Vegas Strip, CityCenter’s Crystals retail and entertainment district opened on Thursday, marking the unveiling of the massive project’s second building. Crystals opened at noon for a charity shopping event and at 5 p.m. to the public. The 500,000-square-foot retail and dining district has direct access from Las Vegas Boulevard and houses some of the most high-end brands in fashion. The retail selection at Crystals includes names such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Christian Dior, Hermes and Prada.
Despite optimism, hotel is only sold out one night in next few months
Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009
After a night of grand opening festivities, Vdara’s first public guests checked into the hotel Wednesday and while the hotel has only sold out for one night in the next few months, Vdara’s general manager is predicting strong occupancy through the month.
After party Tuesday night, 1,495-suite property will accept guests today
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009
MGM Mirage and Dubai World executives on Tuesday marked the unveiling of the first phase of their CityCenter project — Vdara — giving invited guests and media a glimpse inside the first completed property at the urban metropolis. The non-gaming, 1,495-room hotel marks the first of CityCenter’s openings, with Crystals and Mandarin Oriental opening their doors later this week.
MGM Mirage has placed its biggest bet ever, an unprecedented $8.5 billion, on its new CityCenter complex - planned to be a city within a city – with residences, hotel towers, gourmet restaurants and an upscale retail and entertainment district.
Convention and Visitors Authority projecting 278,000 for holiday weekend, up 3 percent from 2008
Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009
The Las Vegas Valley is expected to see an increase in Thanksgiving visitors this year, local tourism officials said. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is projecting 278,000 visitors will be in town for the holiday weekend, up 3 percent from 2008.
Tower is the first to open in downtown Las Vegas in two decades
Monday, Nov. 23, 2009
The Golden Nugget celebrated a milestone Monday for downtown Las Vegas. The hotel-casino had a grand opening celebration for its Rush Tower, the first new hotel tower to be added to the downtown area since Golden Nugget’s Carson Tower opened in 1989.
Mandarin Oriental and Veer Towers both get LEED Gold certifications
Friday, Nov. 20, 2009
Mandarin Oriental and Veers have both reached the high environmental standard, bringing the total of LEED Gold certified facilities to six. Others include Crystals retail district, Vdara, ARIA’s hotel tower and separately, its convention center and theater.
New, larger rooms feature amenities such as upgraded pillow-top mattresses, feather down comforters and 42-inch plasma televisions
Friday, Nov. 20, 2009
The Golden Nugget will welcome the first guests to its new 500-room Rush Tower today, marking the completion of the hotel-casino’s $150 million expansion. The new guest rooms are 20 percent larger than the Golden Nugget’s North and South Tower rooms.
Exhibitors and organizers feared the worst going into the 2009 Global Gaming Expo, but they changed their tone Thursday as the convention came to a close, calling it an overall success. The American Gaming Association reported a 7 percent increase in conference attendees for the first two days of the show compared to 2008, an increase that no one was expecting.
The recession is forcing Las Vegas to return to its roots as a more value-oriented destination, and that’s not a bad thing, Boyd Gaming President and Chief Executive Keith Smith said. “The town has now evolved back to its original roots,” Smith said Wednesday at the Global Gaming Expo. “I think the industry will continue to evolve and refine itself and eventually find a norm between value and high-end.”
South Point owner and longtime casino operator Michael Gaughan was honored today for his 40-plus years of service to the gaming industry and Las Vegas. Gaughan was inducted into the American Gaming Association Hall of Fame this morning at the Global Gaming Expo, placing him among the ranks of other gaming legends like Bill Harrah, Steve Wynn and his father, Jackie Gaughan. “He never seeks the limelight yet Michael Gaughan has been a major figure in our industry for the last 40 years,” AGA President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Fahrenkopf said.
As the national economy begins to recover, the gaming industry will follow. That was the message American Gaming Association President Frank Fahrenkopf delivered at a media briefing today during the first day of the Global Gaming Expo.
Panelists detail recession’s woes during start of industry trade show
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009
It’s no secret that the recession has hurt the gaming industry. It’s forced companies to adapt business strategies to the changing market, curb development projects and make some hard financial decisions.
American Casino & Entertainment Properties, owner of the Stratosphere, reported a net loss today of $1.8 million during the third quarter of 2009, which improved from a net loss of $8 million in the same period of 2008.
Executives outline use of interactive media at Las Vegas conference
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009
With social media taking hold as a valuable marketing tool around the globe, Las Vegas tourism businesses are developing techniques to ensure they aren’t left behind.
Make company culture a first priority and the rest — including marketing and customer service — will fall into place. That was the message Zappos Chief Executive Officer Tony Hsieh hoped to drive home with entrepreneurs and marketing executives at Tuesday’s keynote address at PubCon 2009, an annual social media and search marketing conference.
Nevada has racked up six more hospitality honors, the Forbes Travel Guide announced today. The Forbes Travel Guide, formerly known as the Mobil Travel Guide, unveiled its four- and five-star recipients for its first-edition travel guides. The brand transfer from Mobil to Forbes was announced earlier this fall.
The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino saw higher revenue during the third quarter of 2009 with the addition of its Paradise hotel tower and an expanded concert venue, the property reported in a filing today with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
New additions bring number of Nevada properties on list to 13
Friday, Nov. 6, 2009
Las Vegas is home to three more AAA Five Diamond winners, AAA Travel announced today. Nevada and Florida tied by adding three properties to the list -- more than any other state. The latest additions include The Ritz-Carlton at Lake Las Vegas, Encore Las Vegas and the Palazzo in the hotel category. Nevada now has eight Five Diamond properties, trailing only California and Florida. Other resorts earning the coveted award are repeat winners. The Bellagio has received the award for nine consecutive years while the Skylofts and Wynn Las Vegas both have won for the last four.
Las Vegas-based casino operator Ameristar Casinos reported relatively unchanged profit during the third quarter despite a drop in the company’s revenue.
Hours after his resort sold out of tickets for Garth Brooks’ first 20 shows, Steve Wynn instituted an unusual anti-scalping procedure that has angered fans and ticket brokers alike.