It was almost a year ago that Nevada Restaurant Services, owners of the Dotty's slot "tavern" chain that now seems to have a venue in every strip mall in town, confirmed that they had purchased the outlying Hacienda Hotel & Casino, located 3 1/2 miles from the Hoover Dam and 2 1/2 miles from gambling-free Boulder City.
The amount paid for the property, acquired from Lakeview Co., has not been disclosed, but it lies on an 11-acre plot, plus it comes with control of another 21 acres on the opposite side of the highway. It was the company's first investment in a hotel-casino, and at the time of the announcement Dotty’s owner and founder Craig Estey excitedly promised a complete renovation of the 370-room property, which is to be rebranded as the Hoover Dam Lodge.
In November, the new owners took possession and wasted little time getting their plans underway: By mid-December the buffet and the pit, minus one lone blackjack table, had already been shut down, and from Dec. 22-28 the hotel was closed down to begin the remodel. It was scheduled to reopen as the Hoover Dam Lodge in time for last New Year's, but then nothing more was heard of the project. Like you, our curiosity was rekindled when we learned about Nevada Restaurant Services' purchase of the River Palms in Laughlin last week, so we checked out the website and then gave them a call.
Our first surprise was to find that the "website" (the term seems a little grandiose for what comprises a sum total of six very basic pages) was still totally branded for the Hacienda, with only a discreet link to Dotty's.com. So, we called, and were informed that the change to Hoover Dam Lodge is now not going to take place until all the renovations are complete -- in an estimated three years from now! Apparently, in addition to an total overhaul to the accommodations, the building is being extended, with the possible addition of more rooms, plus there will be more retail added on-site. For now, dining options consist of the Hacienda's coffee shop and steakhouse, but there's talk of bringing back the buffet. As to the casino, it's not yet been decided if it will remain slots-only, as is currently the case, or if Dotty's will apply for a license to operate table games. On the land across the street, meanwhile, they're going to construct a truck stop, a gas station, and an RV park.
So, now you know what's going on, as do we!
