Absolutely, according to MGM Resorts International. You will still be able to take the tram to or from Monte Carlo, and still stop at either CityCenter or Bellagio. Rather than close Monte Carlo for reinvention as Park MGM, the company will conduct a rolling renovation of the property, floor by floor, intruding on the guest experience as little as possible … we hope. (Some public spaces will have to close and, indeed, a few already have.)
MGM has budgeted $450 million and two and a half years for the project, an unhurried timetable. What we now know as Monte Carlo will be bifurcated into Park MGM – 2,700 rooms and suites – and a NoMad boutique hotel of 292 rooms, the latter a creation of Sydell Group (although MGM will ultimately manage both). "The arrival of NoMad also brings some new dining concepts to the Strip. Chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara will bring Eataly, an Italian marketplace with cafes, to-go counters, and full-service restaurants providing products from Italian and local producers," reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Why the remake? MGM President Bill Hornbuckle told Casino Life magazine that it was part of an ongoing series of changes that had not only seen the creation of CityCenter but also the remake of the New York-New York façade to open that property onto the Las Vegas Strip. "Monte Carlo has always been a great location. The brand itself, of all of our brands, has been the one that has least resonated, every time we do brand surveys. The asset was pretty vanilla and it had been there awhile without a whole lot of refurbishment," Hornbuckle explained. He added that what MGM's portfolio was missing – and what The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas had nailed – was providing a gathering spot for Millennials to get a fix of "urban chic."
MGM isn't stopping at Monte Carlo, either. Bellagio's casino floor will be redone and the company is engaging in skull sessions to make the MGM Grand façade more pedestrian-friendly. Underused acreage in front of Excalibur and Luxor will also be re-examined in due time.
As for Monte Carlo, "I’m more excited about this than many projects we’ve worked on because it really is a holistic reimagining of an entire resort, not just a room-remodel project or adding a couple of new restaurants here and there or putting down new carpet in the casino," MGM CEO Jim Murren told the R-J.
At the moment, the exact look of Park MGM remains a little vague (even MGM's own renderings reveal little that doesn't look like present-day Monte Carlo). Some idea of what NoMad might bring to the party may be gleaned from its signature New York hotel, a rehabilitation of a Beaux Arts-style building from the early 20th century. For its part, MGM promises it "will touch every element of the property … [building] upon the property’s history, incorporating its European design influences while retaining a powerful connection to The Park just next door … Clean lines will define the architecture of each space, combined with classically inspired European furnishings and a robust art program, which is core to both companies’ design philosophies."
You'll get a foretaste of the new-look Monte Carlo when the 5,300-seat Park Theater opens later this year. At any rate, if you want to get there without braving Strip traffic, either vehicular or pedestrian, rest assured that the tram will remain at your service for the foreseeable future.
