Question of the Day - 08 September 2023

"The Durango," as we're calling it hereabouts, is opening on Monday November 20, after all the Las Vegas Grand Prix hoopla is in the rear-view mirror and the four-day Thanksgiving weekend is just ahead.

We don't have all the details of what justifies the $780 million price tag (we guess you missed the price rise announced last March, due to an expansion of the casino to accommodate another 360 slots). But from what we've seen so far, it looks like a place that will attract upscale patrons from the fast-growing southwest valley and visitors who want a Strip-like experience without having to deal with the Strip itself (and paid parking). 

Announced so far are an 85,000-square-foot casino and sports book, 15-story hotel tower with 211 rooms, and 15 restaurants, but that's a bit misleading, since 10 of them are outlets in the food hall. A casino lounge and of course a hidden speakeasy round out the interior, with three restaurant patios and a pool area on the grounds. 

Summer House comes close to a coffee shop, though its proprietor is the group in charge of Mon Ami Gabi and Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris, so it certainly won't have coffee-shop prices. Also, it won't be open for breakfast, only lunch, dinner, and a weekend brunch. We're not sure of the hours of the Market, which according to the rendering will be at the Summer House entrance and serve coffee and continental-breakfast items.

Mijo ("My Dear" or "Sweetheart") will be the "modern" Mexican restaurant, featuring seafood, street food, and tequila and mezcal. Both Mijo and Summer House will have patios for outdoor dining.

The George Sportsmen's Lounge will be "a complete re-imagination of the sports betting experience,” a 24/7 restaurant, bar, and entertainment venue adjoining the sports book, with "bartop gaming, sports viewing on 60-plus TVs and a 56-foot LED screen, full-service dining, a patio with games (cornhole, shuffleboard), bottle service, a stage for live entertainment, and on-premises betting kiosks." Some food from the George will be available at the sports book. As for the menu, it'll be soup and salad, flatbread, sandwiches and burgers, and entrees; weekends, a brunch will be served on the patio with live music. 

Then there's the food hall, Eat Your Heart Out. The 25,000-square-foot space will offer 11 food and drink eateries. Outlets of local establishments include Yu-Or-Mi Sushi, Shang Artisan Noodle, a facsimile of Palace Station's popular oyster bar, Nielsen’s Frozen Custard, and Vesta Coffee. New to Las Vegas will be Fiorella (Italian) from chef Marc Vetri; Irv’s Burgers, founded in L.A. in 1946; Uncle Paulie’s (deli) with three locations in southern California; Prince Street Pizza from Manhattan's Soho district; Ai Pono Cafe (Hawaiian) from a local "Top Chef"; and DRNK, the centerpiece bar.

The Bel-Aire Lounge will be the cocktail bar with live DJ entertainment just off the casino floor. 

And you almost can't open a new resort in Vegas these days without a hidden speakeasy. This one, Wax Rabbit, will be accessed through Mijo. You can get an idea of the preferred speakeasy clientele by the locker room near the entrance, where patrons can rent lockers for storing tequila. Reportedly, each locker will come with a rabbit's head, one of which opens the hidden door to the bar. 

As for the $780 million, it wasn't spent on the land; Station bought the 51 acres in 2000 for $37 million. They also bought another 30 acres later, but sold off  two parcels of 10 and 21 acres to residential developers; the 21 acres sold in 2021 fetched $23.9 million.

We suspect that at least some and probably a lot of the money is going into the upscale feel of the place. The Durango won't, for example, have a movie theater, bowling lanes, arcade, or kid-care center like Station's other properties and though there's plenty of room to expand to include such amenities, they're certainly not factored into the initial price tag.

In the meantime, we'll see the other ways in which Station is investing three-quarters of a bil in the Durango on November 20.