How Will Guests Access Hotels during Formula 1?

I have a question about the Formula 1 race coming in November. Looking at the track, it appears that some hotels on the Strip will be locked in. Meaning there's no way to access them during the events via car. How will you be able to access hotels like Wynn, Venetian, Paris, and more?

Simple. Hotel guests' cars will cross the track to access the hotel-casino driveways. Of course, they'll have to dodge 20,000-horsepower race cars coming at them at 230 miles per hour on the straightaways. But hey, it's Vegas. Party on! It'll be exciting for the racers, the hotel guests and employees, and especially the spectators.

Just kidding, of course.

And you pose a very good question, given that the Clark County Commission recently granted F1 access to the Strip through 2032; that includes street closures starting on the Wednesday before the race and running through the Sunday following the race. So the race "weekend" will last four-plus days of some closures and detours, while the entire nearly four-mile course will be off-limits for, perhaps, the 24 hours surrounding the race itself.

Also, as you say, hotel-casinos on the east side of the Strip will be locked in from both sides, since the race course runs both in front (on the Strip) and in back (on Koval) of them.

As for how guests will get to their hotels during that time period, that's an open question so far.

Caesars Entertainment, for example, writes on its website, "Specific routes for arriving to the hotel(s) will be announced at a later date and provided to hotel guests via a pre-stay email approximately 7 days prior to their stay." The statement added, "All resorts will be accessible by foot during race weekend" (emphasis our own).

Which doesn't exactly fill us with confidence that there'll be any access at all for cars, which include those of hotel guests and employees and race spectators with ticket packages.

In an interview by Motorsports magazine with F1's project manager, Oliver Liedgens, of the California-based Tilke Engineeers & Architects, claiming to be "the world's leading company for racetrack design and test facilities," admitted, "Traffic management and logistics will be the biggest challenge around the event. Access will have to be kept available for as long as possible."

Reading between those lines, we infer that access will have to be shut down entirely at some point.

Liedgens noted, "We have to make sure that we open the streets and everything pretty fast after the event."

Still, Formula 1, Tilke, the LVCVA, and the resorts are well aware of the enormity of the challenges. "Local architects are helping us to find solutions with the authorities," Liedgens said. "So this will work."

So far, we see that it "will work" for the race, hotels, and Las Vegas economy, though the "regular people" are sure to be inconvenienced. To what degree remains to be seen.

If we were staying on the east side of the Strip between MGM Grand and Wynn, we'd plan to park in the hotel garage on Wednesday and walk everywhere through Sunday afternoon at least. Or we'd park outside the race course somewhere and walk to and from the car. But not, of course, during the race.

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Comments

Jackie Mar-24-2023

Also

It will be the greatest opportunity for any type of terrorist attack upon those isolated areas as EMT, Police, and Fire responders would be delayed until race is stopped.

So, has Metro already figured this out and made plans for some responders to be isolated inside the same area?

rokgpsman Mar-24-2023

F1 mess

Sounds like an opportunity for the LV Monorail, people can ride it from the Sahara Station southward to the Strip hotels such as MGM, Harrah's, Flamingo, Bally's (Horseshoe).

Dave_Miller_DJTB Mar-24-2023

Getting in / out

"Park outside of the race course and walk to the car." Seriously? WHERE?

The monorail, with expanded operation hours, is going to be a major key to this puzzle. Plus extra bus service to the MGM and Sahara/convention center stops to aid tourists and staff getting in and out.

I'm more concerned with medical emergencies. Sure, if there was a crash, and a driver needed an ambulance, not a problem during the red flag period. But would they stop the race to allow an ambulance to get thru for a civilian's emergency?

[email protected] Mar-24-2023

Richard

It is going to be closed off for more than just the day of the race. As your News report about the Cromwell's race offerings state, there are practice days and qualifying events before the race day. There will be at least intermittent full closures of the race course for at least the four days Wednesday-Saturday. There will also no doubt be partial closures and restrictions for days both before and after the event while race barriers, etc are placed and removed.

CLIFFORD Mar-24-2023

AFTER RACECARS

WHY NOT HAVE HORSE RACES FOR 4 DAYS...ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE MONEY FOR THE STARVING CASINOS.  PEOPLE COULD CROSS THE STREETS BETWEEN RACES...

gaattc2001 Mar-24-2023

Everything I hear about this race...

reinforces the impression that it's going to be a world-class boondoggle. Probably a good idea to just avoid Las Vegas entirely for the event itself and for about a month on either side of it.

Surprised Kevin hasn't chimed in yet....

Kevin Lewis Mar-24-2023

Go anywhere else

1. Insanely high prices for everything all weekend. 2. Huge crowds. 3. Brutally difficult to get around. 4-100. As a spectator sport, Formula One racing is about as exciting as watching someone iron a t-shirt.

Now, if they had half the racers go clockwise and the other half go counterclockwise, I'd watch that.

William Franklin Mar-24-2023

William

This is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. I'm beginning to hate Las Vegas

Darkbeer Mar-24-2023

I got tickets

So took advantage of the AmEx presale, got $1,500 West Harmon Zone Grandstand seats. And a hotel reservation in Boulder City at about $100 a night (Wed-Mon). Now the F1 tickets were $3,500 for 2 with fees. Our plan now is park at the Sahara and use the Monorail, but of course, subject to change. 

As for how it will work out, well, they do a street circuit in Singapore each year, also Monaco and multiple other street circuits across the world. Here in SoCal, we have the Long Beach Grand Prix that takes over the main tourist roads without issue.

Will there be issues? Heck Yes. But there are road closures due to Taylor Swift/NCAA.

Rumbler Mar-26-2023

Not New For F1

I don't have the definitive answer BUT there is no issue F1 has not dealt with and resolved at other street circuits like Monica and Singapore. A full complement of first responders and equipment will no doubt be deployed "inside" the circuit. A small field hospital is required by the paddock per FIA rule anyway! At some circuits, it is reserved for racers and race staff, but at others, it is open to the public as well. They can install a temporary bridge to allow ambulances to go from one side to the next (been done before). For car access, both Monaco and Singapore allow road traffic on the circuit every day; the barriers around the circuit are built to be quick to move. In Monaco, roads are accessible until 2 hours before the race and 1 hour after . And if there is truly an emergency (e.g. Wynn goes up in flames), they will stop the race, it has happened before. Again, I don't know THE answer, but this is not a problem for F1, I don't even think this is the most complex setup.

Question of the Day - 24 March 2023

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