In another pure, non-gaming play, Caesars Entertainment has disclosed plans to build a hotel at Scottsdale Fashion Square, in Arizona. “The 11-story glass structure, with 266 
guest rooms, will be called Caesars Republic Scottsdale and will be the company’s first non-gaming hotel in the U.S.,” reports AZ Central. The hotel aspires to four-status and its actual operation, interestingly, will be farmed out to Aimbridge Hospitality. Caesars is primarily lending its land and — this is crucial — its Total Rewards membership program. So Caesars-friendly guests can rack up loyalty points without even visiting a casino. Since completion is not expected until 2021 it shouldn’t be a surprise that matters like cost, size of workforce and hiring dates are still up in the air at this point,
What can be disclosed is that there will be a rooftop pool and bar, five luxury suites, five meeting rooms and a 7,000-square-foot, column-less ballroom that can be repurposed as additional meeting space. Given the demand for luxury hotel product at the moment, CEO Mark Frissora is definitely on the right path in diversifying the Caesars brand beyond gambling. Caesars is also hosting 15 Super Bowl viewing parties from coast to coast. How the worm has turned from the days when casinos didn’t dare risk the wrath of the NFL by celebrating “the Big Game.”
* Bloomberg weighs in, a tad late, on the battle for control of Stanley Ho‘s inheritance. However, it supplies a useful family tree of Stanley’s four wives and 17 children. Second wife Lucina Laam appears to have had the business gene, as she mothered Pansy Ho, Daisy Ho and Lawrence Ho, the three most successful of the vast brood.
* Station Casinos is getting the Palms‘ new identity off with a bang, launching it with an “entertainment experience” called KAOS. Cardi B will headline a talent roster that includes Kaskade and English electronic-music group Above & Beyond. And that’s just for starters. “The opening of KAOS is a cornerstone element in our plan to return Palms to its rightful status as the premier gaming and entertainment destination in Las Vegas for both residents and tourists alike,” said General Manager Jon Gray. It’s too soon to say ‘Mission accomplished’ by Gray and his bosses have taken a big step toward their destination.
* Netflix is persona non grata in Hollywood but it’s become standard fare at Hilton Hotels. Guests in any of the chain’s 1,800 “Connected” rooms (with more to come) will have automatic access to the streaming service, which is also accessible through the Hilton Honors application. If you have a Netflix account at home, you can even leave off watching a movie there and pick it up in midstream (literally) at a participating Hilton. “We know our guests want to feel connected while traveling, just as they do at home, so we’re giving them seamless access to their favorite Netflix shows, films and specials while on the road,” said Chief Digital Officer Noelle Eder. Job well done.
