Category Archives: CityCenter

Did my eyes deceive me …

Posted on March 8, 2010 by David McKee

… or was that the skeleton of Echelon which was used to illustrate Nevada’s economic woes in the TV spot that Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) is running this week? That’s no outrage in and of itself: Echelon was a casualty … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Harry Reid, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, TV | 2 Comments

Case Bets: Loveman & ladies’ shoes, CityCenter, Singapore, the Palms and Wayne Newton

Posted on February 26, 2010 by David McKee

Naptime in the casino. If American casinos are less frenetic than those of, say, Macao, the gambling culture in Singapore is very relaxed indeed. Fancy a catnap at your slot machine? No problem! Oh, to see the expression on Sheldon … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Genting, George Maloof, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, TV, Wall Street | 4 Comments

New Donny in town

Posted on February 25, 2010 by David McKee

As in Clay, Donny Clay, played by the versatile Jason Alexander in The Donny Clay Experience. This delightful one-man show will be a peripatetic and hopefully long-lived visitor to Planet Hollywood … unless Gary Loveman‘s crony Frank Biondi (ex-Viacom CEO) … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, George Maloof, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Movies, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

Case Bets: “Viva Elvis,” Loveman in Macao, Icahn in A.C., etc.

Posted on February 24, 2010 by David McKee

Viva Elvis vs. Love. The Sun‘s John Katsilometes pivots it to a question of “Whose music is better?” I’m not going there but I think he really nails why one show seemed right up Cirque du Soleil‘s alley while the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Indiana, International, Isle of Capri, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 5 Comments

Case Bets: Wynn in Philly, topless in Vegas, Pegasus crashes

Posted on February 22, 2010 by David McKee

It’s a slow news day in the industry, though not without its amusing elements. For instance, the Philadelphia Inquirer devoted a significant amount of ink to the weighty question of whether half-dozen casinos in the greater Philly area might be … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cannery Casino Resorts, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal | 1 Comment

‘Viva Elvis’: It’s here and …

Posted on February 22, 2010 by David McKee

… it’s one giant, steaming heap of merde. Cirque du Soleil is clearly just doing this one for the bread and it shows. Desert Companion Editor Andrew Kiraly‘s baneful summation of Cirque’s oeuvre as “arid pretension” never seemed more appropriate. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 6 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 20, 2010 by David McKee

“One [cowboy] draws a pistol and fires a shot into a campfire, which bursts into flames. It’s terrific fun, but when we think of Elvis, is a cowpoke spinning a flaming lasso something that springs to mind? I mean, if … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 1 Comment

Canaries in the coal mine

Posted on February 16, 2010 by David McKee

A minor brouhaha has been playing out in the pages of Howard Stutz‘s blog. Last Friday, Susquehanna Financial Group apparently sacked gaming analyst Robert LaFleur. “[D]ue to the departure of the analyst from the firm,” said SFG, with faultless deadpan … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Now it’s Aria, too

Posted on February 16, 2010 by David McKee

CityCenter‘s new locals-friendly policy has extended to the Aria spa. Unlike the Vdara offer announced last week, this one is good Sun.-Thurs. only but still a 25% discount is not be sneezed at, is it? Hopefully, MGM Mirage has done … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off

IGT quits Japan; Vdara goes bargain-friendly; Singapore opens

Posted on February 11, 2010 by David McKee

After losing $21 million in Japan last year, IGT is saying a not-so-fond farewell to the Land of the Rising Sun. Its sales of pachislot machines had been in decline and were nowhere near the volume needed to reach break-even. … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Genting, IGT, International, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Torino’s big gamble

Posted on February 9, 2010 by David McKee

At a time when the bottom has fallen out of Las Vegas Strip land prices what possessed Brett Torino to make an uncontested, above-market bid for a small and awkwardly configured piece of Strip real estate? Before we get to … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Economy, Harrah's, International, MGM Mirage, Pinnacle Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, Steve Wynn | 8 Comments

A funny thing happened …

Posted on February 8, 2010 by David McKee

I was touring the Erotic Heritage Museum, when my guide, doctoral student Amanda Morgan, made the following observation: “As you know, Nevada is very conservative. If you look at the population of people in Las Vegas and looked at the … Continue reading →

Posted in California, CityCenter, Election, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Politics, The Strip, TV | 4 Comments

Calling all S&G readers

Posted on January 28, 2010 by David McKee

We’ve got a problem and could use your help. Mandarin Oriental gave me eight-plus minutes of great B-roll footage. Trouble is, it’s silent and I lack the Mac wizardry to lay some appropriately trippy (think Tangerine Dream) music behind it, … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Technology, The Strip, TV | Comments Off

Two minutes at Mandarin Oriental

Posted on January 27, 2010 by David McKee

It can’t be as cool as it looks, right? Trust me … it’s cooler.

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Dining, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

Ghost town

Posted on January 22, 2010 by David McKee

Economic forecasting is a forbiddingly tricky science but you still have to wonder what convinced MGM Mirage that there was either A) an unabated market for ultra-high-end retail in Las Vegas or B) that such demand as already existed could … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, George Maloof, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tourism | 7 Comments

From the mail bag

Posted on January 20, 2010 by David McKee

“How is that nobody seems to be giving (dis)credit where it’s due regarding the failure of the Monorail? It’s pretty simple — the damn thing is too far from the Strip. If you’re standing on the corner in front of … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off

If you’re not in Vegas today …

Posted on January 18, 2010 by David McKee

… you’re not missing anything, I’m afraid. The skies are battleship gray and likely to remain so the rest of the week, dampening attendance at CityCenter‘s pocket park. On the other hand, that’s perfect weather to stay indoors and gamble, … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Labor, Pets, The Strip | Comments Off

Planet Ho abdicates to Harrah’s

Posted on January 15, 2010 by David McKee

Sheraton Operating Corp. is bugging out of Planet Hollywood Resort — which has already lost some of its top management — and handing the keys to Harrah’s Entertainment. The latter will have something of a challenge filling the nearly 2,500 … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, International, Marketing, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, Wall Street | 4 Comments

From the S&G Twitter feed …

Posted on January 14, 2010 by David McKee

• Fertittas sell 10% of UFC to Abu Dhabi, new LV sugar daddy, presumably to stave off [Boyd Gaming] takeover of [Station Casinos]. http://tinyurl.com/yzhbmv2 • [Penn National Gaming] gets deadline extension in [Kansas]. http://tinyurl.com/yawfuqk • Aria room rates continue to … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Florida, International, Kansas, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal, TV | 5 Comments

This just in …

Posted on January 13, 2010 by David McKee

A colleague writes … “Aliante Station is currently charging more than Caesars Palace for rooms???* No wonder Station Casinos are in trouble! What kind of a “special offer” is $135/night?!” (* … and only $4 less than Vdara.)

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Station Casinos, The Strip | 1 Comment