Category Archives: Encore

Cosmo: the morning after; “Sinatra” too sexy?

Posted on December 16, 2010 by David McKee

Although I’m still feeling somewhat the worse for wear from last night’s Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opening-night bacchanalia, a quick observations are in order. Filled with people, Cosmo’s virtues are magnified, its vices minimized (with one glaring exception to which … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Encore, Entertainment, Macau, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Steve Wynn, TV | 5 Comments

F-blew: The incredible bulk

Posted on October 25, 2010 by David McKee

A friend of S&G was recently staying at Wynncore and got this rude surprise when he looked out his north-facing window: No, somebody didn’t topple the Stratosphere in the dead of night. So immense is the unfinished hulk of Fontainebleau … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Economy, Encore, Fontainebleau, Goldman Sachs, history, Planet Hollywood, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 6 Comments

Glass menagerie

Posted on October 15, 2010 by David McKee

In this absolutely brand-new video clip, Encore designer Roger Thomas provides a backstory on the inspiration and fabrication for the chandeliers in the casino. The follow-up video ought to be Steve Wynn explaining why the Macao-style division of the casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Current, Encore, Movies, TV | 3 Comments

CityCenter gets a visitor, deploys Vdara Death Ray

Posted on September 28, 2010 by David McKee

He’s not just any sightseer but the type of East Coast tastemaker MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren hoped to impress: New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger. Heretofore, Goldberger’s most memorable pronouncement in re Vegas came 13 years ago, when … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Cretins, Current, Encore, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, history, Marketing, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tribal, TV, Vdara Death Ray, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Snooki Nation

Posted on September 17, 2010 by David McKee

Like it or not, this is the new Las Vegas, folks. If you don’t want to be trampled by the douchebagerie, you probably shouldn’t come here. Last night, Encore‘s casino floor and hallway looked like a Jersey Shores casting call. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Current, Election, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Morgans Hotel Group, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 4 Comments

Harrah’s does it again (and again … and again)

Posted on September 9, 2010 by David McKee

Hey, Gary Loveman, don’t let the doorknob hit you in the butt as you skedaddle out of Kansas for the second time.  Ever-fickle, Harrah’s Entertainment turned tail and ran from the Sunflower State on the very date its Wichita-area proposal … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, California, Current, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Shuffle Master, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 6 Comments

Venetian Oriental delayed again; Wynn & Drai divorce

Posted on August 27, 2010 by David McKee

Worker-recruitment problems in Macao are worse than Las Vegas Sands has been letting on. The company has now re-postponed its $4 billion, 6,000-room Venetian Oriental into late 2011, with its second phase debuting in mid-2012. The company’s verbiage, however, raises … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Encore, Entertainment, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Gone baby, gone

Posted on August 5, 2010 by David McKee

“[T]he confidence that ­property prices and stock markets would permanently defy gravity” is a phrase that perfectly encapsulates how the casino industry got itself into its present pickle. In what other mindset could an industry convince itself that it could … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Environment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, history, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 22, 2010 by David McKee

“The commission’s vision for revitalizing Atlantic City is encouraging. One thing we know is we can no longer use Band-Aid approaches in an attempt to heal a city suffering with a gaping wound.” — state Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D), … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Encore, Politics, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Recovery? Not in the cards

Posted on July 19, 2010 by David McKee

Month after month of discouraging data from around the country makes it clear that any recovery in the casino industry is a long way off, perhaps years. Heck, just getting back to 2007 levels of prosperity doesn’t take into account … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 7 Comments

Margaritaville on the rocks

Posted on July 15, 2010 by David McKee

Long-serving — and long-suffering — Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway has lost patience with Harrah’s Entertainment. He is convinced that the metamorphosis of Grand Casino Biloxi into Margaritaville Casino is kaput and that Harrah’s will tear down what little it has … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Animals, Archon Corp., Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Charity, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Encore, Environment, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, Harrah's, Holy Cow, Indiana, International, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Movies, Pennsylvania, Pets, Phil Ruffin, Planet Hollywood, Plaza, Riviera, Sahara, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 5 Comments

That tricky Steve Wynn

Posted on June 11, 2010 by David McKee

As you probably saw on Twitter or LVA yesterday, Wynncore has quietly introduced a $20 “resort fee,” joining the parade of dishonor that includes practically everyone not named Harrah’s Entertainment or — believe it or not — Tamares Group. (Keeping … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, Taxes, The Strip | 8 Comments

Steve Wynn scores 50 grand

Posted on June 4, 2010 by David McKee

If this story, heard through the grapevine, isn’t true then it should be: Supposedly, on opening weekend at Encore Beach Club business was sufficiently brisk that bungalows were fetching as much as $20,000 apiece. One man was so desperate — … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Encore, Entertainment, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 3 Comments

Case Bets: Station, Macao, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, Encore 2x, etc.

Posted on June 1, 2010 by David McKee

$864.5 million: That’s the magic number if you want to put in an opening bid on 11 Station Casinos properties (plus unspecified land and some tribal-casino-management contracts) come Aug. 6. Boyd Gaming‘s already made it clear that it’s good for … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Bally Technologies, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Isle of Capri, Macau, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

A clarification, a continuation & a poll

Posted on March 25, 2010 by David McKee

Firstly, in defense of both LVA and our research department, they’ve been following the subject of resort fees since the June 16, 2007 Question of the Day. These past couple of weeks we’ve been trying to get a handle on … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Current, Dining, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Snakes in a casino

Posted on March 22, 2010 by David McKee

For those of you curious about the progress of Wynn Resorts‘ makeover of Encore‘s atrium into Encore Beach Club and accompanying nightclub Surrender, a source close to Steve Wynn‘s design shop leaked a few renderings to VegasTripping.com. If giant snakes … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Encore, Entertainment, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 2 Comments

Dare to compare

Posted on March 12, 2010 by David McKee

This compare-and-contrast montage of MGM Grand Macau, Wynn Macau and Sociedade de Jogos de Macau‘s Grand Lisboa provides a mini-education. At first blush, the MGM property looks a mite too fancy for its own good, though it compares favorably to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Encore, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 2 Comments

Garth: That’s the way it is

Posted on January 28, 2010 by David McKee

Amid all the ink that’s been spilled about the phenomenon that is Garth Brooks at Wynncore, we have a winner. No review is more eloquent, detailed or well-observed than the one newly penned by my estimable CityLife colleague Mike Prevatt. … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Economy, Election, Encore, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Oscar Goodman, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Wayne F. Newton | 1 Comment

CityCenter: succes d’estime

Posted on December 18, 2009 by David McKee

Enough procrastination! Such is the immensity and information overload that is CityCenter, that it may be some time before this spectator can fully wrap his brain around what is — for better or worse — the Strip’s equivalent to that … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Current, Detroit, Dining, Encore, IGT, International, MGM Mirage, Movies, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 7 Comments

Torrents of Greed

Posted on December 14, 2009 by David McKee

A few random musings … MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren can wax eloquent on the subject of sustainable development but I suspect that any pensées he might have offered Dubai World on the subject would have been pearls before swine. … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, CityCenter, Current, Dubai, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Environment, Harrah's, International, Marketing, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Wall Street | 2 Comments