Category Archives: Tourism

Only in Vegas

Posted on December 6, 2011 by David McKee

So you’re running in the Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and, as you pass the Riviera, your hamstrings burning you like a Donald Trump real estate scheme, you have a sudden urge to lay some bread on that … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Colorado, Donald Trump, Marketing, Massachusetts, Riviera, Sports, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Only in Vegas

Sanguine Sands; Genting vs. Islamofascism; Arkansas vs. Missouri

Posted on November 23, 2011 by David McKee

Las Vegas Sands dispatched its international overseer, Rob Goldstein (right) and sidekick Dan Briggs to New York as envoys to Wall Street. As reported by J.P. Morgan‘s Joseph Greff, Sands’ outlook is sanguine, particularly with regard to the Singapore and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Economy, Election, Florida, Genting, Goldman Sachs, International, Macau, Massachusetts, Missouri, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Hold that recovery!

Posted on November 17, 2011 by David McKee

Just when things were looking good … I mean, after many a premature prediction of economic recovery, room-rate trends on the Las Vegas Strip were looking like change in which one could believe. J.P. Morgan projections for the fourth quarter … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 4 Comments

Atlantic City: Fertitta struggling, Gomes triumphing, Boyd steady

Posted on November 10, 2011 by David McKee

No surprise that Borgata remains in a class by itself among Atlantic City resorts. It finished October at 0.0% deviance from last year, as flat as “flat” can be. The lone gainer in the market was Resorts Atlantic City, up … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Current, Dennis Gomes, Detroit, Donald Trump, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, New York, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Sahara 2.0: Nazarian gets real

Posted on November 2, 2011 by David McKee

Chuck Monster had this right on the money: He called Sahara owner Sam Nazarian‘s bluff over and over and over again on the latter’s luxury-megaresort predictions for the aging, shuttered property. Today, the Clark County Commission took the wraps off … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Current, Economy, Fontainebleau, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Riviera, Sahara, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 5 Comments

Going home again; Hotel Hell: The sequel

Posted on November 1, 2011 by David McKee

Here’s a casino-development story with several personal angles. When I lived in Minneapolis and wrote from the since-defunct Twin Cities Reader, my publisher was R.T. Rybak. Now he’s mayor of the city and is trying to hold onto the perennially … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Culinary Union, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Isle of Capri, Lyle Berman, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Minnesota, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism | 4 Comments

There’s life after the Mob Experience

Posted on November 1, 2011 by David McKee

So the Las Vegas Mob Experience has sacked 90% of its staff, cut ticket prices by 75% (making it a bargain play), had its malfunctioning “interactive” exhibits repossessed by a creditor, closed off the theme-park portion of the attraction and … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Entertainment, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Domino effects

Posted on October 31, 2011 by David McKee

“Prior to the official opening, a 60-minute opening ceremony was held outside of the main entrance to the casino, where local and state politicians patted each other on the back for finally getting the casino opened, a mere 10 years … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Culinary Union, Current, Detroit, Economy, Election, Florida, Harrah's, Horseracing, Isle of Capri, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Regulation, Singapore, Slot routes, Taxes, Tourism, Tribal | 1 Comment

Is MGM Grand Detroit too successful for its own good?

Posted on October 28, 2011 by David McKee

From a labor-relations standpoint, yes. Although workers at Greektown Casino were quick to ratify a new collective-bargaining agreement, closely followed by MotorCity Casino, it was a different story across town. Employees of MGM Grand Detroit decided their union reps were … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Detroit, Economy, Election, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

iTrump, scandal, Sachs and tax

Posted on October 21, 2011 by David McKee

Cyber-Trump. Faux ex-presidential candidate and NBC-TV comedy star Donald Trump has made his views known on Internet gambling … like anybody cares. Prepare for a shocker, folks. The Donald is — Gasp! — in favor of it. There was, of … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Cretins, Culinary Union, Current, Detroit, Don Barden, Economy, Election, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

MSM tunes Steve Wynn out

Posted on October 20, 2011 by David McKee

Has Steve Wynn jumped the shark? That is a question I never, ever thought I’d be asking. But an interesting thing happened in the wake of Winn Wynn Resorts‘ most recent conference call. Toward the end, he went on his … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Carl Icahn, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Florida, Harrah's, history, Illinois, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Plaza, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 5 Comments

What’s said in Vegas …

Posted on October 18, 2011 by David McKee

Confronted with a bunch of mossbacked codgers (the Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial board) and a backwater newspaper whilst warming up for his Venetian gig tonight, Mitt Romney must have figured he had the luxury of thinking aloud. What happens here, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Election, G2E, Lake Las Vegas, LVCVA, Sheldon Adelson, Tourism, TV | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 13, 2011 by David McKee

“You can’t legislate everything in life. People [from Massachusetts] are gaming in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Las Vegas and Atlantic City.” — state Rep. Paul K. Frost (R-Auburn), speaking in support of Massachusetts’ nascent casino industry.

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Massachusetts, Politics, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 7, 2011 by David McKee

“Tourists come here and think Vegas is fantasy land; they don’t think of us as a working-class city, but we are. They just think we’re here to clean up their vomit after they leave.” — Sannette Gutierrez to a reporter … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, The Strip, Tourism | 4 Comments

Scent of a douchebag

Posted on September 29, 2011 by David McKee

Too bad R&R Partners and the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority didn’t think up this ad first. It’s actually captures the spirit of roaming-herd and mating-ritual behaviors seen every weekend on the Las Vegas Strip and now manifesting themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Downtown, Entertainment, LVCVA, Marketing, Morgans Hotel Group, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Scent of a douchebag

Bus ride of the damned

Posted on September 28, 2011 by David McKee

After hearing horror stories like this one, is it any wonder that would-be Las Vegas tourists choose to claw their way up and down I-15 by car rather than trust themselves to the tender mercies of mass transit? This just … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Dining, Marketing, Pets, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 28, 2011 by David McKee

“I left the toothpaste at home. Every time I’ve tried to put a tube in my bag, alarms go off, and I get body searched, and I have to take everything out of my bag — and then they ask … Continue reading →

Posted in Tourism, Transportation | 2 Comments

Tropicana of Cancer; Bucking the system

Posted on September 27, 2011 by David McKee

Alex Yemenidjian‘s efforts to reboot the Tropicana Las Vegas are sputtering quite badly these days. First, there’s the much-reported mess that is the Mob Experience, currently on the lam from foreclosure. Then a three-month extension of Gladys Knight‘s A Mic … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Current, Entertainment, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Neil Bluhm, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

G2E 2011: No big deal?

Posted on September 27, 2011 by David McKee

I’ve been debating whether or not to give Global Gaming Expo a pass this year and this morning’s dispatch from Deutsche Bank‘s Carlo Santarelli didn’t exactly quicken my pulse. His prediction? A “quiet” G2E, due to slow growth in the … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, G2E, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on G2E 2011: No big deal?

Coming attractions

Posted on September 22, 2011 by David McKee

Yes, there’s all manner of excitement and intrigue going on in the gaming world — like Las Vegas Sands issuing a dividend to shareholders — but I’ve not had much time for the S&G beat. With everyone at LVA HQ … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, MGM Mirage, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Coming attractions