Category Archives: Tourism

Gorging at the trough

Posted on July 29, 2011 by David McKee

How do you turn a $100 million savings into a $92 million one? Leave it to Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman, that’s how. If you’ve noticed that the food quality at The Rio‘s Carnival World Buffet has declined (the “New … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Sports, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

No respect for CityCenter

Posted on July 28, 2011 by David McKee

CityCenter‘s public art collection (now with 100% fewer explanatory plaques!) and its “pocket park” get the spoof treatment from artist Justin Favela, as shown in this DIY video report by the Wall Street Journal‘s Alexandra Berzon, who dryly narrates.

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

For sale: One casino, slightly used; Golden showers in LV

Posted on July 26, 2011 by David McKee

Pity MGM Resorts International. It owns half of the top-grossing casino in Atlantic City and can’t give it away. Yup, as many feared, investor Leonard Green has slinked off into the tall grass, leaving MGM with 50% of Borgata it … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Cordish Co., Current, Entertainment, Environment, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | 2 Comments

Lost: Steve Wynn’s marbles

Posted on July 21, 2011 by David McKee

Oh Christ, Steve Wynn, grow up already. Busy Wall Street analysts were held hostage to a 433-word talk-radio tirade while they were probably itching to write up quarterly earnings reports. When other CEOs might have been bragging on an “amazing … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Boyd Gaming, California, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Economy, Florida, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Tourism | 5 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 20, 2011 by David McKee

“The hotel industry in Nevada, when it was the Lone Ranger, which it no longer is, it’s all over the world—it was selling, ‘Come here for excitement, for great entertainment, for great food, for great shopping.’ Anything to sell tourism—that … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Election, Oscar Goodman, Tourism | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Dog Days

Posted on July 18, 2011 by David McKee

Heading into August, hotel rates along the Strip appear to be in the doldrums, judging by figures published today by J.P. Morgan analysts. Weekday rates continue to recover, typified by Caesars Entertainment properties, and weekend ones continue to decline. So … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Encore, Environment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Movies, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

If you liked CityCenter …

Posted on July 14, 2011 by David McKee

… you’ll lurve the “ghost cities” of China. Actually, they look more like something Sheldon Adelson would design — if Adelson were doing mile-long lines of cocaine, that is. He and others like him who own casinos in Macao better … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Downtown, Dubai, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, International, Jack Binion, Macau, Marketing, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 2 Comments

Warriors of The Cosmo

Posted on July 13, 2011 by David McKee

If you can’t get people to the art … bring Art to the people.

Posted in Architecture, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Warriors of The Cosmo

Blast from the past

Posted on July 13, 2011 by David McKee

Thanks go out to reader Greg Askins for putting me onto this evocative TWA travel poster from 1965. Some of you might get a kick out of going back to a time when Yr. Humble Blogger was in short pants … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, history, Marketing, North Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

“Family friendly Vegas” is back; Putting the “gone” in Longoria; A mess in Mississippi

Posted on July 13, 2011 by David McKee

Actually, it never left, as any casual visit to the Strip will prove. But, strapped for a marketing position, Trump International is going for the wholesome niche with a vengeance. Stuck with a lemon, Trump marketing execs are making lemonade … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Architecture, CityCenter, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Politics, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 2 Comments

Shoe-fondling on the Strip

Posted on July 11, 2011 by David McKee

A casino as gaudy and glittery (and busy, visually and otherwise) as The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas may not be the ideal context for appreciating the subtleties of fine art. However, this isn’t a museum-friendly kind of town, so perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Entertainment, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Shoe-fondling on the Strip

Where there’s smoke …

Posted on July 7, 2011 by David McKee

Fighting For Air: Secondhand Smoke in Casinos from RPCI Health Behavior-Paul Hage on Vimeo. No question about it, the issue of secondhand smoke is the greatest moral dilemma before the casino industry … especially since eliminating it means making a … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 2 Comments

Anthony Marnell III answers your questions

Posted on July 6, 2011 by David McKee

Anonymous: What happened to the self-serve soda fountains? [They] actually became a Health Department issue. They’re very expensive to maintain and the public had basically worn them out. There were lots of problems with the syrup and things falling down … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, M Resort, Marketing, Penn National, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 6, 2011 by David McKee

“What does a Las Vegas resident do on the Fourth of July? I’ll tell you what a Vegas visitor does: He goes out on the Strip to look for imaginary fireworks.” — a visiting S&G reader, disappointed by the lack … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, TV | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

It was a dark and stormy night …

Posted on July 5, 2011 by David McKee

… when monsoon season arrived in Las Vegas on July 3, borne upon thunderstorms of exceptional. Caesars Palace had a fireworks display scheduled that evening and, at the appointed time, seemed to have nothing but a damp squib. However … … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Entertainment, Harrah's, North Las Vegas, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism | 5 Comments

ACH-ooo!; The Admiral’s last voyage

Posted on July 1, 2011 by David McKee

For the second time in a week, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has stripped its name from a Colony Capital casino-hotel. First to go was the Las Vegas Hilton, to be known next year as [your logo here]. Today comes news … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Dennis Gomes, Economy, Harrah's, history, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

St. Regis … still stumped; Quid pro Qua

Posted on June 28, 2011 by David McKee

Last autumn, Las Vegas Sands COO Michael Leven floated the idea of capping its St. Regis failsino at its current five-story height, admitting that the skeleton was an “eyesore” along the Strip. The “Stump Regis” was the subject of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, California, Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, Indiana, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Three inflatable objects …

Posted on June 27, 2011 by David McKee

… at the Flamingo Las Vegas pool area, last Saturday. One is a beach ball and the other two belong to Absinthe headliner Angel Porrino. Thank you, Caesars Entertainment, for giving me nightmares. My wife thinks the bikini top is … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Entertainment, Harrah's, Louisiana, Mississippi, Technology, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on June 27, 2011 by David McKee

“As an economy based almost solely on tourism and entertainment, Nevada — and especially Las Vegas — should accept reality, embrace the inevitable, repeal the state’s ban on gay marriage, and scarf up on the tourism bonanza that would result … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Hawaii, New York, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Genting’s amphibious strategy

Posted on June 24, 2011 by David McKee

There may not be Vegas-style casinos in Florida yet (at least not non-tribal ones) but Genting Bhd is taking a gamble of its own. While Sheldon Adelson talks about putting $3 billion into the Miami area, Genting is already doing … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Florida, Genting, Harrah's, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 2 Comments