MGM changes mind on Aria; No appetite for deals?

Having told its entire Aria staff to look for new jobs, MGM Resorts International finds itself in the position of saying, “Never mind.” In an interview last weekend, CEO Bill Hornbuckle floated the possibility of reopening Aria by July 4, followed by one more resort every two to four weeks, climaxing in early September at best, start of November at worst. Which is a much more hopeful timeline than MGM had been discussing with Wall Street, one that saw closures extending into 2021. If Aria resumes business next month, that leaves Park MGM, The Mirage, Luxor and Mandalay Bay. When it happens, it won’t be the same old same-old, according to PR boss Jenn Michaels. “Other changes we’ve implemented will improve the hospitality experience at our resorts forevermore,” she e-mailed journalists. “Our restaurants now offer menus and wine lists you can view on your personal devices through QR codes. The days of waiting around at a restaurant for your table to be ready are gone—you check in and we’ll text you when it’s ready. In the meantime, go have some fun. And we’re exploring how this technology can be used elsewhere in the resort experience.” (Translation: fewer employees.)

MGM was also one of the casino companies catching a bone from Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) today. Resort restaurants that offer outdoor dining can reopen immediately, as can hotels. The latter are under provisos that the Boston Globe summarizes as, “Within guest rooms and suites, hotels must take out pens, paper, and any magazines, directories, and brochures. They are also required to sanitize all hard surfaces ‘at a minimum each time a guest checks out and before the next guest is admitted,’ as well as launder all linens, bedspreads, and covers.” The requirements could be a lot harsher. Casino floors themselves aren’t expected to reopen until June 29, but MGM and its Bay State rivals can eke out some cash flow in the meantime.

Back in Las Vegas, MGM plans to offer two boxing matches this week, one tomorrow night and one on the 11th … albeit without in-person fans. Boxing and Vegas go hand in glove but it will be quite a sight to see pugilism in an MGM conference center, playing to an empty room. We’re confident, however, that the sports-betting action will more than make up for it. Five more such bouts are planned.

* “Vegas Smart.” That’s the new watchword from the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. To promote health-wise tourism to Sin City, it has created a Web portal to 35 resort companies, both great (Wynn Resorts) and small (Oasis at Gold Spike). We don’t propose to read all 35 health protocols but when we clicked on the Sahara‘s we got a pop-up window offering to waive resort fees for all future visits, provided they are booked during June. Either that or we were having an acid flashback.

* Even with the hotel industry reeling from Coronavirus, don’t expect a rash of mergers and acquisitions. That’s the word from HotelsMag.com, which opines that “Cash-rich vultures are already circling the world’s post-COVID-19 hotel industry, and they’re hungry. But they’re waiting until the dust settles to identify the best targets—and there’s little competition.” How come? Replies R.W. Baird senior analyst Michael Bellasario, “Would you want to buy a hotel that might not have income for six months?” Also, existing hoteliers are scrambling to restructure debt and obtain forbearances.

Big Gaming, it appears, needn’t worry, especially if you’re a Las Vegas Sands or MGM and have significant convention business. “Those big boxes are owned by large institutional investors who have big money. They will get to the other side,” says Pebblebrook Hotel Trust CEO Jon Bortz. “Small owners have less flexibility. Hotels need constant capital infusions to be maintained, and some of the smaller owners won’t have it to reinvest. When their hotels reopen, they’ll lose share and have to lower their pricing. That will lead to a lot of distress and a lot of turnover.” At any rate, don’t look for Wall Street to precipitate any crises. As one researcher predicts, “Banks don’t want to own or sell, so they’re working with hotel owners to find ways to prevent that.”

* Is the evident comeback of Las Vegas leaving Downtown behind (except at Derek Stevens‘ properties)? A report on Vegas Message Board contained a number of observations that suggest Downtown is a good place for some alone time. It’s a bad place to find a bargain, though, as Fremont Street casinos have upped their table game minimums to $10, an attempt to soak the player in hopes of making a fast buck (or five). A visitor at the California Hotel told him room capacity was limited to 30% and noted that “walking around the casino at 10pm was like being in the casino at 3am in the morning. On a Friday night yet.” Additionally, “it feels weird that there are NO Hawaii people around. Of course that’s because no one wants to endure the 14-day home quarantine upon return. (Did Boyd Gaming reopen too soon?) Finally, it’s not just Boyd that’s hurting: “At the current time of 9:30am the only game open at Binions is the Roulette table. And no one is playing.”

* Speaking of nickel-and-diming players, Station Casinos is going to sweat Boarding Pass members for points. Non-gaming spend no longer counts and the $1:point ratio on video poker has gone to $2:point. Ditto electronic table games and video blackjack. The daily 3X points multiplier has allegedly been rescinded, you can’t use points at Graton Rancheria anymore, can’t get turndown service at the Palms (like it matters) and won’t get any more status parties. Platinum members are also excluded from pre-sale access to concert tickets and access to casino hosts. Station did throw member a few crumbs, in the form of CyberQuest and KidsQuest discounts. Big whoop.

Jottings: Although some of us would just like to get our drink, please, the dancing bartenders at the Golden Gate are back on the job—wearing PPE masks … It’s still up to the voters in November, but Caesars Entertainment has won a preliminary victory in Virginia. The city fathers of Danville have tapped the Roman Empire to build a casino in their town. CEO Anthony Rodio is clearly trying to get as many oars in the water before Tom Reeg comes along and starts chopping away at everything in sight … Sheldon Adelson can’t stay out of trouble when it comes to money-laundering allegations. The U.S. Department of Justice is said to be probing AML violations at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore … Hallelujah! Our single favorite aspect of Las Vegas, the Annual Star Trek Convention is back on, rescheduled for Dec. 9-13. In an additional coup, it will showcase the new Caesars Forum Convention Center, a big step up from The Rio. Confirmed celebrity guests include William Shatner and Walter Koenig. Make it so.