{"id":27263,"date":"2020-06-08T08:41:25","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T16:41:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/?p=27263"},"modified":"2020-06-08T08:41:25","modified_gmt":"2020-06-08T16:41:25","slug":"mgm-changes-mind-on-aria-no-appetite-for-deals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/mgm-changes-mind-on-aria-no-appetite-for-deals\/","title":{"rendered":"MGM changes mind on Aria; No appetite for deals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having told its entire\u00a0Aria<\/strong> staff to look for new jobs, MGM Resorts International<\/strong> finds itself in the position of saying, “Never mind.” In an interview last weekend, CEO Bill Hornbuckle<\/strong> floated the possibility<\/a> 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<\/strong>, one that saw closures extending into 2021. If Aria resumes business next month, that leaves Park MGM<\/strong>, The Mirage<\/strong>, Luxor<\/strong> and Mandalay Bay<\/strong>. When it happens, it won’t be the same old same-old, according to PR boss Jenn Michaels<\/strong>. “Other changes we\u2019ve 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\u2014you check in and we\u2019ll text you when it\u2019s ready. In the meantime, go have some fun. And we\u2019re exploring how this technology can be used elsewhere in the resort experience.” (Translation: fewer employees.)<\/p>\n

MGM was also one of the casino companies catching a bone from Massachusetts<\/strong> Gov. Charlie Baker<\/strong> (R) today. Resort restaurants that \"\"offer outdoor dining can reopen immediately, as can hotels. The latter are under provisos that the Boston Globe<\/em> summarizes as<\/a>, “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.<\/p>\n

Back in Las Vegas<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n