Vegas Notes: Yes, Rooms Getting More Expensive
Updated: 11:20 am EDT June 14, 2004
No, it's not just your imagination: It is getting more and more expensive to stay in Las Vegas. The average rate for a room on the Strip in the first quarter of 2004 was $208, up 44 percent over the same period last year.Weekend averages were an astounding $286 per night, while weekdays were $176, also both up significantly. Leading the charge of higher rooms rates were upscale new offerings from THEhotel at Mandalay Bay and the Venezia Tower at the Venetian, and the always expensive Bellagio.
Implosion fans take note: the last remnants of the Desert Inn will taken down sometime before Halloween, although no specific date has been set yet.The building was the newer of the two room towers at the old Desert Inn and has been housing administrative offices and the Wynn Art Gallery since the D.I. closed several years ago. It is being removed to accommodate the expansion plans for Wynn Las Vegas -- yes, expansion plans for a hotel that isn't even open yet.The older of the two towers was imploded quietly -- well, as quietly as you can blow up a building -- in the middle of the night in late 2001. It was done with absolutely no fanfare since it was so soon after the horror of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Just shy of its 50th anniversary, the Algiers motel on the north end of the Strip will be meeting the wrecking ball.The small property is one of the last remaining motor-court style motels from the era, but it has been sold to a company in Florida that plans to tear it down and build a $400-million, 450-room condo and hotel complex in its place.There are no details about the project other than that, but the Algiers is expected to close by the end of the summer and the new place is scheduled for a summer 2006 debut.
"The Casino" makes its debut on the Fox Television Network this week. The reality show about Tom Brietling and Tim Poster, the new owners of the Golden Nugget, is being produced by Mark Burnett, the same guy who invented the genre in many ways with "Survivor," and most recently "The Apprentice."The show will follow Brietling and Poster as they try to transform their $215 million investment into a vintage-Vegas cool joint and in the process lure new audiences downtown. In addition to trying to be TV stars, the new owners have added a poker room to the hotel and the guest rooms are getting makeovers, including the now de rigueur plasma TVs. "The Casino" airs on Fox Mondays at 9 p.m.
The Golden Nugget is not the only Vegas casino getting the reality show treatment. Green Valley Ranch and its owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta are at the heart of "American Casino," now airing on the Discovery Channel Fridays at 8 p.m.. Although this one will probably be a little less, well, "Fox" than the Golden Nugget show, it is being done by the same folks who produced the surprisingly popular "American Chopper" and "American Hot Rod" series on the network, so it won't be just another behind-the-scenes Vegas highlight reel like you see a million times a day on cable.
Meow. Add another cartoon character to the list of slot machine themes with the approval by the gaming commission of a Garfield line of one-armed bandits. A lot of people complained about the concept, suggesting the hefty orange feline was a kids' brand, something verboten in the slot machine world. But the companies involved convinced officials it would primarily appeal to an older audience despite the family-friendly movie now in theaters featuring Bill Murray as the voice of the cartoon cat.Gaming officials did make one restriction -- the slot machines will only appear in casinos and not in any convenience stores, groceries or bars.
The Rio is undergoing an $80 million overhaul designed, I think, to compete with the insanely popular Palms across the street.The first phase of the project was the complete remodeling of the very popular Carnival World Buffet, now open again after several months of construction. Next on the list is a new front entrance, front desk and lobby area, plus a new lounge nearby that will feature flair bartenders and lots of bright lights and fancy high-tech gadgetry. That should be done in August.The All-American Bar and Grill will be redone with a slightly more upscale look and feel for a September bow, and then in December we'll get to see the all new Voodoo Lounge nightclub high atop the tower. That makeover will include an outdoor staircase connecting the two patios, an aerial disc-jockey platform, and go-go platforms.When you read about the Voodoo Lounge being on the 50th and 51st floors of the Rio tower, keep in mind that you are actually only going to be 40 stories or so above the ground if you visit. There are no 40 through 49th floors in the tower in deference to an Asian superstition about the number 4 being bad luck.
Neonopolis, the struggling downtown entertainment complex, has dodged a bullet with the announcement that the Jillian's restaurant, bowling and nightclub facility will remain open despite the parent company's recent bankruptcy. This particular link in the corporate chain is run separately from the other 50 or so restaurants, which will be sold off or closed.
About the only positive thing I can say about the new thrill ride at Circus Circus is that it isn't at the top of a 100-story tower like the truly crazy rides at Stratosphere. The Sling Shot is the name of the new mind-bender inside the enclosed Adventuredome theme park at Circus Circus.It's one of only six such rides in the United States. Basically what happens is that you get strapped into a seat and then you get blasted straight up and down a 100-foot tower at four Gs of acceleration. I will say the same thing I always say when a new stomach-churning ride like this opens -- you have fun. If you need me, I'll be in the bar.
Implosion fans take note: the last remnants of the Desert Inn will taken down sometime before Halloween, although no specific date has been set yet.The building was the newer of the two room towers at the old Desert Inn and has been housing administrative offices and the Wynn Art Gallery since the D.I. closed several years ago. It is being removed to accommodate the expansion plans for Wynn Las Vegas -- yes, expansion plans for a hotel that isn't even open yet.The older of the two towers was imploded quietly -- well, as quietly as you can blow up a building -- in the middle of the night in late 2001. It was done with absolutely no fanfare since it was so soon after the horror of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Just shy of its 50th anniversary, the Algiers motel on the north end of the Strip will be meeting the wrecking ball.The small property is one of the last remaining motor-court style motels from the era, but it has been sold to a company in Florida that plans to tear it down and build a $400-million, 450-room condo and hotel complex in its place.There are no details about the project other than that, but the Algiers is expected to close by the end of the summer and the new place is scheduled for a summer 2006 debut.
"The Casino" makes its debut on the Fox Television Network this week. The reality show about Tom Brietling and Tim Poster, the new owners of the Golden Nugget, is being produced by Mark Burnett, the same guy who invented the genre in many ways with "Survivor," and most recently "The Apprentice."The show will follow Brietling and Poster as they try to transform their $215 million investment into a vintage-Vegas cool joint and in the process lure new audiences downtown. In addition to trying to be TV stars, the new owners have added a poker room to the hotel and the guest rooms are getting makeovers, including the now de rigueur plasma TVs. "The Casino" airs on Fox Mondays at 9 p.m.
The Golden Nugget is not the only Vegas casino getting the reality show treatment. Green Valley Ranch and its owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta are at the heart of "American Casino," now airing on the Discovery Channel Fridays at 8 p.m.. Although this one will probably be a little less, well, "Fox" than the Golden Nugget show, it is being done by the same folks who produced the surprisingly popular "American Chopper" and "American Hot Rod" series on the network, so it won't be just another behind-the-scenes Vegas highlight reel like you see a million times a day on cable.
Meow. Add another cartoon character to the list of slot machine themes with the approval by the gaming commission of a Garfield line of one-armed bandits. A lot of people complained about the concept, suggesting the hefty orange feline was a kids' brand, something verboten in the slot machine world. But the companies involved convinced officials it would primarily appeal to an older audience despite the family-friendly movie now in theaters featuring Bill Murray as the voice of the cartoon cat.Gaming officials did make one restriction -- the slot machines will only appear in casinos and not in any convenience stores, groceries or bars.
The Rio is undergoing an $80 million overhaul designed, I think, to compete with the insanely popular Palms across the street.The first phase of the project was the complete remodeling of the very popular Carnival World Buffet, now open again after several months of construction. Next on the list is a new front entrance, front desk and lobby area, plus a new lounge nearby that will feature flair bartenders and lots of bright lights and fancy high-tech gadgetry. That should be done in August.The All-American Bar and Grill will be redone with a slightly more upscale look and feel for a September bow, and then in December we'll get to see the all new Voodoo Lounge nightclub high atop the tower. That makeover will include an outdoor staircase connecting the two patios, an aerial disc-jockey platform, and go-go platforms.When you read about the Voodoo Lounge being on the 50th and 51st floors of the Rio tower, keep in mind that you are actually only going to be 40 stories or so above the ground if you visit. There are no 40 through 49th floors in the tower in deference to an Asian superstition about the number 4 being bad luck.
Neonopolis, the struggling downtown entertainment complex, has dodged a bullet with the announcement that the Jillian's restaurant, bowling and nightclub facility will remain open despite the parent company's recent bankruptcy. This particular link in the corporate chain is run separately from the other 50 or so restaurants, which will be sold off or closed.
About the only positive thing I can say about the new thrill ride at Circus Circus is that it isn't at the top of a 100-story tower like the truly crazy rides at Stratosphere. The Sling Shot is the name of the new mind-bender inside the enclosed Adventuredome theme park at Circus Circus.It's one of only six such rides in the United States. Basically what happens is that you get strapped into a seat and then you get blasted straight up and down a 100-foot tower at four Gs of acceleration. I will say the same thing I always say when a new stomach-churning ride like this opens -- you have fun. If you need me, I'll be in the bar.
The Full Story
-
Vegas Notes: Yes, Rooms Getting More Expensive
Vegas Corporate Giant Makes Offer For Other Giant
Vegas Q&A: Does L.A. Have Good Casinos?
In Next Week's Column
Next week: The latest from Las Vegas.Plus, don't forget to send your questions about Las Vegas. I've got room for more, so send them in today!Click here to go to the main page of Vegas4Visitors.com and see all of the fantastic resources Vegas4Visitors has to offer you when planning your next trip to Las Vegas.Rick Garman is the head writer for Vegas4Visitors
Pump Patrol 
Theme Park Guide 
Central Florida's Medical City 
Bored Room 
Buy It For Half 
