Is Downtown the New Strip?

Hi Vegas fans,
For a few years I've been saying... well, to anyone who will listen to me... downtown Las Vegas has great potential. The Strip continues to build big and bold - see CityCenter and Cosmo for recent examples - and while these properties are beautiful, they are upscale and expensive.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Strip. I spend a lot of time on the Strip. But for the average Joe and Jane, downtown is a very attractive alternative. Years ago, I would not have recommended staying or playing downtown. Not even to people I didn't like. It was a little run down, a little dangerous, a little crummy. But they have really turned it around.

And I'm not just talking about the thriving Fremont East district, with it's boutique bars and restaurants. I'm talking about the actual hotels and casinos, too. There are plenty of examples, and I'd just like to highlight a few:

The Plaza
The Plaza is undergoing a renovation and will officially reopen September 1st. Now here's a place that was, honestly, pretty dank and dull the last time I visited it. Remember the casino that Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie went to in Vegas Vacation? You know, games like "What Number Am I Thinking" and Rock Paper Scissors" and a buffet with choices of "blue" or "yellow."

But that was right before they closed, and I'm really looking forward to the reopening. New rooms, new restaurants a new theater - all look wonderful. The Plaza's website shows a new logo with the phrase "a modern classic." Perfect. This joint is at the heart of Las Vegas' humble beginnings, the railroad station that brought people to the city at the turn of the 20th century. So combining that with an updated hotel at a reasonable price is a very exciting idea to me. I wish them much success!

Gold Spike
Gold Spike also recently underwent major renovations. Word on the street was that the Spike might not survive. Surprise. It's a little out of the way, but still a great hotel and a great value.

Golden Gate
Here's something from the Golden Gate's website:

You can’t do this on the Strip: Party inside with Dancing Dealers and take a few easy steps outside onto Las Vegas’ most dynamic street. Look ten stories up at fantastic light shows on the world’s biggest video monster (yes, it’s gigantic). The Fremont Street Experience is four neon blocks of party action with 3 stages, dancing DJ’s, tribute bands, a zip-line overhead and bars everywhere. And it’s free. Really... Forget the Strip mega-hassle. Spend less time walking and more time dancing in the street!

All of these properties are targeting a young, hip audience. While the Strip is building extravagant hotels that mostly older, richer folks can afford, downtown just might be the place to go for the average Jane and average Joe.

Viva,
Mike

Um.... Does Anyone Remember Gambling?

Hi Vegas fans,

The latest news in Las Vegas points to an interesting trend on the Strip - more shopping and entertainment. Compass Investments broke ground this week on the new Skyvue Wheel, a giant Ferris wheel similar to the London Eye, which will be flanked by shopping and restaurants.

There is also a new shopping center that will be - gasp - next to Planet Hollywood, home to the Miracle Mile shops. Think about what's close to Plant Hollywood - you've got CityCenter with the upscale Crystal shops, and not far from that you've got the Forum Shops. Take a short walk south from Planet Ho, and you arrive at Showcase Mall, complete with M&M's World and the World of Coca-Cola, among other unique retail opportunities.

Too much? I think so. Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of variety of entertainment and dining options help attract visitors to Sin City. But this reminds me of another particularly odd time in Las Vegas' history. In the 1990's many casinos built entertainment options to present the city as a family-friendly destination. Remember the amusement park at MGM Grand? The pirate show at TI? It wasn't a bad idea - after all, why not try to increase visitation by enticing parents to bring the kids?

But it didn't really fly. Mom and dad want to escape, and they don't want Disneyland for kids, they want Disneyland for adults. So the MGM tore down the amusement park. The pirate show was revamped into The Sirens of TI, complete with scantily-clad ladies and shirtless pirates. Now the casinos have "party pits" where very sexy ladies dance while you drop your hard-earned money at 6-5 blackjack.

Downtown, you'll find a similar trend. There are often several concerts going on at the same time on Fremont Street. And you can get your photo taken with showgirls and bunnies. Um, not that I would know.

But the point is this. Entertainment is great in Las Vegas, but you can get top-notch shows and restaurants in many cities. What separates Las Vegas from them is the casinos. I wish they would focus more on them. Really focus on them. I think the art of planning the casino floor has been lost.

So I'm sending out an open call to casino moguls and the execs who run the floors. Rethink your gaming plan. Please. Here are some ideas, for starters:

• Dedicate your space to lots of good table games and plenty-o'slots and video poker machines. Make that the focus of what you do again.
• Send out good gaming promos to your players to draw them in, and not just the usual invitations to slot tourneys. Think about coupons for other games, poker gatherings, and other creative investments in the people who love to spend a few dollars in the casino.
• Make sure your casino floor is comfortable so that guests will want to stay there a while. Freshen the carpets and felts on the tables, and keep those drinks coming. Too many cocktail waitresses take their time between rounds. Even when I pre-tip them.
• Forget the unbuilt condos behind your properties. Let them rust. Remember that when push came to shove, they didn't work, but people still walk into your casinos.

I've got lots of other ideas. You'll find me at the 3-2 blackjack table with a rum and coke in my hand. I hope.

Viva,

Mike

Harrah's now Caesars Entertainment Corporation

Hi Vegas fans,

Harrah's canceled its IPO and has officially changed its name to Caesars Entertainment Corp. You can read the details of the transaction in the LA Times and Las Vegas Sun articles.

By any other name, it's still the same megacorp with Gary Loveman at the helm. As you may have read in my previous posts and in my forums, I'm not a huge fan of entertainment and gambling at Harrah's (oops, I mean Ceasars Entertainment Corp or CEC). The rules are not good for players, and the experience tends to be very generic.

The hotels in the chain (Bally's, Paris, Caesars, Harrah's) are pretty nice. The rooms I've stayed in are clean, comfortable, and a good value. Well, with one exception: the Imperial Palace, or as my wife calls it, the "IP freely" (because of the smell), which is a below par for a mid-Strip hotel. Now as the old saying goes, "how much time do you spend in your room in Vegas?" Not much, but people do typically associate their vacation with their hotel or hotel chain. Vegas Today and Tomorrow has a good map of Who Owns What.

For example, if you're staying at the Flamingo, you are probably going to spend time there and in surrounding properties for convenience, and they are all owned by CEC. Most of your other options on the Strip include MGM properties, Wynn, or Sands (i.e. Shel Adelson... think Venetian and Palazzo). MGM has a huge grip on the South Strip (Excalibur, NY NY, MGM Grand, etc.) and is a better proposition than CEC, but I'd like to see more $5 tables at their properties. A lot more.

The funny thing is that it doesn't have to be like this. I prefer to play at the Stratosphere. Now, it's not the most glamorous place in the world, so if I'm going with my wife and want a nicer hotel, we may book somewhere else. However, I can gamble at the Strat all day - either at the blackjack tables, the sports book or the craps tables. If I want to venture out to other places to eat, see stuff, or take a break, I just hop in the car.

On our last trip, my buddy Steve and I drove out to M Resort. Nice place, good rules for gaming. A little bit out there, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I don't mind cruising to to other places - like downtown, the Riv, the Trop, Excal - for a change, but it would be nice to have even more opportunities on the Strip to spend my entertainment dollars.

I would guess that I'm typically the exception rather than the rule; I would bet that most people play where they stay. But remember the Golden Rule; you have the gold in your pockets, and you decide where to spend it (which should be the places with the best rules). It's time we start telling these megaresorts the real deal. We're educated. We know that CEC owns a majority of the mid-Strip properties and MGM has a lock on the South Strip. We're not going to be held hostage by limited options. Give us better gaming, good deals, and a unique experience. Otherwise, we'll go somewhere else.

Vegas fans, I urge you to think about these things the next time you book your trip to Las Vegas. Regardless of where you stay, please don't play somewhere that has bad gaming rules. Don't eat in a restaurant just because it's in your hotel. Don't go see a show that's not really your style just because it's within walking distance. My biggest Vegas tip? Rent a car. It will open up your world to other venues and will remind you that Las Vegas is more than MGM and Caesars.

Viva!
Mike

Downtown Las Vegas - Hip, a trip, or a blip?

Hi Vegas fans,

Trends come and go. One thing is constant in Vegas - change. Twenty years ago, it was the Mirage and the themed resorts. Mom and dad brought the kids, and casinos built theme parks. Then casino execs figured out that Junior couldn't gamble. Down went the theme parks, and up went the upscale joints. Wynn, Palazzo, Encore. Then, condos. That was the wave of the future. But, the economic downturn hit, and everyone stopped building.

In the mean time, there's downtown Las Vegas. A quirky "what do we do with this" kind of place. It's not on the same level as the Strip in terms of upscale adventures, but it's also not down in the dumps. There are some great properties here, including the Golden Nugget, but visitors just don't seem to know what to do with it.

Here's what I've been saying for years... downtown just needs a fresh coat of paint, a few promotions, and a little love. It's like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree - give it a little attention, and it will grow.

Especially now. Look at all of the stalled projects on the Strip. There's no better time to show visitors that 1) this is a great place to gamble/stay/play and 2) it won't cost you an arm and a leg... like some places.

I've pointed this out before with support from other publications. Here's a snippet from Vegas Today and Tomorrow, a good barometer for Vegas projects:

"Even though there's an economic slowdown, the downtown area is becoming a sustainable, modern, urban city. Transportation projects, public facilities, high-rise condo and loft residences are being built among new markets, galleries, shops, clubs and bistros. Yes, Downtown Vegas is becoming hip and livable."

Yep. Downtown has a lot of potential. Best wishes and keep up the good work. Let's see what happens next.

Viva,
Mike