South Point (hotel and casino)
February 18, 2008
The South Point Hotel and Casino consists of a 25 story hotel tower and 80,000 ft² convention center located on a 60 acre site along Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas, Nevada. The casino is owned and operated by Michael Gaughan.
History
This $500 million project started construction in 2003.
Based on advanced booking, Coast Casinos announced expansion plans to add additional hotel rooms, in a second tower, for a total of 1,350 rooms. The foundation was also poured for a third tower during the initial construction phase.
The casino received approval to open from the Nevada Gaming Commission on November 17, 2005.
At opening on December 22, 2005, the South Coast was the first megaresort located south of McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel contained 662 rooms and 100,000 ft² of space that was not finished and was available to be converted into restaurant or casino space.
In mid July 2006, it was announced that Michael Gaughan will sell all of his Boyd stock to Boyd gaming in exchange for full ownership of the South Coast. The Nevada Gaming Commission approved the sale on October 19, 2006. After the deal closed, the South Coast was renamed South Point on October 24.
On August 24, 2007 vegastodaytomorrow.com mentioned that the South Point will expand the hotel tower in to a “T”-shape with 830 rooms, with completion date slated for July 2008.
Television history
- During 2006, the South Point was the venue of NBC’s Poker After Dark, ESPN’s Pro-Am Poker Equalizer and the third and fourth season of GSN’s High Stakes Poker.
- The South Point was also the venue of the 2006 and 2007 editions of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.
Attractions
- 4,400 seat equestrian arena with a 125 ft by 250 ft arena with accommodations for 1,200 horses. At opening, it is the only equestrian arena connected to a hotel in the United States. The stalls are also Air-Conditioned.
- 300 seat race and sports book
- Child Care Facility
- 150,000 ft² of Meeting, Banquet, and Exhibit Hall space
- a 16 screen movie theater
- a 64 lane bowling alley with pro shop
- 7 restaurants (Coronado Cafe, Don Vitos, Silverado Steakhouse, Big Sur Oyster Bar, Michael’s, Kate’s Korner/Seattle’s Best, and Del Mar Deli)
- Video Game Arcade
Suncoast Hotel and Casino
February 18, 2008
The Suncoast Hotel and Casino is a local’s hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is one of the locals casinos owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation. The hotel, located on a 50 acre site, contains 432 rooms and has an 82,000 square foot casino as well as a Century group movie theatre, bowling alley, and conference room/meeting space.
The Suncoast is sometimes listed as being in Summerlin, but it is not a part of Summerlin. It is located next to Summerlin. When it was built, the tower was the tallest structure on the west side of the Las Vegas Valley.
History
The hotel and casino opened on September 12, 2000.
The bowling alley was officially renamed “The Swap” in honor of Skunk Ape’s visit on November 10, 2007.
Silverton Casino Lodge
February 18, 2008
The Silverton Casino Lodge is a 300 room and suite hotel casino located off of I-15 at Blue Diamond Road as people enter the Las Vegas valley. Located on an 80 acre site, the casino’s market is tourists driving in from California. The 60,000 square foot casino is set in a mountain lodge and water motif.
History
Opened as a locals casino, Boomtown, in 1994 by Boomtown Casinos. After Boomtown Casinos merged with Hollywood Park, Inc. in 1997, the property was sold.
With the 2004 renovation, the property took on more of a water theme. This includes a 117,000 gallon salt water aquarium with mermaids who perform shows. At the same time, a 145,000 square foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World was added. Due to its size and location, it has become a tourist attraction. In addition, all of the rooms were remodeled to jacuzzi suites along with the hotel. Many new restaurants were added to enhance the modern Vegas theme including a fine dining steakhouse and high end lounge. The hotel also added a brand new concert theater and state-of-the-art spa and fitness center with various outdoor pools and spas.
Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Las Vegas
February 18, 2008
Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall is a hotel and casino located in Sunrise Manor, Nevada on the Boulder Strip. It is one of the casinos owned and operated by Boyd Gaming Corporation. The Las Vegas Sam’s Town is the flagship of Boyd Gaming. Built on 13 acres (53,000 m²), it includes an RV park.
One of the unique features of this nine story hotel is that the building creates a large glass-roofed atrium with tall live trees, cobblestone paths, and a rock waterfall in the center where a laser show is performed daily at different times.
It is the host hotel for the Sam’s Town 300, a NASCAR race sponsored by Sam’s Town.
History
The original Sam’s Town opened in 1979 and it was the first local’s casino to be constructed in the Las Vegas area.
From 1980 to 1999 the studios of Nevada Public Radio were located in a separate building on the property.
The 2006 album Sam’s Town by the Killers was named after this location.
Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
February 18, 2008
The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in Clark County, Nevada, USA. It is better known as The Rio and is owned and operated by Harrah’s Entertainment. The Rio was the first all suite casino in the Las Vegas area.
The hotel towers are covered in the signature purple and red glass. The Rio hotel’s 2,563 suites range in size from 600 ft² up to 13,000 ft² and have floor to ceiling windows.
The complex includes a wine cellar that has more than 50,000 bottles. The Rio Pavilion convention center has a total of 160,000 ft² of space. A Race and Sports Book is also available.
There is a free shuttle to the Harrah’s-owned Harrah’s Las Vegas, Paris/Bally’s and Caesars Palace.
History
- Opened on January 15, 1990 as a locals casino; it had been constructed and was owned and operated by Marnell Corrao Associates. The opening acts were the Brazilian Group, Sergio Mendes ‘99 and Henrietta Alves of New Orleans, bringing the first two-piano act to Las Vegas, with various co-performers.
- A 20-story expansion tower was added to the current Ipanema Tower in 1993.
- Danny Gans opened as the headliner in 1996.
- Masquerade Village, a hotel tower and casino expansion including the Masquerade Show in the Sky, opened in 1997, at a cost of over $200 million.
- The Rio was purchased by Harrah’s Entertainment in 1999 for $888 million.
- Hosted the World Series of Poker in 2005, the first time this event was not held at Binion’s. Binion’s was used for the final three tables and the last two days of the competition as part of the celebration of Las Vegas’ centennial.
- In February 2007, Clark County Development Services followed up a complaint filed by Fred Frazzetta, an electrician hired by the Rio for a 2004-2006 renovation project, claiming the hotel had not properly addressed building safety codes during the remodel. After a single day of inspections, the report was closed and no action was taken against the Rio. Seven months later, after an investigation made by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Clark County reopened the report ordered the hotel on October 5, 2007 to close two floors of the Ipanema Tower and put up a fire watch when it was discovered that the remodel included unapproved plans and that proper permits were never filed. An investigation found numerous fire and safety code violations such as cable damage and insufficient firewall protection. Subsequently, Harrah’s Entertainment closed-off over 500 rooms at the Rio’s sister property Harrah’s Las Vegas to address similar findings from a recent renovation.
Buffets
The Carnival World Buffet has been a signature attraction since the casino opened. It was the first buffet in Las Vegas to have multiple live cooking stations and theme sections on the buffet line. The Carnival World Buffet is credited with taking the quality of the Las Vegas buffets to a new level in quality and price. The Carnival World Buffet was so successful that when the Masquerade Village opened it included a higher end seafood buffet, Village Seafood Buffet.
Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino
February 18, 2008
Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino is a resort spa and casino owned by Station Casinos Inc. on seventy acres located in the Summerlin village of Summerlin Centre in Clark County, Nevada. Red Rock is an off-strip locals casino located on West Charleston Boulevard at the intersection of Clark County 215.
The resort includes a 198-foot (60 m) hotel tower with 815 rooms, spa, 94,000 square feet (8,700 m²) of meeting space, 3,000 slot machines, 62 table games, 16 screen movie theater, a bingo hall, a three acre pool area, a bowling alley plus eleven restaurants.
Beginning in 2003 and continuing into 2004 there were significant discussions about the construction of the proposed towers. While other aspects of the design were issues, such as the traffic impact and the brightness of the signs, it was the proposed 300-foot (91 m) tower and the inclusion of condominiums in the project that caused most of the concerns. The problem was rooted in a zoning variance granted to The Howard Hughes Corporation from the normal 100 feet (30 m) to 200 feet (61 m) for the site when there was no development in the area.
After much discussion between Station Casinos, Howard Hughes Corporation, Clark County, and residents, a consensus was reached that allowed the project to move forward. The hotel tower was reduced in height to 197 feet (60 m) and the condominium towers were eliminated from the project.
The project was designed by Portland, Oregon-based Architropolis, Las Vegas-based The Friedmutter Group, and SADI, with landscape designed by Newport Beach, California-based Lifescapes International. Ground was broken on April 15, 2004 with a projected cost of $475 million.
On March 15, 2005 Station Casinos announced an “Accelerated Expansion” plan to double the number of hotel rooms available in the tower. The total projected cost of over $930 million would make it one of the most expensive locals casino ever built.
It was announced in February, 2006 that the second season of the Hell’s Kitchen reality show will offer the winner the executive chef position at a fine dining restaurant to be built in the resort. The winner of the contest was a 25 year-old sous chef from New York named Heather West. Since winning Hell’s Kitchen 2, Heather West has still yet to be given the prize of Executive Chef. Instead, Red Rock management has decided to give her a position suitable to her skills - Senior Chef at the Terra Rossa (the resort’s Italian restaurant).
In 2007, Red Rock opened their 72 lane bowling center, the most expensive center ever built.
The Resort at Summerlin
February 18, 2008
The Resort at Summerlin opened in July of 1999. The 50 acre (200,000 m²) resort was designed using a Tuscan/Tropical theme. Golf was a component of the project from the start as it acquired tee times at the adjacent Tournament Players Club course with direct access from the resort.
The hotel and spa is operated by JW Marriott and the casino is owned and operated by Cannery Casino Resorts which is owned by Millennium Management Group.
History
When the project first opened, it was not complete which helped bring on financial problems that the project would not be able to overcome. When Swiss Casinos of America, a company new to casinos, built the project, they spent over $270 million to create an exclusive resort. They may have succeeded in doing that, but apparently there was no market for this type of project in the area. After going through bankruptcy, it was purchased by Hotspur Casinos Nevada for $80 million producing a major loss for the initial investors.
It was first renamed The Regency and in 2002 the resort was renamed to The Rampart Casino and the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa with two owners working jointly to operate the resort now informally called The Resort at Summerlin.
This locals casino has 50,000-square-foot (5,000 m²) of space and a 115 seat race and sports book
JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa
The hotel provides over 200 rooms with the smallest providing 560 square feet (52 m²) of space. The 40,000 square foot (4,000 m²) spa offers many services and includes a 65,000 square foot (6,000 m²) convention center.
Palms Casino Resort
February 18, 2008
The Palms Casino Resort, also known simply as the Palms, is a resort located west of the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel has 702 rooms and contains a 95,000 square foot casino, a recording studio and a 2,200 seat showroom and is majority owned and operated by the Maloof family, with 5% ownership by The Greenspun Corporation.
Despite the fact that it is located off the Strip, the resort has become a popular destination for many, especially with the younger crowd and Hollywood celebrities. The Palms competes for market share with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, another off-strip resort aimed toward the 21-30 demographic. Both resorts are styled in a Neo-retro fashion.
History
The Palms opened on November 15, 2001 and was designed by Jon Jerde.
In 2002, it was the resort where participants of MTV’s The Real World: Las Vegas stayed. The level they rebuilt to accommodate MTV is now the “Real World Suite” and is available for reservations.
In October of 2005, the second tower, dubbed the “Fantasy Tower”, opened at a cost of $600 million. In keeping with the Maloof family’s basketball interest (they own the Sacramento Kings of the NBA and Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA), the new tower includes a two story 10,000 square foot suite that includes the worlds only basketball court in a hotel suite. The suite includes a locker room, score board and a multi screen entertainment system. Some of the other Fantasy rooms include the G suite, the Pink suite, and the Playboy Villa.
The Fantasy tower is also home to two of Las Vegas’s newest entertainment venues, Moon Nightclub and The Playboy Club.
The Palms hosted the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards on September 9, 2007.
