It takes a big man to admit a mistake and Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman has tacitly acknowledged that “The Quad” was a mistaque. It’s on the way out, to be replaced with a re-re-branding of Imperial Palace as Linq Hotel & Casino. (Loveman sure does love those Q’s.) Compared to a somewhat tentative revamping of the IP/Quad to date, Caesars will now put $223 million into making it a state-of-the-property. That’s almost 100 grand per hotel room, plus “new retail and spa amenities and a new pool deck and a signature lobby bar.” With six table games, Caesars envisions the latter to be the new go-to spot on property.
The success of the Linq mall, with its 34 shops, restaurants and watering holes makes the Quad look that much more (less?) underwhelming. Somebody had to step up to the plate and Caesars did. New bells and whistles will include making the hotel a giant Wi-fi hotspot and providing automated check-in (of course the computer won’t upgrade your room if you slip it an extra twenty).
I’ve never stayed there myself “[b]ut online reviewers were still largely critical of the 2,300-room hotel, calling it outdated and dirty.” At age 55, the old gal’s gotta be way overdue for a complete makeover, not to mention whatever maintenance Caesars has been deferring. If they’re willing to let the exterior appearance of Paris-Las Vegas and The Rio go as much as they have, I’d hate to think what they’re skimping on the interiors.
* Former Southern California Edison lineman David Siegel lent a hand to the removal of the LVH from the much-abused former Las Vegas Hilton. He’s a brave man: I wouldn’t go up there to help remove a 30-foot-tall “L.” The Las Vegas Review-Journal was there for the dog-and-pony show but skipped a subsequent roundtable with the personable, low-key Westgate Resorts CEO, which you’ll be able to read about in a forthcoming Question of the Day. However, Siegel did tell the R-J that he planned to retain the entire Westgate Las Vegas staff — reason enough to like him already.
Siegel’s business model is Disney World: “They have clean-cut, friendly employees. That’s what we’re all about. We’re a family-run resort company. We care about people. They’re not numbers. Every guest is going to be treated like a high roller.”
Incidentally, only a small fraction (200) of rooms will sold as timeshares, at least for starters. Siegel will continue to operate Westgate as a hotel and is keeping Navegante Group in place as a casino manager. Siegel believes the hotel makes enough in lease payments from Navegante that he doesn’t need a direct pipeline of casino cash. He also had harsh words for Colony Capital: “when the new company took it over, it didn’t want to invest in it.” Siegel made it clear that he’d put big bucks into Westgate Las Vegas, saying it would “dwarf” the (undisclosed) purchase price which Goldman Sachs was paid to part with its red-headed stepchild.
Aria is 100 grand lighter in the wallet as a penalty for employees who barred Nevada Gaming Control Board agents from watching a roulette game. It seems this isn’t the first time: “The complaint said regulators previously encountered similar issues at MGM [Resorts International] properties.” Aria says it has instituted more enlightened policies since.
Just stayed there last week for two days. Filthy hallways leaky ceilings, with ice buckets on the floor to catch water. The main elevators only one working and crammed full at all times. We were advised to us other ones near the check in. This made you walk through a maze of even more disgusting hallways. Good riddance to this hole. But in all fairness everything worked in the room. Even the AC kept it cool if curtains were closed.