Shocking preliminary finding
Although I’m still swotting on USA Today copy, the finish line is within sight and the Las Vegas Strip property with the most name-checks to date is — surprise of surprises — Paris-Las Vegas, singled out in multiple categories. Who’da thought the Strip’s last-ever mid-market casino, opened in 1999, would outpace so many newcomers? (Mind you, affordability is an important criterion.) Planet Hollywood is racking up a few plugs, too. Now, my editors could throw all this out and send me back to Square One, but it’s certainly an outcome I didn’t expect when I started surveying the Strip, several weeks back. Another surprise: Circus Circus has more “bests” than does Caesars Palace. Current and former Steve Wynn properties also fared well, an unscientific metric of how well they retain their value. But I’m afraid to bless anything at the Tropicana, since its amenities rarely enjoy long life spans, making them risky recommendations. Too bad there’s not a category for Most Superfluous Hotel, because Trump International would win that race by several furlongs, giving Donald Trump one more “most” he could tout.
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June 22nd, 2012 at 6:23 am
Circus Circus??? Last time I took a stroll through there (about 3 years ago), I felt like I needed a shower when I came out!
I have always enjoyed Paris. Arthur Goldberg was undoubtedly a champion of consolidation in the industry. He was not well known as a developer. Paris is probably his best legacy as a builder and a very successful one at that.
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:46 am
We like Paris LV, it’s got a great location, nice rooms, and good food. Planet Hollywood is even better for my family, because they have a Mall that appeals to the 99%. The upscale properties have shops that regular folks do not patronize.
June 24th, 2012 at 6:55 am
Paris Las Vegas has a great location right in the middle of the Strip. I went up the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas and had a great view of City Center and Cosmopolitan while they were being built back in 2008.
I would assume your story regarding Las Vegas in the USA Today would be in the paper on Friday June 29th (before the busy 4th of July 5 day weekend). Congratulations, millions of people read the USA Today and hopefully they will let you mention your blog at the end of the article.
June 28th, 2012 at 8:23 am
What is the “most name-checks” metric? If it has anything to do with web searches, it is possible that it was inadvertently counting searches for “paris” and “las vegas” as searches for “paris las vegas”. In which case, it should have beat everyone else by miles.
June 28th, 2012 at 10:10 am
To clarify: “most name checks” means the number of times a hotel-casino’s amenities were mentioned, whether in “Dining” or “Nightlife” or “Working out” or … you get the picture. Cosmopolitan and The Mirage came on strong toward the end and there may be a big surprise in the Downtown guide, when it’s published. USAT uses a matrix of criteria for selection, including uniqueness, strong local ties and — last but far from least — affordability.