Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

All the gloom and doom reports about airline fare increases and cutbacks were put into perspective today when I received an email from Spirit Airlines. Detroit-LAS, roundtrip is $235. Fort Lauderdale-LAS is $216. Granted, these fares must be booked by tomorrow, but they're good for travel through November. I had expected higher fares considering oil prices. Factor in the significant room rate reductions at most properties, and it's a good time to travel to Las Vegas (if one has any money left after buying gas and groceries at home).

Yeah, I agree with detroit about airfares: the prices don't seem that severe. Cutbacks in the number of flights may make things less convenient and cost some folks more vacation time, though.

Ditto to Hunter's safety concerns. With apologies to mike_ch, in America in the 21st Century, zero tolerance for on-the-job death (barring intoxication by workers) seems not unreasonable. The economy may be hurting but it's not exactly Hoover Dam during the WPA era....

Oh, and as for HET's unsanctioned remodels. I know Vegas constantly reinvents itself but the MGM fire can't have been totally forgotten by the powers that be?

Not off topic at all - it's pretty big Vegas news. Plus, I don't think it's any secret that I'm a huge Apple fan and have working on software for the iPhone.

Tangerine update, FWIW:
http://thevegaseye.com/home/2008/6/10/tattoo-nightclub-idea-replaced-by-christian-audigier-nightcl.html?printerFriendly=true

Our good friend Mike E. reports that they are installing "huge" trees right inside the entrance at Encore. Sounds like some dramatic foliage as you walk in from LVB.

If MikeE were a really great friend, he'd have an iphone, and have already emailed us life pictures of the Encore updates! :) Maybe since the new Iphone 3G is only $199, MikeE will get one now.

Posted by mike_ch

I'll go by Encore for the next column in a day or two. I meant to do it today but suffered fatal computer problems last night.

LOL. Mike_E is more of a Vertu kinda' guy any way ;-).

But yes, I just got back a few minutes ago and I'll have a full report later, but just driving south on the strip coming from a quick jaunt downtown, I got a peek inside Encore's front entrance. Wynn is no stranger to foliage at the front entrance, but the scale of this tree was really something else.

Posted by mike_ch

Somebody asked about Tangerine, and I should mention there's an ad on the back of this week's Las Vegas Weekly advertising a new nightlife venue at Treasure Island.

The graphic has a bunch of roses around a skull with a gold tooth, which I can only hope is a reference to the removed marquee skull and not a "gold teeth = bling bling, yo! bling bling!" sort of thing. Besides, we all know if they were aiming down that path, he would have 'ice.' ;D

Oh great, I'm imagining the old marquee skull with those big fake faux-diamond style iced-out teeth that are/were popular in hip-hop. Don't give 'em any idea.

Steve and Elaine are staying put in their Villa at Wynn Las Vegas. The SEC Filing notes a reduction in maid service provided by Wynn Resorts. You mean Steve has to clean his own house Monday through Friday???
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=132059&p=irol-SECText&TEXT=aHR0cDovL2NjYm4uMTBrd2l6YXJkLmNvbS94bWwvZmlsaW5nLnhtbD9yZXBvPXRlbmsmaXBhZ2U9NTcyNjc0NCZhdHRhY2g9T04%3d

Perhaps he's conserving his cash waiting to see if Lloyds of London will cover his claim for La Reve. I'll know times are really tough when he has to take his dogs out to poop, rather than having the bodyguards do it for him.

ET just said Michael Jackson is opening a clothing store July 4th at Treasure Island.... ? Strange.

I heard he's having a sale, little boys pants will be 1/2 off.

Posted by mike_ch

Brian: That's the same date the nightlife spot run by Pure (oh boy, not again) opens up. It doesn't have a name yet, by the way.

In other "Soandso Management Group" news, Yellowtail billboards are showing up around town, so maybe it'll open up sooner? There's no date listed, just a goofy slogan ("This is how we roll.")

Someone sent me the following blog today. It's interesting reading. I need to read more to decide how valid his comments are.
http://economicrot.blogspot.com/

Posted by mike_ch

Detroit, that guy writes well and I don't entirely disagree with the conclusion of that one article but from reading the author's other writings and looking at his shortlist of links, he seems a bit kooky to me.

He is obviously a conservative, and I leave it to you to decide whether that's a good or bad thing, but he's also a local and I must warn that there's two types of conservatives in Nevada: the party apparatus much like the GOP in any state, whose more infamous members include the current Governor and Sheldon Adelson; and the wild-eyed libertarian types. Percentage-wise we have more of these people than any state I can think of. Their numbers are still small but they are quite vocal.

Basically, even if they speak well, I wouldn't let anyone who backed Ron Paul or talks seriously about "Ameros" tell me how to invest.

Hello Detroit and Mike. I'm the somewhat kooky owner of the blog in question -- following a few hits backwards to the source here.

Anyway, my intent is not to offer investment advice to anyone, but to merely open eyes to the serious underlying economic issues in play -- many of which relate to the US Dollar and Debt.

We are currently in an unprecedented debt bubble brought about by easy money policies and ownership of the world's reserve currency. The Housing bubble which is currently imploding (and which I predicted in 2004/5) was merely a symptom of the excesses that are now coming to an end.

For a better understanding, I highly urge to to look at this briefing I put together 2 weeks ago. Thus far, it has received rave reviews and over 8,700 views: US Economic Outlook 2008-11

Lastly, regarding the Amero, I'd like to suggest people don't offer an opinion unless it is an informed one:

North American Union and Amero

NAFTA Superhighway and North American Union

Mark my word, Vegas has many economic pains in store and the layoff's will soon come by the thousands. Again, this US Economic downture will be unprecedented.

Best regards to all
Randy

A soft opening for Steve Wynn?! After speaking with two different reservation agents, they both confirmed that while Encore will open mid December, rooms won't be open for reservations until February.

Posted by Michael Lu

Brian and Mike_Ch

Pure is opening up a Christian Audigier themed nightclub in the space where Tangerine used to be located. At first the area was going to be a nightclub/tattoo parlor inspired by the show, Miami Ink.

If you're wondering who Christian Audiger is, he's the dude who puts rhinestones and sequins on hooded sweatshirts and charges $200+ for them. IMO, this partnership with PMG was a match made in heaven.

Is the Christian Audigier confirmed? I've heard both yes and no on that final decision.

Mike - so what does that mean? 2,000+ invite only rooms? Walk up only? Extra capacity from WLV? Seems strange.

Hunter, I simply can't imagine two months of invite/walk-up only business, but who knows? Maybe it was Wynn's intention all along to open up in February, but he simply couldn't resist the casino revenues from New Year, CES, and Chinese New Year.

A tidbit on luxury Las Vegas. Opens with a segment on Roger Thomas' shopping sprees on behalf of Wynn over the years.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/la-tr-vegas15-2008jun15,0,1602581.story

A bunch of new Macau photos here:

http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/gallery/macaujune2008

Formal post to come later.

I read these posts and thought it sounded unlikely that Wynn would delay Encore's opening, so I called Wynn. He got Andrew Pascal and general contractor Ron Tudor on a conference call with me. Tudor still expects to turn the property over in December and Wynn/Pascal still expect to open in December. The only reason they're not accepting group/convention/room reservations until February is that they don't want to promise an opening beforehand and then underdeliver if some unforeseen obstacle prevented an opening before February. I also talked to Wynn and Pascal about Cotai, future Desert Inn site development, Encore staffing and other items, which I expect to write into a story in this week's In Business Las Vegas.

If you get a chance please post the link to that upcoming Wynn story over hear, once its ready, so it will be easy to find.

Posted by Mark D

Dubai is trying to buy Cirque du Soleil.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080618.wcirque18/BNStory/Entertainment/home

Posted by mike_ch

That happened over the summer:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008/08/06/cirque-dubai.html