Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

I'm a bit of a daydreamer sometimes.

I love wandering the casino floor and when I do, I often think up crazy schemes and ideas about what I'd do if I ran the place.

One of these strokes of brilliance (!) came the last time I was staying at Wynn Las Vegas, strolling through the beautiful Tower Suites lobby.

If I was running one of these hotels, I'd require every single one of my managers to stay a few days in the hotel each year. Eat in the restaurants, use the spa, go to the pool, etc... You see things differently as a guest, even if you're already on property every day going to your office.

Sure, a lot of resort employees have done all of the above as part of an opening routine and some eat in the outlets frequently. I'm talking about a concrete program, done without fanfare or as some sort of special event.

Perhaps the higher up you go, the more nights per year you're supposed to spend doing this sort of thing - and I'm not talking about checking into villas or eating at Alex - it's more important to stay in the cheapest and most popular rooms, eating in the more reasonably priced restaurants. It's as a guest you see the little bits of damage and problems with the rooms, service and facilities that you'd never notice during a quick walk-through.

And for what it's worth, I don't mean a stunt like this, though that does sound humorous and I'm sure I'll watch it.

Do any of The Strip properties already do this? I've never heard of a similar program but maybe I've missed it. Do other large hotel companies do this?

Just a little quick update - these guys should be staying in their competitor's hotels too. The VP of Hotel Ops at XYZCore should be staying at the Arias, Bellagios, and Mandalay Bays of the world, as part of their job.

This seems inevitable.

Stanley Ho, at one time the singular Macau casino kingpin, has transferred control of STDM/SJM to entities controlled by his family.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-24/casino-billionaire-ho-transfers-holding-in-sjm-s-parent-to-family-members.html

Ho's grip seems to have lessened in recent years as the businessman had ailed in hospital for some time after a fall.

These ownership shifts are interesting, partly because we don't know what changes might be in store but also because one of his daughters, Pansy, is MGM Resorts' business parter in the MGM Grand Macau project. That relationship got the company into some hot water with New Jersey regulators due to her complicated relationship with her father.

Here ya go folks, the latest Simpson on Vegas, via our good friend Jeff Simpson.

This column is all about the little annoyances on the casino floor - it's a great look at the little things that bug Jeff (and a lot of these bug me too)... Plus, we get to publish the term 'craps superstar' - a new job description is born!

Enjoy!

Big thanks to mofobes of This Ain't Iowa for posting a photo tonight of a disemboweled Pocket Park at Aria.

Huh? Jimbo's favorite part of the whole complex, all ripped to bits?

Perhaps just a little 13 month renovation? That is the normal schedule to renovate a resort feature, after all - we all know that.

Update: A few more photos: https://twitter.com/billyinlasvegas/status/27160695330045952

Here's my promised write-up on La Cave Food and Wine Hideaway at Wynn Las Vegas, a great new addition to the food and beverage lineup at the resort. I had a great time and I'm looking forward to going back on a future trip.

Continue after the jump for the full details.

This time on the show:

* Trippies 2010
* Alex Closes @ Wynn Las Vegas
* Plams LovesMan - Maloof Downfall?
* Social Media Abuse - Bubble Bursting?

** Sure Bets **

* Stratosphere
* Netflix
* Wynn Las Vegas room re-design
* El Cortez
* Professional Brakes
* NYT Disunion Series
* AC Revenue Numbers

Check out the show: http://www.vegasgangpodcast.com

Feel free to leave your comments below. If it's a question that you want asked on the show, please make that clear in your post. You can also send those to editor@ratevegas.com.

The 2010 Trippies results have been announced. I want to say thank you to everyone that voted. It means a lot.

- Best Web Site
- Best Blog
- Best Twitterer
- Best App

A big thanks to Jeff Simpson and Strip Walker Mike Chilson, who both contributed to this award.

Congratulations to all the other winners, especially my very good friends at Five Hundy By Midnight, who are now hall of famers, after FIVE YEARS of consecutive wins. Wow.

Finally, after a few weeks of percolation (oh, and Cosmo madness + a major app update) here is my write-up of a stay in a new Parlor Suite at Wynn Las Vegas. I came in to share the details with y'all and to generate material for the next Vegas Mate content update.

Photos: http://vegasmediagroup.smugmug.com/WynnParlorSuite/WynnLasVegasParlorSuite/15342884_StqTd (Note: some of these are a little hazy due to a camera malfunction - sorry).

All the details are after the jump.