Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog
December 7, 2009
UPDATED: No Push For Locals as ARIA Customers?
Posted by HunterThis one was too odd not to post. Steve Friess has a blog post with a quote from MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren where he says he doesn't really care if locals visit ARIA, implying it's the least important part of the complex (to him?).
http://thestrippodcast.blogspot.com/2009/12/murren-is-ok-with-locals-skipping-aria.html
This seems like an odd thing to say, the simplest reason being that ARIA has a killer spa, pool day-club and a bunch of high-end restaurants, let alone 150,000 square foot casino. It'll be interesting if he backtracks from this at all - almost sounds like it didn't come out right.
Update: It gets even better!
Search
Categories
- About Vegas (38)
- ARIA (21)
- Atlantic City (49)
- Bellagio (90)
- Books (10)
- Boyd Gaming (57)
- Business of Gaming (870)
- Caesars/Harrah's (130)
- Casino Design (369)
- Casino Design Photo of the Week (12)
- CityCenter (158)
- Columbia Sussex (11)
- Condo-Hotels (15)
- Cosmopolitan (20)
- Detroit Casinos (10)
- Device Manufacturers and Games (6)
- Downtown Las Vegas (71)
- Dr. Dave Schwartz (68)
- Fontainebleau (30)
- Gaming Numbers (8)
- Genting (2)
- Interviews (13)
- iPhone (43)
- Landry's (1)
- Las Vegas Photography (98)
- Las Vegas Strip (740)
- Las Vegas/Casino History (3)
- Linq (4)
- Macau Casinos and Hotels (164)
- MGM Resorts International (418)
- Monte Carlo Fire (5)
- Online Gaming (2)
- Open Topics (20)
- Palazzo (59)
- Paolo Mello (1)
- Planet Hollywood (10)
- Podcasts (149)
- Poker (11)
- Press Releases (19)
- RateVegas.com (111)
- Reader Questions (3)
- Reader Reviews (54)
- Simpson on Vegas (38)
- SLS Las Vegas (2)
- Station Casinos (49)
- Strip Walk (32)
- Stripping (Reviews) (13)
- Travel (1)
- Trip Reports (95)
- Tropicana (4)
- Vegas Gang Podcast (115)
- Vegas Internet Mafia Picnic (7)
- Vegas Mate (21)
- Vegas Tips (9)
- Vegas Uncorked (6)
- VegasDelivered.com (1)
- Venetian/LV Sands (198)
- Video (9)
- Wynn Resorts (396)
Subscribe
- Grab our RSS Feed.
New to RSS? Learn more...
Recent Comments
- All Recent Comments on one page.
- John recently commented "It should be noted that reader comments on any news site are usually pretty..." in UPDATED: No Push For Locals as ARIA Customers?
- detroit1051 recently commented "And yet, Murren tells the LV Sun that locals will come. The readers' comme..." in UPDATED: No Push For Locals as ARIA Customers?
- Hans recently commented "Wouldn't some of the "locals" that he might want to attract to Aria include..." in UPDATED: No Push For Locals as ARIA Customers?
- Hunter recently commented "Probably high single digits - larger for some stuff (i.e. buffet, nightclub..." in UPDATED: No Push For Locals as ARIA Customers?
- Brian Fey recently commented "I guess I understand the importance of reporting on this from the perspecti..." in UPDATED: No Push For Locals as ARIA Customers?
Archives
- January 2018
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
Comments
I guess I understand the importance of reporting on this from the perspective of a reporting outlet, but i think this whole thing is kind of getting blown out of proportion. I think he was just some what speaking off the cuff. I'm no expert, but I would be curious to see the percentage of revenue of say a Wynn or Bellagio, that comes from locals, but I'd guess its a very small percentage. I could be wrong. But I sure don't think locals will make or break City Center. The Strip was built for tourist not locals.
Probably high single digits - larger for some stuff (i.e. buffet, nightclubs, bars) than other stuff (hotel).
Still, Wynn and some MGM resorts like Bellagio started heavily going after locals about a 18 months ago. That's part of what makes it strange to say but also because it goes with the theme that a top gaming company is run by a guy that doesn't seem to really like gaming all that much. I think that's interesting.
Wouldn't some of the "locals" that he might want to attract to Aria include those folks that will be moving into the CC condo units, etc.? I'm having a hard time reconciling the "Urban Environment Like Manhattan" talking points with this latest comment.
Is Murren's idea of the urban built environment just big buildings that serve a transient population (Times Square, Century City) or an environment that allows workers, residents and travelers to mingle (as in many other areas of NYC, London, Paris, etc.)
All that said, I am looking forward to staying at the MO next month, if only to check out the public art.
And yet, Murren tells the LV Sun that locals will come. The readers' comments following the story are not too positive:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/08/murren-locals-will-visit-strip-go-citycenter/
It should be noted that reader comments on any news site are usually pretty inane and shitty.