Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/images/Plaza%20first%20Rendering.jpg

I have to say, this is much better than I expected. I am very excited to have some great properties around Wynn. It will be nice having other things to visit in the area.

Plaza Las Vegas:

http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/images/Plaza%20first%20Rendering.jpg

Posted by detroit1051

This is much worse than I expected. I'm disappointed Elad is trying to replicate the original Plaza. It can't be done. Five separate towers plus three more if you count the U-shaped centerpiece, all with the same roofline as the Plaza on Central Park South. It looks like a caricature from Disney World.

Posted by detroit1051

I caught up with my VegasTripping reading tonight. The review of Kokomo's was spot on. It's not the restaurant it was when Steve Wynn owned the property. The aquarium behind the Registration area is closed for renovations. It's supposed to re-open in October. Will someone in Las Vegas check next month to make sure MGM doesn't do away with it for good?
http://www.vegastripping.com/

First thing that came to mind when I saw the Plaza renderings: there are a lot of pools, but are any of them going to get any sun?! They're so densely surrounded, like the Venetian's Venezia tower pools.

Posted by Dave

Those PLV renderings look like someone smashed the NY Plaza, Bellagio, and Palazzo into one giant project. Wynn might stand out in that neighborhood as the one resort with real open space around it.

Speaking of Wynn, he is going to be featured (along with Elaine) on ABC News Nightline tomorrow night. Elaine will unveil, for the first time, the super-sized "Wynn Diamond." Here are some excerpts of the interviews, courtesy of Nightline:

On New Macau Hotel:

Steve Wynn: The size of the Macau market is extraordinary in terms of money. What's not extraordinarily large is the amount of people coming to Macau. Macau is more like Atlantic City. There would be millions of people coming once or twice a year to Las Vegas. In Macau there might be 500,000 people coming 70 times. My best customers in Macau are there all the time. That's the way it was in Atlantic City. That is to say the population of people that are going to Macau is small. The population that Macau serves is astronomical. The penetration of people in that huge market that are actually visiting Macau is a number that has been very small and is about to grow. And the future of that city will depend on that future widening.

...

On Donald Trump:

Steve Wynn: Of all the things in the world that you can ignore it is what Donald Trump and I say about each other - you could certainly forget that. That is the sound of fury signifying nothing.

Steve Wynn: He's a colorful, one-off personality. I think everyone in America would agree that there's no one like Donald Trump that we've ever seen before. It�s doubtful that we'll ever see it again. He's bigger than life. He loves the role and the position he's made for himself. He enjoys creating this caricature and he's benefited from it and the more power to him for that.

Cynthia McFadden: So, fair to say that the two of you are cozy now?

Steve Wynn: Oh yeah. He's going to be our neighbor across the street. He brings a little [shows one-two punch], listen, wherever this guy goes, one thing about the Trumpster he brings excitement, a lot of fanfare and ballyhoo. If you can't do that in Las Vegas, where in the hell can you do it? So, welcome to town Donald. It�s nice to have you here. Stir up as much of a hornets nest as you can.
(courtesy ABC News Nightline)

LOL@ "the Trumpster." Just the image of all those Trumpamaniacs running wild...

Posted by detroit1051

I hope MGM is serious about keeping Bellagio "fresh and relevant". I'd hate to see it slide down the totem pole when CityCenter opens a la The Mirage. I wonder how Bellagio's baccarat play compares to Wynn Las Vegas.

"Bellagio is remodeling its baccarat pit as part of an effort to keep the property fresh and relevant, with CityCenter opening next door by the end of 2009 .
Wynn Las Vegas now claims to control the largest chunk of baccarat business on the Strip.
But MGM Mirage executive Bobby Baldwin, the company's chief design and construction officer, says Bellagio, which posted its greatest profit after Wynn opened up the Strip, won't lose out to competition.
Baldwin says he is overseeing the adjacent Bellagio and Monte Carlo in addition to his current duties managing CityCenter to safeguard the properties' futures.
"Bellagio's going to be more successful after CityCenter opens, not less," he said. "But it takes coordination for that to happen. If CityCenter was opening as a single enterprise I'd simply steal all the customers from other properties. I won't be doing that when CityCenter opens."
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/consumer/2007/sep/25/566639221.html

Posted by BillyInLasVegas

Hi Detroit,

Bellagio is currently remodeling all of their suites and has recently finished remodeling a lot of the casino floor and has remodeling plans all through 2008.

Now as far as Baccarat numbers go no one can touch Wynn right now. You can't even compare Bellagio's baccarat handle today with that of last year and lets not even talk about the pre-WLV days, but Baccarat play has been up in all other MGM-MIRAGE properties.

Posted by detroit1051

Thanks BillyinLasVegas. I haven't stayed at Bellagio since last November, but I still get offers, most of them downgraded from when I went frequently. The Winter Offer I received today is more generous: 3 nights Suite, F&B in "select restaurants" and some FreePlay. It's good 11-18/1-27. I would bet the suite is a Salone Suite instead of a full suite, and of course the select restaurants don't include the ones I like.

Posted by mike_ch

I went into town a few days ago and wandered about. The results should be on here soon.

I saw a guy at MGM by the KA theater, outside the "Mansion Casino", betting thousands at a table and drawing quite a crowd. Like a true slots jockey, I don't know what game it was, but I'm guessing Baccarat since he was touching cards. Although one would think a fancy Baccarat player would go play in the room for fancy Baccarat players, unless he simply liked causing a scene. I suspect Wynn and MGM Grand have both cannibalized a bit of Bellagio's action on that game.

And Detroit, I'll look into the Mirage aquarium thing for you over the next few updates.

Mike, all baccarat games where you're allowed to touch the cards are in high limit rooms. MGM keeps it's pai gow poker outside The Mansion which is most likely what you were watching. The game gets its share of heavy action, but for some reason is hardly represented in high limit rooms around town. That needs to change; I have seen patrons visibly uncomfortable at the amount of gawkers.

Posted by Mark D

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/09/fire_damages_atlantic_city_hot.html
There was a major fire last week in the Borgata's new tower in Atlantic City. The pictures in the news story look pretty bad and it will probably delay the opening. Anyone have more news on how much of a delay? Since closing the Stardust Boyd has been counting on replacing that lost income with the Borgata expansion.

Posted by mike_ch

A couple notes from the RJ. First from yesterday's ussue is an article on Colony Capital's improvements to the Hilton, including a photo of renovated rooms and VIP lounge. You can view this article here

Secondly, from today's newspaper, comes word that the Health Inspector shut down the Rialto Deli at the Venetian's casino food court because the refrigerator wasn't able to remain proper temperature. Ugh.

Wynn stock has gone up $50 a share in the last month. It currently stands at $167. This is on NO NEWS, am I the only one who finds that somewhat strange?

Posted by DavidF

So did anyone watch Nightline on Wednesday?

I must admit I missed it but read the article :-

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=3650310&page=1

Sounds like it was pretty much a "Puff Piece" but I would be interested to hear anyones comments...

BTW I will be in Vegas this weekend through Wednesday as my wife and I celebrate 10 years of Marriage with our Friends, trip report will be coming, but if anyones in town, feel free to shoot be an email (Hunter - you can share my email address to anyone who doesn't have it)

Posted by mike_ch

They showed a photo of the damage to Le Reve and showed a close-up of the fix-up work. That's about the only thing special unless you care about a rock.

I just saw some info on Ritz-Carlton Cotai. Am I the only one who missed this one? R-C is my second favorite hotel chain, after Wynn or course.

Posted by detroit1051

Brian, it will part of Studio City. Did you see the photo?
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Macao/Default.htm
http://www.macaostudiocity.com/