Sh*t You May Have Missed… Like Eureka! Having their Soft Opening on February 9th

Hey all, BigAZMarty here with this week’s news about our favorite place, Las Vegas! 

1. Wow, what a difference a week makes, last week Steve Wynn was discussing Wynn West and Wynn Paradise Park plans during a really up 4th Quarter and 2017 Year End Report.  Starting late last week, well let’s just say the “Sh*t Hit The Fan”.  WSJ ran an article here about how Steve Wynn is, how do you say it, a sexual misconduct participant over his female employees.  After this well it’s all in flux no matter what anyone says.  If any of the stories are true, then it’s way worse.  Here is what is at stake currently, Wynn has license reviews in Nevada, Macao, and Mass.  If any are revoked they will have to sell those properties to a company or person that can continue to operate the existing properties with a valid gaming license.  Wynn has already stepped down from his RNC position.  GOP Candidates are turning money from Wynn to charities or are awaiting “Guilt” status.
2. In a never mind the mess, Wynn Resorts states that Wynn West and Wynn Paradise Park will still happen according to LVRJ here.  They announced that Solar Power for Wynn Paradise Park has already been lined up according to KTNV here.
3. If it (Wynn Resorts) all goes to hell in a handbasket LVRJ has an excellent article on what would happen next if it all get’s flushed down the toilet here.  Interesting that Sam’s newspaper says only LVS has the available capital to purchase Wynn Resorts outright without putting Sam’s controlling interest percentage at risk.  I say personally no one will pick it all up like MGM did with Mirage Resorts, it would probably be more of a piecemeal with different companies watching like vultures to purchase the carcass pieces and put their spin on them.  I could see Caesars getting one of the properties in Macao, MGM grabbing the unfinished Boston Harbor property and due to proximity LVS getting one of the two Macao properties, plus both Wynn and Encore in LV.  The former Alon land (Wynn West) will probably be cycled back out to someone else, perhaps Boyd Gaming can start a new Strip property…call it maybe Stardust?  The reason I think it would play that way is that LVS can’t even finish that St. Regis tower in LV and keeps postponing the “Music Arena” (now out to 2020 completion date).
4. December numbers are in and visitation is down Y-O-Y but Convention Numbers are up to a new record.  Read LVRJ here for details. Oh, and the nugget is that the convention center construction is going to go on longer than previously announced with new hall completed in 2021 and all renovations completed in 2023.
5. Further fallout from Wynn article is that other casino companies are going to be reviewing their current management hiring practices and gender percentages including C-Suite and Board of Directors, read Nevada Independent here.  Caesars had this plan of 50 – 50 by 2025 a while back, I’ll believe it when you start to see Cabana Boys instead of Waitresses at the pools for those over 50 women parties at the pool.
6. Scott, you just kill me, in one of the more humorous articles Vital Vegas here has that Lego “has delayed” their Las Vegas set to pull the Mandalay Bay building in the set, but they didn’t announce a similar replacement for the Wynn Resort.  I’m guessing they will have two rebranded buildings to put back in soon.  SkyVue foundation towers too funny…should have been Project Blue and Resorts World though, ya know?
7. Flamingo’s cousin to the Stripper 101 statue at Miracle Mile shops is closing it’s leg’s (doors?), Go Sexy Boutique is closing up, read Vital Vegas here.  I’d heard of it but never remembered seeing the actual shop.
8. Vital Vegas has a Bellagio Conservatory gallery for Chinese New Year here, Year of the Dog indeed.  We’ve had coverage of this before but this will be changed out shortly for the Spring display.  You can never get too much Bellagio Conservatory, right?
9. Wow, I didn’t even know this was a thing but Las Vegas has banned Shark Fin soup being served in any restaurant, read Vital Vegas here.  Even though they are sharks, it’s a pretty nasty practice throwing back in disabled sharks into the ocean to die a slow death.
10. The Emergency Art’s Eureka menu has been revealed to Vital Vegas and it’s here.  Should be open Feb. 12th. [Editors Note: Soft opening is this Friday, February 9, 2018] 

    

    

    

    

11. The bar that saved Big ‘N Rich from being at the Route 51 Harvest Festival at the time of the shootings is being closed up at the Grand Bazaar Shops.  Redneck Rivera took a long while to open and well it’s not been open long, but I think perhaps the foot traffic wasn’t good enough to keep it open, read Vital Vegas here.  Maybe that Lasagna Crust place can use the space since they never seem to have enough tables.
12. Due to the amount of SuperBowl articles and where and how to bet, I’m just going to point you to MarC’s EDGe Vegas site and let you have at it here.  All good articles and he covers it well.  He also covers Free Parking in Las Vegas, and the Fortuna Cup horse racing machines coming into casino’s now.
13. The Caesars Palace Pronto by Giada will be open Feb. 5th according to Eater Vegas here.  I will miss Payard as it was fun to hit up at night when it was quiet and get what you wanted without a wait.  Since Pronto will have Gelato I know the wife will have this on her must-do list soon.
14. Eater Vegas has the best restaurants with a view for that upcoming Feb. 14 date, read the list here.  I notice that Ruth Chris at Harrah’s has fallen off the list this year.
15. Eater Vegas also has the China Tang menu at MGM Grand here.  Some interesting items covered in the article like hammer chicken and such.
16.  I’m not getting the new Convention Center name they’ve come up with for the back of Flamingo/Linq/Harrah’s convention and open-air event dining, really Caesars Forum Convention Center?  Read Eater Vegas here for details or Vital Vegas here.  Vital Vegas has a link to the actual sales brochure as well.  If you go by the name you’re thinking it’s near the Forum Tower at Caesar Palace and nope you’d be about a full block off as you’d have to leave Caesars Palace, walk down the Linq Promenade and cross Linq Way to get to this which will be on the backside of the High Roller Ferris Wheel.
17. Town Square south of Bali Hai Golf Course and Mandalay Bay is getting not one but TWO hotels, an Aloft and an Element by Westin Hotels.  These will be low floor count hotels due to the nearby airport runways and FAA rules on building heights.  Read EATER Vegas for hotel details here.  They better have excellent soundproofing, and that puts them really close to the upcoming Raiders Stadium in case customers aren’t interested in gambling and need a nearby place to stay near the Stadium.
18. Stiffs and Georges has a section on a “Panic” button for housekeeping and staff to use if they are assaulted while in a guest room, read here.  MGM and Caesars are already onboard with the initiative.
19. MGM in another “profit initiative” is raising parking/valet fees again as well as moving to a variable over time charge.  Read LVRJ here.  I’m guessing the shows and shops will be even more empty in time after the raise in fees.  Maybe NYNY might be possible to grab a bite under 1 hour, but never a show…it’s just too far of a walk between the garages and the venues.  Suggestion to MGM, free 3-hour parking might be the happy place you are looking for to get the shops and shows back to full again.
20. This is perfect for when you put up a large amount of cash for a sports bet to miss winning by the points spread by one point.  Or you take a date to Las Vegas and well they disappear on you and say they are getting a ride home from their new “friend” and you are stuck with the room, plans and bill and wait time trying to figure out what happened to them.  Well before you leave town visit the WRECK room.  This is perfect and if you like the printer scene in Office Space you will get it.  Break shit and feel better, right?  As little as $35 for something simple like bottles, up to a freaking car at $1000.  Read LVRJ here.
21. VICI Properties, the new REIT formed from the CEOC subsidiary bankruptcy and recently refused a buy out by MGM Growth Properties had it’s IPO and well instead of the planned 50 Million shares, it sold 60.5 Million shares at between $19 and $21 a share raising $1.21B.  Read LVRJ here and remember because it’s NOT owned by Caesars they have that ability to be able to purchase and remain neutral owners.
22. With the #MeToo movement hitting Las Vegas (Wynn), local lawyers are putting up billboards to gain clients and business, read KTNV article and video here.  In this atmosphere, I can imagine lots more names will be coming out soon.
23. Kats has a sit down with Derek Stevens on his plans for the old Las Vegas Club/Mermaid/Girls of Glitter Gulch site that is nearly empty of buildings, read LVRJ here and follow the link for the radio show.  Sounds like Kats had about as much luck getting info as Scott did with Vital Vegas.  Somehow I think Scott will probably have an inside track with his Fremont Street connections when the full info is forthcoming.
24. Sugarboo and Company are coming to Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian,, read up at LVRJ here.  Sounds like a Kirkland’s meets Things Remembered.
25. Fighting news as Triple G and Canelo #2 is on for May 5th, read ucnlive here.  They have to figure out the venue and T-Mobile arena is probably preferred, but expect May to be very busy in LV as Cinco de Mayo will hopefully have the fight and EDC will rule the Untz.  Then, of course, the long Memorial Day weekend and the shift to summer break.  Expect room rates to go way up if the venue is in Las Vegas.  However my thoughts are that the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, CA is where they announced the fight, is in fact owned by Madison Square Gardens so either there or in New York (remember Sam and MSG haven’t built out their music venue in LV yet).

That’s it for the news around town this week… and now over to our Editor-in-Chief, LasVegasJunkie, for our stuff and more.

Gracias BigAZMarty! It was a slow week for Vegas Bright last week as I was in Las Vegas having a great time with the #Oceans14XL and #Oceans14SB crew.

1. Vegas Bright writer Kelly Lamrock returned from his hiatus and reviewed The Dorsey Cocktail Bar & Lounge at The Venetian. 
2. Chief Editor LasVegasJunkie returns with the Las Vegas Junkie Podcast Episode 11… the official-unofficial Vegas Bright Podcast. 

That’s all Folks!

[Photo Cred. LasVegasJunkie]

BigAzMarty

A computer professional who has worked at several types of positions with several different businesses and still learning and changing.
Introduced properly to Las Vegas and Laughlin by the spouse and have been going ever since 1990.
A frequent visitor from not to far away where it’s almost always 10 degrees warmer than Vegas.