22 minute read
Cover Story: Las Vegas casino-resorts are ready to reopen
Casinos RETURN
READY
TO REOPEN
Las Vegas Boulevard had become home to packs of bicyclists on scenic rides and aimless pedestrians snapping pictures of empty resorts. But there was none of that the afternoon of June 2. Cars moved briskly down the Strip, and casinos’ digital marquees displayed messages like, “No more virtual, we have the real thing.” New York-New York had a simple countdown: “2 Days.” ¶ The coronavirus pandemic might have frozen visitation, emptied casinos and caused countless layoffs and furloughs, but the machine of Las Vegas never completely switched off. Planning for restarting the Valley’s economic engine began as soon as doors temporarily closed. And now, two and a half months later, Vegas will begin welcoming guests once again, folks who’ve been stuck at home, waiting for an escape. ¶ They’re definitely coming. Since the state set June 4 as casino reopening day, hotel reservations have soared. Gaming companies have unveiled extensive safety plans and operational adjustments, helping build customer confidence. Yet the battle against uncertainty continues. Travel is at an all-time low, unemployment an all-time high. Many of the locals who frequent neighborhood casinos and Californians who power the Strip are struggling financially if not emotionally. And Vegas’ planned reopening could also be impacted by unprecedented protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many of Vegas’ casino companies have joined the chorus of Americans calling for social change. ¶ One thing feels certain, however: It’s time to reopen Las Vegas, slowly and carefully. –Brock Radke
Modified to promote safety, the Strip experience should re main quintessentially Vegas
By Brock Radke
I had dinner at a restaurant for the first time in 75 days Saturday night, at the extravagant SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas.
The weather was pleasantly warm and breezy, and I sat outside where I could watch the automated entertainment on the Lake of Dreams and still get hit by the air conditioning from the dining room. I waited until my cocktail arrived to take off my cloth mask, which I set down on a large square card on my table designed exactly for that purpose. Other diners wore masks into the restaurant and put them back on when leaving, and everyone from the hostess to the servers to the chef wore face coverings all night. Same for the many Wynn team members we encountered on our way from the parking garage through the closed casino to SW. Once inside the building, our temperatures were scanned so quickly, we didn’t notice anything had happened.
Wynn and Encore were the first Las Vegas casinos to announce they would close because of the COVID-19 pandemic, even before Gov. Steve Sisolak mandated resort closures on March 17. When the twin luxury resorts reopen on June 4, they plan to offer the majority of amenities that earned the Wynn brand its five-star reputation. Virtually all of the restaurants will be open with reservations required; only a few opened last week for a sort of warmup service for local diners. Spas will be open, and you can get a manicure by putting your hands through a plexiglass window. It will feel more relaxing than it sounds.
The hotels will be permitted to book up to 50 percent capacity, and guests will see that their rooms have been sealed with a sticker to ensure they’re the first to enter since disinfection. Wynn rooms already had touchless Amazon Alexa controls to manage temperature and lighting. Theaters, nightclubs and the dayclub will remain closed, but the Wynn Golf Club has already been open, with tee times separated by 20-minute intervals. The majority of retail shops on property, including those in the new Wynn Plaza, will open their doors this week.
My dinner at SW exceeded expectations in a way I couldn’t have predicted. I knew the food and service would be terrific. I didn’t think I’d get a few hours of refuge from our shared uneasy reality. But that’s what the Las Vegas Strip has always been here for, and that will be the goal, in a more focused way than ever before, when many resorts reopen this week.
“The health and safety of our employees and guests are the top priority, but what is very important as well is to continue to create unique experiences,” said Dominique Bertolone, MGM Resorts’ senior VP of food & beverage strategy.
He spoke June 1 inside a socially distanced Sadelle’s restaurant at Bellagio as part of a preopening media tour, demonstrating that venue’s reduced capacity seating plan and the plexiglass shields separating pink booths in the dining room. You’ll be able to browse the menu at MGM restaurants by using a QR code at your table, and if you didn’t make a reservation, a virtual queue program will allow you to hang out in the casino until a text message tells you your table is ready.
Bellagio was scheduled to flip the switch on its fountains on June 4, and reopen its Petrossian Bar lounge, Prime Steakhouse and Lago restaurants and the iconic conservatory with a new display called “Japan Journey: Magic of Kansai.” The resort’s newest arrival, Mayfair Supper Club, will serve dinner, but a reconfigured plan for its unique stage show is still in the works.
“We want to make sure we’re doing this in a designed and controlled way so you can still have fun, but also that we’re doing things right coming out of COVID,” said John Flynn, MGM Resorts VP of administration. “We want to make sure our employees are doing things the right way to provide that extra sense of security.”
Flynn emphasized that MGM staff at Bellagio, MGM Grand and New York-New York, all scheduled to open June 4, will have a strong presence on the casino floor at all times in order to “keep an eye on that 6-foot [social distancing] space and make sure it’s respected and abided by.” But it’s paramount to make sure guests enjoy themselves and reconnect with the Vegas experience they’re surely craving after missing the Strip for months.
“That’s big. Vegas safely is still Vegas. Even preCOVID, there’s a sense that we’re bringing everybody together, we’re in this together, and that applies to our guests. There’s some personal accountability that goes with that,” Flynn continued. “We’re going to provide them with all the safety mechanisms to have that same wonderful experience they’ve had in the past and ask them for a couple of things … and knowing our guests, they’re loyal and they’re going to comply. We look forward to it.”
Virtually all casino activities at Bellagio were set to reopen, including the sportsbook, with poker on hold for now. There’s plexiglass affixed to most table games, and playing craps or roulette at Bellagio will require you to wear a mask; the casino provides them at several new hand-washing stations, or you can just ask for one.
The reopening of the Strip will be a gradual process, and the experience during the transition will be different. But it might not feel as restricted as you think. One fancy dinner on the patio can go a long way.
W h a t ’ s r e o p e n i n g ?
Casinos RETURN
STRIP & NEARBY DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD
Details on the first batch of relaunched casinos, Set to welcome back the public on June 4
After more than two months of closures, Nevada’s casinos are set to reopen June 4. It’ll be gradual—not all restaurants and other amenities will be up and running right away, and all buffets, nightclubs, dayclubs and live entertainment venues will stay shuttered for now. ¶ Properties have been working hard to create as safe an environment as possible, leading Gov. Steve Sisolak to proclaim, “I don’t think you’re going to find a safer place to visit than Las Vegas by June 4.” Expect limits on the number of players at table games, thermal checks for patrons upon entering properties, plentiful sanitation stations and more. Some resorts are even offering touchless arrivals—curbside check-in for hotel guests, with doors that automatically open and lead to the rooms. ¶ The following is a list of what to expect at resorts around town, aside from table games and slot machines, which will return in some capacity at all properties.
n ALIANTE The North Las Vegas spot is bringing back bingo, its sportsbook and its pool, but the movie theater, valet and spa will remain shuttered for now. Among restaurants, MRKT Sea & Land and Bistro 57 are set to reopen, with the latter featuring revised hours.
n ARIZONA CHARLIE’S The hotel’s Decatur and Boulder locations will reopen, specifically the main casino, bingo halls and Sourdough Cafés at both sites.
n BELLAGIO The pool area will be open, along with the fitness center for hotel guests. The Bellagio Conservatory will relaunch with new Japanese spring garden display “Japan Journey: Magic of Kansai.” Restaurant reopenings include Jasmine, Lago, Mayfair Supper Club, Prime Steakhouse and Sadelle’s. Parking fees have been suspended. And the fountains also officially turn back on June 4.
n BOULDER STATION Kids Quest will reopen, along with restaurants including the Broiler, the Grand Café and Guadalajara. The poker room remains shuttered.
n CAESARS PALACE “A selection” of Forum Shop retailers will be open, along with casino restaurants including Brioche, Cafe Americano, Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen (for dinner only), Mesa Grill, Nobu, Old Homestead Steakhouse and Pronto. The Lobby Bar, Montecristo Cigar Bar, Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, Vista Lounge and Venus Pool are among other amenities that will be available again. Parking fees have been suspended.
n CALIFORNIA Aloha Specialties returns (daily, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily and until 10 p.m. weekends). Redwood Steakhouse will be open Wednesday-Sunday, and Market Street comes back with round-the-clock hours.
n THE CANNERY Though the Eastside property won’t return on June 4, the location on Craig Road will, bringing back Carve Prime Rib (5-9 p.m. daily) and its café (24/7).
n CIRCUS CIRCUS The Adventuredome and Carnival Midway return, along with Splash Zone and the pool. Also reopening: the spa and salon, the sportsbook and restaurants including the Steak House and Blue Iguana.
n THE COSMOPOLITAN Most restaurants will return June 4, including Beauty & Essex, Blue Ribbon, Eggslut, STK and the Block 16 Urban Food Hall, along with bars such as Chandelier, Clique and Vesper. The Boulevard Pool is reopening, with appropriately spaced lounge chairs, daybeds and cabanas. Sahra Spa, Salon & Hammam, both fitness centers and the outdoor tennis courts are also coming back. Parking fees have been suspended.
n THE D The pool will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with a social distancing outdoor lounge. Food and beverage options include Andiamo Italian Steakhouse, American Coney Island, BarCanada, D Grill, Longbar and Vue Bar.
n EL CORTEZ Eatery Siegel’s 1941 is reopening, along with all of the property’s bars. Tip: Park in the garage at 7th Street and Ogden Avenue.
n ELLIS ISLAND The Village Pub 24-hour cafe and Ellis Island BBQ are back, but the beer garden the Front Yard will remain shut for now.
n FLAMINGO The Beach Club and Go pools are both reopening, along with Bugsy’s Bar, X Bar and Pizza to Go. Some restaurants and retail spots at the adjacent Linq Promenade are also returning, and the High Roller Observation Wheel will operate daily from noon to midnight. Parking fees have been suspended.
n FREMONT The Downtown property’s sportsbook and valet will be operational.
n GOLD COAST Ping Pang Pong returns with daily hours from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Bowling, bingo and the sportsbook are also back, but the movie theater, spa and hotel rooms remain closed. Cornerstone steakhouse is reopening, with daily hours from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
n GOLDEN GATE The Circa Sportsbook will be open around the clock. Bar Prohibition and OneBar are both returning.
n GOLDEN NUGGET The Downtown resort’s pool is reopening, along with eateries including Cadillac, Chick-filA, Claim Jumper and Vic & Anthony’s, plus the Stage Bar and Bar 46. Additionally, the new Saltgrass Steak House will debut with drinks and bartop gaming.
n GREEN VALLEY RANCH Reopening restaurants include Borracha, Bottliglia, Grand Café, Hank’s, Pizza Rock and Tides, along with food-court options like Fatburger and Capriotti’s. Bingo, keno, the sportsbook and Kids Quest are returning, as are the spa, salon, pool, fitness center and complementary valet service.
n HARRAH’S Harrah’s will reopen June 5 at 11 a.m., one day after the others on this list. The relaunch will feature renovated hotel rooms, a remodeled casino floor and hotel lobby, and a revamped Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
n JOKERS WILD The café returns with daily hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
n ORLEANS The poker room, pool and bowling center will be up and running at limited capacity. Restaurants Bailiwick, Copper Whisk, Ondori, and TGI Fridays will return, along with quickfood options like Subway and Sbarro. This is also the lone Boyd Gaming property with live poker at present, with tables capped at four participants.
n M RESORT Reopening restaurants include Anthony’s Steakhouse, Baby Cakes, Burgers & Brews and the Vig Deli. M Resort’s pool, spa, fitness center and valet service all remain closed.
n MGM GRAND The resort will initially reopen Avenue Café, Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, Crush, Pieology and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill. The Grand Pool Complex is also coming back, while the salon and fitness center will only be available to hotel guests. Self-parking fees have been suspended, and the valet will stay closed. Also, Topgolf has not reopened.
n NEW YORK-NEW YORK The Big Apple Roller Coaster, Big Apple Arcade and Hershey’s Chocolate World are coming back. The pool area is reopening, while the fitness center will be available only to hotel guests. Returning dining options include America, Chin Chin, Gallagher’s Steakhouse, Gonzalez y Gonzalez, Il Fornaio and Tom’s Urban.
n PALACE STATION The pool is reopening, along with valet and the airport shuttle. Dining options include Boathouse, Charcoal Room, Brass Fork, Little Tony’s and the Oyster Bar. The poker room remains closed.
n PLANET HOLLYWOOD The casino and hotel aren’t back yet, but the Miracle Mile Shops have been cleared to reopen, though some restaurants and retailers may remain closed for now.
n THE PLAZA The bingo room, rooftop pool and to-go dining options Pop Up Pizza and Coffee Bar are reopening. Sit-down restaurants remain closed. Tip: Park on the third floor of the garage for direct access to the bingo room.
n RAMPART The sportsbook and bingo room will operate at 50% capacity, as will reopening restaurants Earl Grey Café and Clubhouse Deli (June 4) and Hawthorn Grill (June 5).
n RED ROCK The Red Rock Lanes bowling center and Kids Quest are reopening, along with the bingo and keno parlors and the sportsbook. Valet parking, the pool, spa and salon are also back. Relaunched dining options include 8 Noodle Bar, Blue Ribbon, Grand Café, Hearthstone, Lucille’s, T-Bones Chophouse and Yard House, as well as the food court.
n SAHARA The rooftop pool is reopening, along with Northside Café and the Casbar Lounge. Bazaar Meat will return on June 5.
n SANTA FE STATION Reopenings include Kids Quest, bowling, bingo, keno and the sportsbook, along with restaurants such as Charcoal Room, Grand Café, Leticia’s and the Oyster Bar.
n SAM’S TOWN The Angry Butcher will be back seven days a week starting at 4 p.m. The bowling lanes, bingo and sportsbook and food court are reopening, while the movie theater will remain closed.
n SILVER SEVENS The reopening will include gambling and the main bar, while dining and other amenities will stay closed for now.
n SILVERTON Among the amenities and attractions set to reopen on June 4: the Aquarium (with mermaid swims and stingray feedings), the pool (for hotel guests only), Shady Grove Bar and restaurants including Mi Casa, Sundance Grill and WuHu Noodle.
n SOUTH POINT The adult pool has reopened, as has the fitness center (with limited hours) and the salon (by appointment only). Among returned restaurants are Coronado Café, Don Vito’s, Silverado Steakhouse, Steak ‘n Shake and Zenshin.
n THE STRAT The Observation Deck, Top of the World restaurant, Chapel in the Clouds and bars 107 SkyLounge, 108 Drinks and View Lounge are reopening, along with the Big Shot and SkyJump (those attractions will run Friday-Sunday, 2-10 p.m.) Also back: the sportsbook and Strat Café.
n SUNCOAST Du-par’s will be back 24/7, and 90 Ninety steakhouse returns with daily hours starting at 4 p.m. Bingo, bowling and the sportsbook are also relaunched, while the movie theater remains closed.
n SUNSET STATION Bingo, keno and the sportsbook are returning, along with restaurants including Grand Café, Pasta Cucina, Sonoma Cellar and the Oyster Bar. The bowling center and Kids Quest are also reopening.
n TREASURE ISLAND Señor Frogs will initially be open Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday for dinner, and Friday and Saturday from noon until midnight. Pizzeria Francesco’s will initially operate from noon to 6 p.m. daily. The pool and cabana area are reopening; the sportsbook returns June 5.
n VENETIAN & PALAZZO Both the Venetian and Palazzo towers are reopening, along with restaurants including Black Tap, Cut, Matteo’s, Mott 32, Sixth+Mill and cocktail bars the Dorsey and Electra. The resort complex will also show off a restyled pool deck, inspired by the Italian Riviera, and new poolside café Spritz.
n WILDFIRE The 10 Wildfire Gaming properties throughout the Las Vegas area are reopening.
n WYNN & ENCORE All restaurant offerings return, apart from the buffet. The pools at both properties are reopening, along with beauty salons, barber shops, spas and fitness centers. Wynn Golf Club relaunched during the initial phase of the state’s reopening. The nightclub and poker rooms will stay closed.
Casinos RETURN
An acrylic gaming barrier installed at a gaming table at the El Cortez
(John Locher/AP Photo)
Chairs have been removed at some slot machines to promote social distancing at a Caesars Palace.
(John Locher/AP Photo)
C A N ’ T S T O P,
WON’T STOP
(Photographs by Wade Vandervort/Staff/Photo Illustration)
OUR EVER-EVOLVING CASINO INDUSTRY IS TOO SMART AND NIMBLE TO FALL BEFORE A VIRUS
BY GEOFF CARTER
The rst casino I clearly remember visiting was the Silver Slipper, sometime in the late 1970s. My parents were regulars at the Desert Inn across the street, and on this family trip—the rst of several we made throughout the ’70s and ’80s—they took me to the Slipper for the breakfast bu et.
Immediately, I fell in love with the Slipper’s cheese blintzes and helped myself to several. I couldn’t believe that this place had, without knowing a thing about me, divined there was something I wanted more than anything and arranged for me to have as much of it as I wanted. It was arcane magic, repeated across the entire town. Arcade games? Circus Circus gave me a vast room full of them, surrounded by a genuine carnival midway. Swimming pools? I could spend an entire afternoon oating in a pool the size of a baseball diamond. I was 10, maybe 11 years old, and Las Vegas’ hospitality industry adapted itself to my tastes.
My parents and sister moved to Las Vegas in 1988, and
I’ve lived in this Valley since 1990 (absent a 10-year stay in Seattle, 2002-2012). I mention this because Las Vegas changed a lot during the ’90s and early 2000s—not just in size and population, but in terms of what the city put on the table to draw in visitors.
From 1990 to 2000, we watched the MGM Grand, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and others spring out of the ground as if electri ed. We watched the “Family Vegas” era come and go, taking with it two roller coasters (leaving two behind), three high-tech simulator rides and a full theme park. In the ’80s, there was one upscale shopping mall on the Strip, the Fashion Show; today there are several. And as mind-blowing a realization as it might be, there was a time when our casinos had no nightclubs at all.
Perhaps no other experience industry has experimented as daringly as Las Vegas’ hospitality set. Over the years, the casinos of Las Vegas have given us competitive jai alai; live tapings of The Hollywood Squares; motorcycles jumping over buildings; yearly conventions tai
WON’T STOP
CASINOS RETURN
lored to nearly every interest, from RollerCon to the International Pizza Expo; walk-through shark tanks; WNBA basketball; two Guggenheim Museums under the same roof; a New Year’s Eve street party that rivals Times Square’s in its ambition; a clockwork volcano and too many more attractions to name. I’ve very nearly lost count of all the minor miracles I’ve experienced in Vegas’ casinos: I’ve shaken hands with Muhammad Ali, seen Elvis Costello performing with The Roots, even sat in the captain’s chair of the Federation Starship Enterprise.
Our hometown industry is too smart, nimble and chameleonlike to be undone by the coronavirus. The Strip and Downtown have survived a recession, fuel shortages and terrorism with scarcely any continued, outward evidence of their occurrence. And while this virus will change things for a while—a loss of jobs, fewer machines on the gaming oor, guests intermittently masked—it won’t be long at all until our industry nds its level.
Maybe some experiences, like bu ets, will stay gone for good, even after a vaccine is discovered— but we’ll scarcely notice, because our casinos will have moved on to the next great thing. And the industry’s most recent innovation—the integration of professional sports to Vegas’ entertainment portfolio—has only begun to transform the entire city.
Las Vegas’ casinos will keep going. This virus won’t take them down. The reason Vegas is what it is—the reason people come here to gamble, eat and enjoy themselves, despite the proliferation of online and tribal gaming—is because no other industry, no other city has more steadfastly devoted itself to making sure its visitors have a good time. And if it happens that the (hopefully temporary) future of entertainment is built upon social distancing, our casinos will ll that distance with accommodating comforts and cool things to do. If that means building a swimming pool the size of 10 baseball diamonds, Las Vegas will get to digging it out.
G O O D N E I G H B O R S
THE RETURN OF LOCALS CASINOS MEANS A LOT TO A LOT OF LAS VEGANS
BY NINA KING
It’s about time! I haven’t been to a bingo game, played a slot machine or had coffee shop breakfast in two and a half months. Sure, I’ve got eggs at home, but the bingo and slots on my iPad are nowhere near as fun. And my cats don’t cheer me on when I win … although they kinda give me sideeye when I win a second time, the same way my compadres in the bingo hall do.
We Las Vegans love our locals casinos. We’re there for lots of reasons—food, spas, shows and, yes, gaming, too. In this transient town, neighborhood joints can become our roots—and many of us return to the same spots for years upon years.
Whether it’s a nice release from a stressful day, chilling out over a beer or a chance to win a few bucks playing slots, bingo or blackjack, it’s part of our routines. At Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho, I knew many of the bingo callers and agents, beverage servers, players club workers and customers. And they certainly knew me. Chatting with my fellow bingo players—sharing tales of our biggest wins and terrible losing streaks—can feel therapeutic. Once in a while a cake appears, and a regular gets a “Happy Birthday” called out over the PA.
My husband and I schedule date night at our neighborhood resorts—trying out the barbecue place or the high-end steakhouse, taking in a movie or playing slots for an hour or two. In preparation for date night, I peruse the monthly mailings and consider the contests and the freebies being offered. (A few coats and a lot of alcohol have come my way in that manner.) It’s like a local a treasure hunt.
Some locals casinos aren’t reopening yet, and that leaves me worried for the workers there. Whenever they do, I’ll be there, playing bingo. I’ll have a mask on, and I won’t sit right next to you, but if you win, I’ll clap. And just this once, I won’t hiss if you do it again.
