The big news in town this past week was the announcement by Boyd Gaming that it will tear down the Stardust and replace it with a $4-billion world-class resort complex. It will be called Echelon Place and will have four distinctive hotels.
The company will own and operate the 3,300-room Echelon Resort, encompassing two upscale hotels, a 2,600-room Resort Tower and a 700-room Suite Tower, each containing its own luxurious spa. Both hotels will connect directly to Echelon's extensive public areas containing a 140,000-square-foot casino, 25 restaurants and bars and lushly landscaped pool and garden areas.
Echelon will include a 4,000-seat theater with a large stage and stadium seating designed to accommodate major concerts and production shows. In addition, a more intimate 1,500-seat theater will house smaller shows and touring acts.
There will also be a Shangri-La Hotel within Echelon Place that will include 400 guest rooms and suites, a 20,000-square-foot CHI spa, premium meeting space and two restaurants. There's more. There will also be two signature hotels, Delano and Mondrian, at a cost of approximately $700 million.
Delano Hotel Las Vegas will include 600 guest rooms and suites, a destination nightclub, lobby bar and Asia de Cuba restaurant. It will also feature an Agua Spa with fitness center, private pool and recreation area, and a separate porte cochere and lobby. Mondrian Hotel Las Vegas will have 1,000 guest rooms and suites, a distinctive bar and restaurant, meeting and conference space, private pool and recreation area with Skybar, and a separate porte cochere and lobby.
Also on the 63-acre site will be the Las Vegas ExpoCenter that will feature 650,000 square feet of exhibition and pre-function space and 175,000 square feet of meeting and conference space. Combined with the meeting space within Echelon Resort, the total meeting and exhibition space at Echelon Place is expected to exceed one million square feet, highlighted by over 200 meeting rooms.
Plans also call for over 350,000 square feet of unique shopping, including a mix of luxury, affordable luxury and bridge retailers, as well as a variety of dining, nightlife, and cultural experiences. As you can see, this is a major undertaking and will change the face of the north end of the Strip. My only regret is that they will not continue to use the name Stardust for any of the hotels. Another landmark will be gone forever. Plus I don't really like the name Echelon Place.
The Stardust will remain in operation throughout this year, before construction begins on the new complex. The first phase of the new complex is expected to be open for business in 2010. Only in Las Vegas.
CARDS AT CAESARS
The poker craze continues, but this time in some pretty elegant surroundings as Caesars Palace has opened a new world-class poker room. Located next to the resort's Race & Sports Book, the 8,500-square-foot poker room features 30 live tables offering a selection of the most popular games, including Texas Hold'em, Seven-Card Stud and Omaha, a game that is rapidly rising in popularity. The last time Caesars had a poker room was in 1989.
A highlight of the room, at least in my opinion, are the 11 original LeRoy Neiman paintings that showcase nearly 40 years of Caesars Palace history, much of what I was witness to. As well as plenty of room to move between tables, there are more than 20 large-screen, high-definition TV sets on the walls. Another plus for players is an extensive menu and cocktail service that lets players have food and beverage delivered directly to the tables during play.
There is also an adjoining tournament area of 6,000 square feet and 33 tables. This room will be home to a number of contests providing players the opportunity to win entries into World Series of Poker events. Caesars president, Gary Selesner, said, "Poker tournaments are typically played within the main poker room, meaning standard poker play is compromised or cancelled altogether to make room for tournaments. Adding the additional 6,000 square feet of space for tournament play means guests at Caesars Palace will always be welcome for a game of poker."
There are daily and weekly tournaments, and plans are underway for several intercontinental tournaments, including the internationally-televised World Series of Poker Circuit Event which will be played in April and broadcast on ESPN, and the Heads Up Poker Championship to be played in March and broadcast on NBC.
RIO AFTER HOURS
The Rio is putting a new spin on the nightclub action with Masquerade After Hours. Every Friday and Saturday night throughout January a DJ will spin upbeat tunes from 11 p.m.-3 a.m. on the casino floor, creating a hot dance club environment. In addition, four sultry and energetic shows, beginning at midnight, will feature a cast of sexy singers and dancers. Even the Bevertainers will be dressed in new seductive attire for the after hours attraction. Show times are midnight, 12:45, 1:30 and 2:15 a.m.
Good luck and I'll see you on the Strip. And don't forget to check out www.valleyblogs.com
If you have a question or a Las Vegas experience you would like to share with my readers, please e-mail me at lennylv@cox.net. Please include your full name and the city or town where you live.
