Big news in our town this week is the announced sale of the New Frontier. And if you think you've made some good real estate deals, listen to this. Phil Ruffin, owner of the New Frontier, bought the joint in 1998 for $167 million. The sale price for the property, which includes the hotel-casino and 36 acres right on the Strip, is $1.2 billion.
The buyer is an Israeli-owned real estate investment group that owns a bunch of real estate in Manhattan, including the famous Plaza hotel. In fact, the new owners are planning to raze the New Frontier and build a replica of the Plaza on the site.
So we'll have Boyd Gaming's Echelon Place, plus three boutique hotels going up on the former Stardust property. The new Plaza will take up the New Frontier site. Across the street, the Venetian and Wynn will be opening their new towers. All of which means is that the Strip will undergo another major change, all for the better, over the next two to five years. And you wonder why our town is the most exciting city in the world.
More hotel-casino news. The $600-million Aliante Station, Station Casinos' next resort being built on a 40-acre site in North Las Vegas, will feature its regular restaurant lineup, plus a 700-seat showroom and 202 rooms. That's Phase 1. The next phase will see 400 more rooms, a bingo hall, and a bowling center.
And in the other direction, groundbreaking will begin this summer on the $1-billion Southern Highlands Resort located at the intersection of Las Vegas Blvd. South and St. Rose Parkway. That's about three miles south of South Point Hotel & Casino. The resort will have a casino, 1,400 rooms, meeting and retail space, and eight restaurants. Phase I of the project is slated for completion in fall 2009. Southern Highlands has been approved for a total of 3,200 hotel rooms.
TRUE COLORS
Despite the fact that I detest Rosie O'Donnell with a passion, I will let you know about an event coming up at the MGM Garden Arena that I think you'll enjoy. The inaugural True Colors Tour featuring music legends and today's hottest artists will take the stage Friday, June 8 at the resort. Cyndi Lauper, who is responsible for the show, will be on hand and will be joined by Erasure, Debbie Harry, The Dresden Dolls, Indigo Girls, The Gossip and The Misshapes along with host Margaret Cho. Special guests, including Rufus Wainwright and Rosie O'Donnell will appear on select dates throughout the 15-city tour with additional guests to be announced in the near future. The event features five hours of non-stop music and kicks off Gay & Lesbian Pride Month. Tickets, priced at $100, $70 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are now available through Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000, or go to www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
PLAY LIKE A PRO
So you want to make a living at blackjack, do you? Well, maybe you can, but it helps if you know how to play like a pro. This is why the Blackjack Institute Group is returning to Las Vegas June 23 to hold a one-day, intensive blackjack seminar at the Platinum Hotel and Spa. It is conducted by two former members of the infamous Massachusetts Institute of Technology blackjack team, who a few years back, took the casinos for million of dollars.
"MIT" Mike Aponte, a manager of the MIT blackjack team and World Series of Blackjack champion, along with David "Mr. J" Irvine, a fellow MIT blackjack team member, will focus on topics such as basic strategy, card counting, deck estimation, betting strategy, money management and game selection. Along with this knowledge, Aponte and Irvine reveal effective training exercises to help students develop skills, as well as talk about the pitfalls and adventures they experienced while playing on one of the most successful card-counting teams ever assembled.
Each group seminar runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and enrollment is capped at 50 students so personalized instruction can be provided. This learning experience doesn't come cheap as it will set you back $899. If you think you've got what it takes, you can sign up at www.BlackjackInstitute.com.
TEE IT UP
It's a little too hot for me to take up the clubs, unless I get a tee-off time of 6 a.m., but for all you duffers who don't mind the heat, here's something that may interest you. The ninth annual Tee It Up Classic Golf Tournament will attract 144 golfers from across the country to the Las Vegas Golf Club on May 20 and 21. What makes this tournament different is that each year more than one-third of the field consists of individuals with physical disabilities.
Open to both residents and visitors age 16 and older, the event is facilitated by the Adaptive Recreation Division of the city of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services which provides assistive technology to make the event playable for everyone. The tournament will be played at 4300 West Washington Ave., beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, and at 7 a.m. on Monday, May 21. The $100 registration fee per player includes 36 holes of golf, buffet awards luncheon on Monday, and the chance to win door prizes and raffle drawings. Interested players can contact Mike Collins at (702) 229-5255 or by e-mail at mcollins@lasvegasnevada.gov for information and registration forms.
The tournament uses a best ball format on the first day, and a two-person scramble on the second day. Each team comprises two players. After the first round of competition, the field is divided into two flights. The second day, players compete in their respective flights for first, second and third place. Golf's index system makes it a perfect medium for competitive play among individuals of varying abilities.
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.
