Mirage President Felix Rappaport will resign
Felix Rappaport, president of The Mirage, announced plans to resign from his position Tuesday, becoming the second MGM Resorts International Strip property high-level executive to leave the company this month.
On Dec. 3, Aria President Bill McBeath resigned.
In a memo to employees, Rappaport, who has been president of The Mirage since September 2010, said he was leaving the resort at the end of the year.
"This will be my first New Year's Eve off in more than 30 years," said Rappaport, 60, who didn't give any indication of future plans.
"While it is difficult to leave the company, I am enthused to be opening a new chapter in my life," Rappaport said. "I look forward to spending more time with my family and to exploring new opportunities within and possibly even outside our industry."
Except for a two-year stint as the general manager of the Station Casinos-owned Boulder Station, Rappaport has spent the bulk of his casino career with properties owned by MGM Resorts and its predecessor company, Mirage Resorts.
Rappaport served as president of Luxor, Excalibur and New York-New York and he held senior level positions at The Mirage, Treasure Island and MGM Grand.
Before his appointment at The Mirage, Rappaport oversaw renovations and changes at Luxor during a five-year period. The casino was acquired by MGM Resorts as part of the company's
$7.9 billion buyout of the Mandalay Resort Group.
Rappaport moved to Las Vegas in 1991 from Philadelphia, where he managed hotels. He became vice president of hotel operations for The Mirage, which has 3,000 rooms. The largest hotel he managed in Philadelphia was 500 rooms.
Since taking over The Mirage, Rappaport over saw changes in the property, including new restaurants and new nightclubs.
MGM Resorts Chief Operating Officer Corey Sanders will oversee The Mirage until a new property president is named.
MGM Resorts Chairman Jim Murren called Rappaport, "the epitome of hospitality leader."
McBeath left Aria after telling Murren that he wanted to "reassess his career goals." CityCenter Chief Executive Officer Bobby Baldwin stepped in to oversee Aria, the Strip complex's flagship hotel-casino.
A day later, MGM Resort Chief Marketing Officer Bill Hornbuckle was named president of the corporation.
Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871.
Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
