Mount Charleston hotel has new ownership, name

The 64-room hotel at 2 Kyle Canyon Road on Mount Charleston has new ownership and management, and a new name: The Resort on Mount Charleston.

The Siegel Group, the commercial real estate and business development company that owns and operates the Gold Spike casino downtown and 18 apartment properties in Las Vegas, acquired the nearly 6-acre mountain resort in a joint-venture partnership with Great American Capital announced Dec. 10.

Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. The Siegel Group owns a 50 percent interest and assumes managing control of the property through its SASCO Properties division.

Stephen Siegel, president and chief executive officer of the Siegel Group, said in a statement that the resort has been “a hidden oasis and getaway that many Las Vegas residents never knew existed. ... Our primary goal is to clean up and modernize the property and rebrand and extensively market this incredible destination resort while ensuring that we provide our valued clientele with an unforgettable experience and superior customer service.”

Built in the early 1980s, the hotel is about a half-hour drive from downtown Las Vegas in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s Kyle Canyon, near hiking and mountain bike trails and the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. Its last major renovation was in 2005. The previous private ownership had hired California-based Investors Hospitality Management to run the hotel in November of 2007, but IHM president John DiGuiseppe said his company ceased working with the property in the spring.

Michael Crandall, director of business affairs for the Siegel Group, said his company specializes in taking over mismanaged properties and turning them around.

“That’s what we do. Along with the rebranding, creative marketing and promotions to get the name out there, we’re going to have a pretty extensive renovation of the property,” Crandall said. “It’s such a beautiful place, and there are a lot of people in Vegas who don’t realize they’re only 30 minutes away, and they’ve never been there. The hotel is one of only two places you can stay up there, and it’s unfortunately just been mismanaged over the last few years. It’s a little scary looking. So, we’re going to modernize it, give it a big facelift, and bring in some new amenities.”

The renovation plans include major cosmetic work on carpet, paint, tile and textures, correcting maintenance issues, upgrading the property’s guest rooms, restaurant, spa and banquet facilities, and possibly adding an indoor swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, a wine bar and an observation deck.

“We want to give people who come out for a weekend, for a wedding or a corporate retreat, something to do,” Crandall said. “You can’t even get room service or movies in your room. We’re going to bring all that stuff back and add a lot, too.”

Crandall said the renovation effort will begin as soon as possible, but no schedule has been set.

The 15 gaming machines located in the hotel’s bar will be shut down for about six months until Siegel obtains its own gaming license for the property. Other than that, Crandall said, the hotel will stay open during any renovation work.

Ty Morgan, a Las Vegan since 1981 and veteran of the casino food and beverage industry, has been the hotel’s general manager since Sept. 20. He said he sees vast potential in the property.

“The restaurant really impressed me. The staff members have been very impressive, and the quality of the food is impressive,” Morgan said. “Maybe the menu selection was not quite what I would like it to be, but we’re in the process of going over the menu items and making changes.”

The hotel has seen recent success serving Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve meals to Las Vegans looking for a quick holiday escape.

“We’ve done minimal advertising because of the time frame and the transfer of ownership, but we still had a very satisfying Thanksgiving,” Morgan said. “Mr. Siegel is a man of tremendous vision and all of our staff has embraced his vision. We do have challenges, of course, but we’re going to meet those challenges, and I think the property will become not only an asset to the community of Mount Charleston, but in the Las Vegas Valley, as well.”

Crandall said although the Resort on Mount Charleston will serve locals, it can attract tourists, as well.

“We don’t believe it’s just a locals’ spot, although that drives it. There are people in California, Arizona and other parts of Nevada that love Mount Charleston and would love this as a getaway,” he said. “It’s just awareness. We have to get the name out there. We can’t just do an ad every so often. We have to blast the name out there, physically drag people up the mountain, because once they get there, they’ll want to come back and show their friends and family. We have a lot of creative ideas we have done with other businesses.”

Contact Centennial View reporter Brock Radke at bradke@viewnews.com or 383-4629.