Incentive - December 2007 - (Page 54)

las vegas incentive marketplace in the know The latest happenings on the Las Vegas scene. by Heidi Waldrop Bay Sleek New Hotel Product The latest crop of new hotel rooms in Las Vegas is being harvested from a combination of brand-new properties and substantial renovations. This fall, redesign projects at both the 2,000-room Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and the 2,791-room Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino debuted all new guest rooms, even as the third phase of a renovation at the 3,504-room Flamingo Las Vegas transformed 1,412 rooms into the resort’s stylish high-tech equipped “GO” rooms. November brought the much-anticipated arrival of the $1.8 billion Palazzo Hotel & Casino, with its 3,042 suites and 450,000 square feet of meeting space. And the Hard Rock Hotel is slated to wrap up a $20 million renovation this month that will upgrade all 584 guest rooms and 64 suites. Looking towards the more distant future, Dubai World, an arm of the Dubai government, is partnering with MGM Mirage and Kerzner International (owners of Atlantis, Paradise Island in The Bahamas) to develop 40 acres on the corner of the Strip and Sahara Avenue. Plans call for construction to begin by the end of 2008 and the resort to open in 2011. At the same time, New Yorkbased Elad Group has purchased the 984room New Frontier and its 34.5-acre site, and after razing the hotel in November, will begin construction on a multibillion-dollar high-end development that is forecasted to be completed in 2011. The centerpiece of the project will be a version of New York’s landmark Plaza Hotel. Bowled Over The stylish Lucky Strike Lanes (left), by the creators of PURE nightclub, opened in May at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Groups of up to 250 people can buy out the 10-lane venue, serving food options that range from martinis and tapas to bowling classics like chicken wings and beer. The 72-lane Red Rock Lanes at the new Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa has four four-lane VIP Suites available for rental. The upscale area, featuring leather couches, bottle service, gourmet dining, and special effects like black lights, lasers and fog, can accommodate up to 120. Each of four meeting rooms can host 60 people. Hail Caesar A $1 billion project launched earlier this year at Caesars Palace includes a new hotel tower and a major increase in meeting and convention facilities that will bring the resort’s total function space up to 300,000 square feet. The meeting space, expected to be finished by Spring 2009, will be housed in a new facility that replaces the existing Events Center and connects to current meeting space in the Palace Tower. Two new 60,000-square-foot ballrooms will be complemented by various breakout rooms, two executive boardrooms, and a terrace overlooking two new pools. The expansion also includes the new 665-room Octavius Tower, which will increase the room count at Caesars Palace to 4,013 when it opens in early 2009. Other pieces of the project include a renovation of the resort’s original entrance, new restaurants, and an $83 million remodel of the 452-room Forum Tower, which is slated to be completed next month. Mexican-Flavored Fun Earlier this fall, the Light Group opened Diablo’s Cantina at Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, a 13,000-square-foot multilevel entertainment complex featuring “cross-the-border” cuisine and more than 75 types of tequila. The atmosphere is one of a laid-back Mexican coastal cantina combined with a lively Vegas vibe. Diablo’s two-level, open-air facility can accommodate seated groups of 20 to 160 people or flow groups with buffet dining for 500 to 700. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 54 | December 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - December 2007

Incentive - December 2007 Contents Editor’s Note: Revved Up In the News Cover Story: Rolls-Royce Empowers Its Own Case Study: Booz Allen Hamilton Beating Your Best Incentive Primer: Add Value to Your Event Keeping Safety In Mind Incentive Interview Potentials Here and Now Research: Corporate Gifts Facts Report Tabletop Awards: Travel Gift Cards Travel News Viva Puerto Vallarta Indigenous Spas Advertiser Index Off the Cuff: Ambassador Christoph Bubb Luxury Brands Special Supplement

Incentive - December 2007

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