It’s easy to get distracted by all the new construction happening on The Strip. What with the $7 billion CityCenter rising dramatically near Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas’s encore called Encore nearing its topping off, Palazzo ready to open this month, and more the existing hotel casinos seem to get overshadowed in terms of development and column inches.
But that doesn’t mean nothing is happening at the major resorts on The Strip. A couple of weeks ago I started this mini-series talking about goings-on at South Strip hotels and this week we continue with hotels on the Center Strip, which extends roughly from Harmon Avenue to Spring Mountain/Sands.
Planet Hollywood is the biggest news in this area, with big chunks of the renovation from the Aladdin complete. The casino, most of the front of the building, and some rooms have been remodeled and new restaurants and bars added. More is on the way with nightclubs, more eateries, a revised sports book, more room refreshing, and a hotel-condo tower under construction out back.
Next door at Paris and sister hotel Bally’s, things are pretty much status-quo for now although there are still rumors that big changes are store for both properties once the long-in-the-works buyout of Harrah’s Entertainment is finally finalized.
There’s nothing big happening at Bellagio in terms of construction but they continue to refine the product with a new nightclub due to open any day now and some rumored changes to their restaurant offerings.
Caesars is prepping to build yet another hotel tower, this one set to go in on the south side of the property along Flamingo Road. It will add nearly 1,000 rooms to the inventory. There’s also the big Bette Midler show set to open in February, replacing Celine Dion’s extravaganza, which ends it run on Dec ember 15th.
The Mirage is mostly done with its multi-million-dollar makeover that had made the property much more grown-up. Major changes have totally revamped the casino and public areas with a darker, sleeker look, rooms have been revised, restaurants and clubs have been added, and more is on the way including a burger joint set to go in where the White Tiger Habitat used to be near the south entrance.
Sister hotel Treasure Island is focusing primarily on restaurants and entertainment, with new venues set to open in 2008 including an upscale club to replace the popular Tangerine.
Barbary Coast completed its transition to Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall earlier this year although that mainly involved changing the signs.
The Flamingo and Harrah’s have had some room renovations (some of which have gotten the company in trouble for alleged code violations) but other than that those hotels are mostly unchanged. Like Paris and Bally’s, big things could be in store when the Harrah’s buyout is complete.
Ditto Imperial Palace, which all common wisdom said would be demolished by now. Instead the Harrah’s deal delayed the wrecking balls and the hotel is mostly the same as it always has been.
Major room makeovers are underway at The Venetian but the bulk of the money and energy is being devoted to the new Palazzo hotel next door set to open in a couple of weeks.
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