But then a little thing called a global economic meltdown came along, two of the partners in the development went bankrupt, and the folks at Boyd decided that maybe it wasn't the best time to open a $5 billion gamble in the hot Nevada desert. So they shuttered the construction site last year, leaving 87 acres of dirt, cranes, and the steel shells of what was to come.

When they did so, the party line wasn't "we're stopping entirely," rather "we're delaying for a little while." Various date ranges were thrown around but most assumed the work would start again sometime in 2009.

Or maybe 2010.

Certainly no later than 2011.

I think you can see where this is going.

During a recent investors call, officials with Boyd Gaming announced they would not restart construction on Echelon for three to five years. For those of you still recovering from Halloween festivities that can't possibly do math in your head, that means sometime between 2012 and 2014. And that's just to get the work going again. It'll take another two to three years beyond that to actually build the place.

What the place will be is also a big question mark. When originally announced, the property was going to have five hotels: a 2,300 room main hotel with a 140,000 square-foot casino; a 650 all-suite hotel; a Las Vegas branch of high-end Asian hotelier Shangri-La with 350 rooms; an 860 room Mondrian (a big name in Los Angeles); and a 550 room Delano. In addition there was going to be more than 30 restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and lounges; two theaters; and a 300,000 square-foot shopping mall.

However, the companies that were to contribute money and manage both the mall and the Mondrian and Delano hotels went bankrupt and now will not be part of Echelon when it finally opens.

That's a problem, of course, but perhaps not as much of a problem as the fact that they started construction on a property with those things included. Many analysts believe that once Boyd is finally read to get the project going again, they may need to radically alter what they have already put in the ground, which is only going to add more time to the project.

Do I hear 2020?

Further complicating matters is the money situation.

Boyd Gaming secured about $2 billion in credit for the project before the economy tanked. Now that money is sitting there burning a hole in their proverbial pocket and they seem eager to spend it. Boyd is lobbying hard to try to snap up several of the Stations Casinos out of bankruptcy, and if they are successful it means a big chunk of those billions will be gone. Whether or not they'll be able to get those billions back from somewhere to be able to complete Echelon is a huge question mark.

So get used to seeing a big pile of dirt and a partially built hotel on the north end of The Strip. It's going to be there for a long, long time.

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As guests approach their room or suite, it will recognize if it is their first time in the room and "greet" them as they enter. Light will fill the room, the curtains automatically will part to showcase the city or mountain views, and the TV will turn on to display a list of automated controls for guests to personalize.

All rooms will feature one-touch control of features, including lighting, room temperature, television/video systems, music, wake-up calls, draperies and requests for services through a single, easy-to-use remote control. Each nightstand also will feature a seven-inch panel with touch-screen technology that navigates the same room settings as the remote. All settings will be remembered and incorporated every time a guest is in-room.

Having all guestroom devices on one network enables guests to select "scenes" matching their mood or preference, which modify all settings at once. For example, each room will feature a "good night" button next to the bed. With one touch, guests can turn off the lights, TV and/or music; shut the curtains; and turn on the privacy notification for the room. Similarly, guests can utilize the TV's sleep mode to accomplish the same result on a timer.

One of the simplest, yet most exciting, features is the keyless lock system. All you have to do to get in the room is "flash" your key over the lock sensor at the door. Why is this exciting? Because they are insisting that the key cannot be demagnetized so no more worrying about having the thing too close to your credit cards or cell phone.

Each room will include a 42-inch LCD HDTV that allows guests to connect their laptop and enjoy a big-screen monitor; watch a variety of domestic and international channels in high-def; plug in video devices such as game consoles or cameras; control room automation; and enjoy their MP3 players.

The television also will serve as a communications center; when on, the TV will automatically display messages pertaining to new voicemails or package receipts and more.

Oh but they're not stopping there. The TV will also replace the clock radio, with settings that can wake guests up gradually through controlled temperature, lighting, curtain opening and preferred music, all designed to delivering a subtle and more soothing wake-up experience than being blasted out of bed to whatever horrible radio station the person who stayed in the room before you was listening to.

All guestrooms will be networked with fiber offering one gigabit of bandwidth, delivering wireless Internet connectivity that will be up to eight times faster (128 kilobytes) than the average U.S. guestroom today.

All in-room devices also will be on the network, enabling the property to easily "communicate" with the room to perform special requests or maintenance. Whether a remote needs new batteries or a MiniBar needs replenishing, most needs can be identified and resolved before the guest is even aware.

But the high-tech stuff is not just for electronic thrills. CityCenter's in-room technology will also offer a non-obtrusive and easy way to conserve precious resources such as energy and water.

Green settings on the room's remote system will allow guests the opportunity to voluntarily "green their stay" by indicating their preferred light level, room temperature and frequency of linen and towel changes. Systems also can be programmed to automatically put a room into unoccupied status upon checkout - turning down or off the heating/cooling system, televisions, lights and any appliances.

The Mandarin Oriental is set to open December 4, 2009 and Aria will open on December 16, 2009.

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