360 Vintage Vegas: Luxor

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Luxor changed my life.  It can be credited as the property that brought me to Vegas for the first time with a theme that made me say "I have to go see that". The inspiration for this show, my love for just about all things involving the city including becoming a student of it's history can all be traced back to this property.  While it’s true, over the years, I’ve not spent a lot of time at Luxor.  In fact, I haven’t stayed at the property since my first trip.  I can still say with no exaggeration that I love Luxor.  This is the story of the 1st pyramid built in the desert in over 6,000 years.

For more information on Luxor, Bill Bennett and Mandalay Resorts, check out

Bill Bennett: Forgotten Man

Super Casino

Winner Takes All

E-301: Highest Functioning Autistic EVER

Random Vegas 

When bill acceptors were added to slot machines in the '90s, it generated a 30% increase in the amount of money played. (@VitalVegas via Natasha Dow Schull) 

Twitpic of the week 

The story of Rio is a tragic tale.  When it opened, it was a monster success, pioneering the move to fine dining and celebrity chefs.  3 years after opening in 1990, the property was so popular that it built and opened a 20-story expansion tower, showcased this week by @LuckysLasVegas.  In 1997, at a cost of about $200 million dollars, it unveiled the “Masquerade in the Sky” show.  When Harrah’s Entertainment decided to relocate their corporate headquarters from Memphis TN to Las Vegas in the late 90s, they didn’t feel they owned a property that was worthy to setup operations in.  So they purchased the Rio in 1999 for $888 million and established it as their corporate headquarters.  And so began its downfall.  Years later, after all the celebrity chefs left, CEO at the time Gary Loveman would admit that they made the mistake of thinking they could run Rio with the same way they run Harrah’s.  Despite making Rio the home of their prized acquisition, the World Series of Poker, the property has noticeably not received any of the renovation love that has been given out to all its sister properties.  While Rio has been at the middle of many sale rumors, the latest claiming it will be demolished so a baseball stadium can be built on the land would not only be its final indignity, it would be its most egregious.  The irony isn’t lost on me that a sport infamous for its many cheating scandals wants to move to a city that originally identified the importance of insuring that the games had to be fair to the player only to recently adopted the practice of hidden fees.   

News

360VV8 Eve

Neon Museum Expansion Plans 

Grand Sahara Residencies Coming

Cirque announces plans to refresh "O"

Pro Sports Impact

Eataly is run by morons

Wynnification

Eldorado's Caesars Acquisition Plan

Drug Amnesty Drop Box @McCarran

New Golden Gate Logo

E-300: FSE Dimmer Switch

Random Vegas 

The NYNY skyline is a collage of 12 NY skyscrapers approximately one-third the size of the originals with a 150-foot-tall Statue of Liberty (super casino) 

Twitpic of the week 

It’s fascinating to me that @Cosmopolitan_LV does more with 4.4 acres of land than City Center is able to do with 19 time that real estate.  Don’t get me wrong, the City Center campus is attractive.  It’s just, who really wants to vacation in an office park on the strip.  I know that sounds like a knock but it isn’t intended to be in this case.  It’s more a testament to how special the minds who think up such concepts are.  As critical as I can be towards some of the decisions made by the people running the casinos I love, I always try to keep in mind before voicing that opinion, especially a negative opinion, is could I do any better.  And the answer is no.  Then again, that’s not my job.  I’ve never claimed to know how to build a better resort.  I make a point to stay in my lane and share insight I feel I can offer educated commentary on.  Speaking of, let me give a little insight into what’s going on today in Vegas.  Vegas has historically been recession proof, or at least virtually.  After feeling the impact of the Great Recession, everything, including long standing established protocol, is under scrutiny by industry leadership.  History shows us that Vegas may be the first company to follow the software development philosophy known as Agile.  A practice that gives businesses the ability to try out new concepts while still giving them the freedom to pivot from the original plan when market feedback does not respond favorably.  Today, we are at that juncture.  Just like the patience one needs to exhibit when telling a child not to do something for the millionth time, now is the time to stay resolute because the hardest thing for a company to explain to shareholders is eliminating a source of revenue for the betterment of the company.  Keep complaining about resort fees, paid parking and CNF charges.  Reward companies like Wynn and TI who are beginning to eliminating such fees with your patronage.  Support them for pioneering the change back to a Vegas that can be experienced by all income demographics.  

News

4DX Movies at Red Rock  

Ruffin Wants a Piece of Caesars

MGM Takes Over Hakkasan Restaurant/Lounges

Arcade City Planned for Fashion Show Mall

LOOK @Stratosphere

Mandalay Bay LED Wall

E-299: Lesidency

Random Vegas

The La Concha Motel lobby was designed in 1961 by Paul Revere Williams, the first African American elected Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.  To this day it is considered one of the best preserved examples of 1950s googie architecture, a style featuring upswept roofs, curvaceous geometric shapes and its use of neon. The La Concha lobby is now the Neon Museum's visitors' center (Neon Museum & Research) 

Twitpic of the week

It’s quite simply one of the best marquees that has existed in Vegas history.  A truly mesmerizing sign whose presence was not only grand but glorious.  Shared this week by @summacorp aka vintageLasVegas on instagram, this whole style of architecture resonates with me in an unexplainable way.  I find the swooping curves breathtaking, get lost in the sparkle of the lettering and could spend hours watching the lights cascade back and forth.  It’s a special thing when signage becomes iconic.  While I like that owners of the small dive casino bar west of Lucky Dragon have resurrected the name and installed a smaller version of this marquee, make no mistake, the Mint has not returned.  That being said, here’s hoping that this is the start of a new era in Vegas where unforgettable brands return to the landscape. 

News

Battle Born Vegas Pins
MGM Sundries Surge Pricing
Cirque's R.U.N. coming to Luxor
Light Rail Transit System Defeated
The Massachusetts Manze
Wynn Resorts Eliminates Parking Fees
Paula Abdul Vegas Residency
Weed Lounges Approved