We knew we should have listened to our parents and majored in finance in college, then reading this report on the possible sale of the Hooters Casino Hotel would make sense.
It's no secret that Hooters has been suffering as of late. They have been unable to maintain the average occupancy rate for Las Vegas (which is around 95 percent) and they have some casino woes.
Now an investment group, NTH Advisory, is coming to bail out the hotel. The Globe St. report has way too much financial mumbo-jumbo for us to wade through but there didn't seem to be anything about change of hotel brand...yet. For now, Hooters is being placed on Hotel Casino Death Watch.
Now that Morgans Hotel Group (of Ian Schrager fame) owns the property, the Hard Rock will add on 950 more guest rooms, including a new all-suite 15-story tower with 35,000 sq.ft. of casino space.
According to the official press release:
As part of the project, the Hard Rock's existing suites and common areas will be renovated to revitalize the property and bring it up to MHG's best-in-class brand standard. The project, which is scheduled to begin this year, is expected to be fully completed by mid-2009.
And yes, the top-to-bottom expansion includes the Hard Rock's infamous pool area, along with new restaurants, a larger "Joint" live entertainment venue, a new spa and health club and some retail space.
All the renovations will start immediately, according to the press release, with most of the work being done in a year.
Keep in mind that Morgans is doing these upgrades not so you can party in a nice place but rather so they can bring in wealthier (ie. older) clientele who will be throwing down large amounts of cash at the casino.
Sorry Rehab! It was fun watching you trash up the pool while it lasted.
There are several reasons for the Hilton's downfall and namely it involves Trekkies and outdated decor. As one reviewer put it:
My first visit to this hotel was in 1980. Back then this was a special place. Even the pool was one of the best back then. Unfortunately, it's still the same! A lot has changed since then, just not at the Hilton. No major hotel has fallen so far behind over the years in Vegas than this one.
Add in the geeky Star Trek Experience and Star Trek restaurant, this hotel needs a lot of improvement that will appeal to all kinds of people. Having Barry Manilow as a regular performer just isn't going to cut it.
When Staying Here Might Seem Like a Good Idea: It's connected to the convention center if you're there on business and Hilton Rewards Gold and Diamond members get better treatment.
But Why This Place is a Nightmare: Aside from Trekkies, the decor is worn-down and out of date. You're also staying a loooong block away from the action on the strip.
Now Showing: Barry Manilow.
Who You Are Most Likely To See Gambling: Trekkies and Manilow fans of course.
Located next to the Imperial Palace--a fellow Crapping Out hotel--Harrah's Hotel and Casino has seen better days.
The reviews on TripAdvisor are pretty mixed, with most people understanding that this is not the Wynn so their expectations were set low. However, Harrah's had a run-in with bed bugs and the casino is always congested and always smokey.
Still, there is hope for this hotel if it could just get a top-to-bottom renovation.
Gaudy Attraction: Carnival theme.
When Staying Here Might Seem Like a Good Idea: Reasonable rates, a central location on the strip, plus a monorail stop in back. And apparently, the casino's Players Club has good rewards.
But Why This Place is a Nightmare: Rumor of Bed Bugs.
Now Showing: Rita Rudner.
Who You Are Most Likely To See Gambling: Folks on their way to Toby Keith's I Love This Bar.
The Imperial Palace has prime strip location smack dab in the middle of everything but this Asian style hotel casino brings great shame to its inspiration in Japan.
Reviewers only recommend it for a cheap stay in Vegas with a great location, but nothing more. One even called it the "I'm in Peril Hotel."
Gaudy Attraction: Imitiation Japanese Imperial Palace.
When Staying Here Might Seem Like a Good Idea: The hotel has a killer location in the middle of the strip across from Caesar's Palace and rates are at around $100 a night. Plus, gearheads will like the rare auto collection on display
But Why This Place is a Nightmare: The rooms are extremely outdated and in poor condition.
Now Showing: Legends in Concert.
Who You Are Most Likely To See Gambling: Anyone trying to do Vegas on the cheap.
Next up on our Viva Las Vegas Hotel Map--the Crapping Out tier--is the Camelot-themed Excalibur Hotel & Casino.
Excalibur probably seemed like a good idea when it first opened in 1990, as Las Vegas wasn't quite the celeb-loving hotspot that it is today. Back then, it was alright for themed casinos like Excalibur to exist along the strip and at times the medieval knights jousting and feasting spirit was fun. Afterall, this was before the internet revolution.
Yet now, when it stands next to Mandalay Bay or across the street from the MGM Grand, Excalibur looks like a second-rate amusement park. The castle exterior is old and let's be frank, the "multi-colored" spires are quite ugly. Things are not much better on the inside either with guests complaining about the drabness and darkness of the rooms and overall wear and tear.
When Staying Here Might Seem Like a Good Idea: Rates are at around $100 a night, the casino floor is over 100,000 sq. ft. and who knows? Maybe the Tournament of Kings would be fun.
But Why This Place is a Nightmare: Um...you're staying in an early 1990s version of a medieval castle? Not to mention, there is some construction going on now.
Now Showing: Hot Aussie men stripping down to their skivvies in the Thunder from Down Under.
Who You Are Most Likely To See Gambling: Bachelorette parties waiting for Thunder from Down Under to start and families.
But since most of these hotels are on their last legs, we're not going to bother with all of the usual categories such as restaurants (who would want to eat in these places) and hotspots. Instead, we'll be chronicling some of these casino-hotels' infamous moments.
And what better way to kick off this list, than with the notorious Circus Circus?
Gaudy Attraction: Scary Clowns.
When Staying Here Might Seem Like a Good Idea: Rates are dirt-cheap, from $80 a night. Plus, the hotel has undergone a small renovation.
But Why This Place is a Nightmare: Dirty sheets, unsafe bed frames, thin walls and gasp! children.
Now Showing: Scary clowns.
Who You Are Most Likely To See Gambling: Parents trying to escape their children and judging from the TripAdvisor reviews, a lot of folks from the UK.
Our next Breaking Even addition is Treasure Island. TI seems to be on the upswing as it has updated rooms with comfortable Elite beds and new amenities like flat-screen TVs. It's definitely a little hipper stay than Bally's or Paris and more erotic, starting with the free Sirens of TI show that takes place nightly out in front.
The hotel also just opened Social House, which describes itself as a "tech-savvy" sushi and saki bar that is garnering some repeat celeb guests, which they actually list on the Social web page. Even Tangerine, a cringe-worthy name, is a popular Vegas nightclub.
The location of TI is pretty good too, across from Wynn and Venetian and next to the Mirage. More importantly, the reviews on Treasure Island are pretty solid. We don't know if this place could reach High Roller status but it's definitely more than Breaking Even.
Gaudy Themed Attraction: The whole sexy pirates, nymphs, wenches and sirens bit.
Now Showing: The Sirens of TI.
Hotel Hotspot Tangerine.
Hotel Restaurant: Social House.
Who You Are Most Likely To See Gambling Wannabe sexy people, ladies and men who have Pirates and Sirens fetishes.
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by juliana
