{"id":7925,"date":"2014-08-27T18:20:41","date_gmt":"2014-08-27T18:20:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/2014\/08\/27\/the-strips-new-monkey-business\/"},"modified":"2014-08-27T18:20:41","modified_gmt":"2014-08-27T18:20:41","slug":"the-strips-new-monkey-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/2014\/08\/27\/the-strips-new-monkey-business\/","title":{"rendered":"The Strip\u2019s New Monkey Business"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n\"\"
\n\tWith its quirky design elements and tribal mentality, SLS Las Vegas surely won\u2019t appeal to everyone. And that\u2019s a good thing. – See more at: http:\/\/vegasseven.com\/2014\/08\/26\/strips … xHAqv.dpuf<\/a><\/p>\n

\tBy David G. Schwartz
\n\tThe Sahara\u2019s closing on May 16, 2011, was significant in more ways than one: It was not only the demise of one of the Strip\u2019s few remaining classic casinos, but it essentially marked the depth of the Great Recession. So the August 23 rise of SLS Las Vegas from the bones of the Sahara says a great deal about where Las Vegas is heading\u2014and how it will get there.<\/p>\n

\tIt\u2019s not an exaggeration to suggest that SLS\u2019s opening could be the event that officially signals the end of the recession for Las Vegas. Things certainly are looking up: The city\u2019s on pace to break the 40 million mark for annual visitation; Strip gaming revenues have a shot at matching their pre-recession high; and a host of projects Downtown and on the Strip (see the Linq, the Cromwell and Inspire Theater) represent new capital and new confidence.<\/p>\n

\tSo what does the new Las Vegas look like? It\u2019s less focused on gambling, for starters. Gambling per domestic visitor is down, with spending on food, beverage and entertainment rising. In a country where gambling has not been a Nevada novelty for decades, people are still coming to Las Vegas\u2014they just want to do more than feed a slot machine. And increasingly, visitors are opting for brands over traditional standards of customer loyalty.<\/p>\n

\tBoil all that down into a single 21st-century property, and you get SLS Las Vegas. Unlike previous \u201cbuild it and they will come\u201d megaprojects, this one was constructed on a budget whose constraints likely enhanced its designers\u2019 creativity. The French boudoir-style Lux suites might be smaller than similarly tiered accommodations farther south, but their idiosyncratic chic is calculated to keep guests from caring. Additionally, preserving the skeleton of the Sahara gives the property some quirks that distinguish it from \u201cbig box\u201d casinos\u2014for the better. Its restaurants\u2014from the Strip-side beer garden to Cleo\u2019s small-plates take on Mediterranean cuisine\u2014are served up as the main dish. And, of course, there is nightlife galore in Sayers Club, Life and Foxtail.<\/p>\n

\tThe summer\u2019s other \u201cnew\u201d hotel-casino, the Cromwell, is also heavily focused on nightlife, with a rooftop pool night\/dayclub. It also has what is fast becoming the Strip\u2019s hottest restaurant, Giada. Its casino is serviceable but clearly not the focus. Then again, the Cromwell is owned by Caesars Entertainment, which has eight other casinos to fall back on.
\n\tSLS, on the other hand, is a stand-alone property, the only casino in owner SBE\/Stockbridge\u2019s portfolio. Building it was a bet that a new entrant could serve a relatively narrow niche in post-consolidation Las Vegas. SBE chairman Sam Nazarian, in a recent interview with the Las Vegas Sun, referenced the 5 million names in SBE\u2019s database as a \u201ctribe\u201d of aspirational, influential and affluent people.<\/p>\n

\tFor a long time, Las Vegas casinos have prospered by appealing to niche audiences, be they serious gamblers, conventioneers, bachelorette parties or club-goers. Nazarian\u2019s appeal to his \u201ctribe\u201d matches the SLS\u2019s design: It is not a property built to the lowest common denominator, but one with gems and, yes, flaws, that will endear it to many and alienate some.<\/p>\n

\tStill, such a business plan makes sense, because with casinos spread across the United States now, vanilla is poison for destination resorts. Character, even if it might not appeal to everyone, is the only way to stand out (particularly for properties not blessed with a central location).<\/p>\n

\tSo SLS has suites designed by rocker Lenny Kravitz, hunting tapestries in Bazaar Meat seemingly poached from Downton Abbey, and a plethora of primates where you\u2019d least expect them (from the casino\u2019s crest to the Monkey Bar). Those little touches, its owners hope, will distinguish it enough to give the \u201ctribe\u201d a reason to revitalize the north end of the Strip. Staking out an identity like that is a gamble, true, but a necessary one, if the property\u2014and the city\u2014is to adapt and survive.<\/p>\n

\tDavid G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV\u2019s Center for Gaming Research.<\/p>\n

\t– See more at: http:\/\/vegasseven.com\/2014\/08\/26\/strips … xHAqv.dpuf<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Replies:<\/h3>\n
\n

Posted by:<\/strong> Dr Crapology on August 28, 2014, 11:35 am<\/p>\n

Most interesting article. <\/p>\n

\tIt is good that items other than gambling–food, shows, clubs, etc–will bring in more money to keep the casinos open, but guess there will be more resort fees and less comps as they don’t need to give comps to bring in the casual gambler. <\/p>\n

\tWe do appreciate you posting this on the net.<\/p>\n

\tDoc<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With its quirky design elements and tribal mentality, SLS Las Vegas surely won\u2019t appeal to everyone. And that\u2019s a good thing. – See more at: http:\/\/vegasseven.com\/2014\/08\/26\/strips … xHAqv.dpuf By David G. Schwartz The Sahara\u2019s closing on May 16, 2011, was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-casino-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7925\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}