Tag Archives: CityCenter

May 3, 2010 · 1:06 PM

Sean “Diddy” Combs Las Vegas Appearance Causes Red Carpet Cancellation

During Saturday’s Shane Mosely and Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s after-fight hosting appearance by Sean “Diddy” Combs at Eva Langoria’s Parker’s Eve nightclub in Las Vegas, the crowd was so huge at Crystals (CityCenter) that management was forced to cancel the red carpet event to ensure fan safety. 

“There are 6,000 people outside Eve now,” Diddy tweeted. 

Among the attendees:  TI, Gabrielle Union, Swizz Beatz and Nelly. 

Meanwhile, dining at Eva Langoria Parker’s Beso Restaurant (CityCenter), Paris and Nicky Hilton were spotted, who later partied at Tao (The Venetian), while down the Strip, Mya hosted the evening at Pure nightclub (Caesars Palace).

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April 4, 2010 · 10:45 AM

$5,000-a-spin Slot Machines in Las Vegas

High rollers are not just hanging around at the card tables in Las Vegas anymore. 

Aria in the new CityCenter complex in Las Vegas boasts $5,000 denomination slot machines with a max bet of 1 credit per spin. 

Dig deep and just maybe you too can have a thrill!

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February 19, 2010 · 11:49 AM

Eva Langoria Parker to be honored for Latin Chamber of Commerce Business Leadership Award in Las Vegas

Eva Longoria Parker, entrepreneur and owner of two new, successful CityCenter ventures, Beso steakhouse and Eve nightclub, will host the Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce 35th Installation Gala on Saturday, Feb. 20 at Eve in Crystals at CityCenter in Las Vegas.  Red carpet starts at 6 p.m. for media. 

Part of the official swearing-in ceremony of the 2010 Board of Directors. Luis Valera, Chairman of the Board, will share his vision for 2010 and present Longoria Parker with the first-ever “Premio de Oro – Distinguished Leadership” award. The award recognizes Longoria Parker for her success as the Las Vegas Strip’s sole Latina restaurant and nightclub owner and for her commitment to expand opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses. 

In addition, the City of Las Vegas and Clark Country will declare February 20 as “Eva Longoria Parker Day.” 

Following the proclamation ceremony starting at 6:45 p.m. and award presentation at 7:45 p.m. for media, Longoria Parker will host an after-party celebration at Eve nightclub. Eve event is open to the public.

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January 6, 2010 · 11:22 AM

Eva Longoria Parker’s new nightclub in Las Vegas, Eve, to host birthday celebration for DJ Hollywood tonight

D.J. Hollywood will hit the turntables to kick-off the weekly event in celebration of industry’s A-list tonight, Jan. 6, with a birthday celebration at Eva Langoria Parker’s new nighclub, Eve, located in the new CityCenter, for DJ Hollywood.  

Eve is planning a celebrity event each Wednesday throughout the year. 

Those with local Nevada ID will receive complimentary cover and other select offerings, such as specials on bottle service. 

Eve envelopes guests in ultimate luxury with lavish VIP booths, floor-to-ceiling windows and 50-foot-tall arched ceilings that accentuate the glamorous interior. One-of-a kind colossal video screens surrounding the dance floor are a striking, state-of-the art feature unique to Eve alone. Renowned DJs and a premium sound and lighting system make Eve the ultimate nightclub to dance the night away. 

Eve is located above Longoria Parker’s celebrated restaurant, Beso, on the second level of Crystals at CityCenter at the entrance at The Park across from ARIA. Parking is conveniently located at the Crystals valet. Eve is open to Wednesday through Saturday at 10 p.m., and cover is $30 for men and $20 for women. Ladies with local ID will receive complimentary admission, excluding special events. For more information about Eve, visit the website at www.evethenightclub.com.

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December 30, 2009 · 5:22 PM

New Las Vegas Nightclubs Opening Doors

Despite high Las Vegas unemployment, foreclosures, and a stifling recessionary environment, that’s not stopping Las Vegas casinos from pulling out all the stops and opening new nightclubs this New Year’s Eve. 

The 25,000-square-foot Haze nightclub, the newest offering from the Light Group, will be opening its doors tomorrow night at Aria in the new CityCenter.  Also at CityCenter, Eva Langoria Parker’s Eve nightclub will be opening. 

The new rock bar Smokin’ Hot Aces is also having its grand opening in The Venetian’s retail shops on New Year’s Eve, following a soft opening that started Monday. 

The 14,000-square-foot Vanity nightclub – featuring a $1 million chandelier with 20,000 crystals and another 20,000 LED lights – will open on New Year’s Eve at the base of the Hard Rock’s new HRH tower (previous article by Las Vegas Backstage Access). 

For fans of the Hard Rock’s Body English nightclub, the basement club will fade into oblivion on Jan.1, having its last hurrah on the same night Vanity opens.

One of the Vanity club partners is Las Vegas major leaguer Jason Giambi says celebrities will have to earn their keep.  “Gone are the days where you would pay a celebrity $200,000 to just show up and you had a chance to make your make your money back,” says Giambi, adding, “I’m thankful that’s over.”

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December 29, 2009 · 11:45 AM

New Hotel Rooms Aplenty in Las Vegas Create Buyer’s Nirvana

Recession?  What recession?  Apparently, Las Vegas is being true to its persona- betting heavily that 1,575 new hotel rooms are just what the doctor ordered- if not now, maybe in the future? 

A mere two weeks after the debut of the Aria at the $8.5 billion new CityCenter, two more casino properties have entered the Las Vegas lodging fray in a market already straining to fill the rooms it already has, witnessed by an average mid-80 percent fill rate and drastically declining room rates. 

The 52-story PH Towers at Planet Hollywood Resort have just added 1,201 rooms yesterday.  The rooms are being marketed at $229 midweek and $349 weekends.   And the top four floors will be 16 condominiums for sale, ranging from 6,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet.

Not to be outdone, the Hard Rock Hotel also yesterday added their HRH tower, bringing 374 more rooms that include seven penthouse suites and eight spa villas.  Opening with their tower is the 25,000-square-foot Reliquary Spa, a new parking garage with a porte-cochere and 40,000 square feet of new casino space.  Think it ends there?  Hardly.  A new Hard Rock nightclub, the 14,000-square-foot Vanity, waits opening on Dec. 31, which will also mark lights out for the venerable celebrity hangout, Body English.

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December 28, 2009 · 12:35 PM

Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Shutters Two of Three Towers

For the first time in recent memory, a Las Vegas hotel is closing rooms in December, just before the New Year’s Eve holiday. 

A representative for the Sahara Hotel and Casino cited weak room demand as the reason it is closing two of its three towers, but said the closing is not permanent and reservations were still being taken. There was no word on whether staff members would be laid off. 

Last week, the resort’s buffet closed due to shrinking sales. A reopening date hasn’t been announced for the buffet or the towers. 

The Sahara’s announcement, coming on the heels of Binion’s closing of its hotel downtown earlier this month in yet another devastating blow for owners of smaller Las Vegas casinos. 

With the Decemeber opening of the 4,004-room ritzy ARIA resort in the $8.5 billion CityCenter, it just could be the result of competition that may be too much for properties that aren’t tied to massive gaming conglomerates. 

The Sahara is owned by Los Angeles-based SBE Entertainment, which purchased the resort in 2007.   

When it opened in 1952, the Sahara was among the most famous hotels on the growing Las Vegas Strip, attracting mega-superstars such as Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. 

In recent years, it has become the lone casino-resort at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. Although the Las Vegas Monorail (now facing bankruptcy- previous Las Vegas Backstage Access article) extends to the Sahara, its distance from the resort corridor and a lack of development at the intersection has left it in the shadow of other properties.

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December 25, 2009 · 10:40 AM

Steve Wynn, Light Group Plan Las Vegas Nightclubs

Steve Wynn is apparently ready to counter the opening of ARIA’s new nightclubs in the $8.5 billion CityCenter project with some nightlife of his own, according to a report in the New York Post.

Wynn is planning to spend $100 million to build a new nightclub, called Surrender, and a new Encore Beach featuring three pools, 30 private bungalows and a gaming pavilion.  

Wynn’s Encore resort, which opened in December 2008, has been enjoying the great success of its XS club, which extends into the pool area and features two levels of private bungalows.

Not to be outdone, The Light Group, which has established itself as one of the premier nightclub operators in Las Vegas, is also getting ready to open the 25,000-square-foot Haze club at ARIA. It will also open the Liquid pool venue in the spring.

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December 3, 2009 · 1:08 PM

New Store Openings Continue at CityCenter in Las Vegas

CityCenter, the largest $5.8 billion completed construction project in the U.S. this year, continues with gala Las Vegas store openings and special events.  40% of available space is reportedly currently occupied. 

Openings Today, Dec. 3:  

Huge high-class retail Crystals venue opens including Beso (Eva Longoria Parker’s restaurant), Mikimoto, CENTERPiece Gallery, H.Stern, Tom Ford, Marni, Bvlgari, Robert Cavalli, Nanette Lepore, Cartier, Assouline, ILORI, Porsche Design, Tourbillion, Tiffany & Co., de Grisogone, Louis Vutton, Bottega Veneta, Bally, Paul Smith, The Cup, Rodney Lough Jr. Wilderness Collection Gallery, Phillip Plein. 

Opening Dec. 16: 

Aria, the centerpiece 4,004-room hotel casino, opens plus Kiton, Kiki de Montpamasse, Brasserie PUCK, Van Cleef & Arpels, The Pods by Wolfgang Puck, Carolina Herrera, the GALLERY featuring Dale Chihuly, The Art of Richard MacDonald, T.E. Pub 

Opening 2010: 

Mastro’s Ocean Club, Ermengildo Zegna, Emilio Pucci, Prada, Christina Dior, Hermes, Versace, Miu Miu

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December 1, 2009 · 2:37 PM

CityCenter Unveils Vdara Hotel and Spa in Las Vegas Today

MGM Mirage and Dubai World marked the unveiling of their CityCenter project today with the opening of the luxurious Vdara Hotel and Spa. 

Executives cut the ribbon on the 57-story, 1,495-suite luxury property shortly after 10:30 a.m. today. 

The hotel’s suites come in one- or two-bedroom variations, ranging from 500 square feet to 2,000 square feet, each featuring gourmet kitchens and washer and dryer units among their amenities. 

Other amenities in the non-gaming Vdara Hotel include an 18,000-square-foot spa, Asian fusion restaurant Silk Road and direct access to the Bellagio’s casino floor. 

Vdara has partnered with Vanity Fair for its private grand opening celebration tonight with appearances by actor Orlando Bloom, actress Rosario Dawson and photographer Sebastian Copeland. While VIPs will fill the hotel tonight, Vdara won’t welcome its first public guests until Wednesday evening. 

Following Vdara’s opening will be the unveiling of the high-end retail and entertainment district, Crystals, on Thursday, then the opening of Mandarin Oriental will be Friday. 

CityCenter’s crowning jewel and only gaming property — the 4,004-room Aria Resort and Casino — will round out the month with a Dec. 16 opening. Residential occupancies at Veer Towers will begin January 2010 while the Harmon will open in late 2010.

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November 29, 2009 · 2:05 PM

Huge CityCenter Project Prepares for Las Vegas Public Unveiling this Week

The cost: $8.5 billion.  The decision: Let it ride- open the doors to the public!  

The much anticipated CityCenter project in Las Vegas- the largest construction project in the U.S. this year – is taking its opening public curtain calls this week.  

Updated Public Opening Schedule: 

Dec. 1 – Vdara Hotel & Spa opens

Dec. 3 – High-end retail shops, entertainment venues open, featuring Crystal

Dec. 4 – Mandarin Oriental luxury hotel opens

Dec. 16 – The project’s centerpiece, Aria Resort & Casino opens 

Since March, Las Vegas Backstage Access has written extensively on the project, covering it from all angles.  Please check out our articles on March 4 & 25; July 13, 16 & 28; Sept. 3, 17 & 25; Oct. 13 & 18; and Nov. 9, 14, 18 & 19.

C’mon over to Las Vegas and check it out!

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November 19, 2009 · 9:04 AM

CityCenter Too Big for Mr. Big– Las Vegas?

Turns out Sin City is far from recession-proof. Citigroup Global Markets analyst Anil Daswani has doubts that MGM Mirage’s latest offering on the Las Vegas Strip, the gargantuan $8.5 billion CityCenter, planned for official opening and much fanfare on Dec. 16, will have tourists racing to plunk down what little cash they have left. 

“With CityCenter to open within a month … we do not believe that CityCenter will successfully drive visitation without incentives,” Daswani said in a note. “In our view, 5,000+ new rooms will be hard to absorb.” 

CityCenter is the largest privately financed development in the U.S. 

However, noting visits to Las Vegas are trending down 7% in 2009 while unemployment levels have now hit double digits, having some of the highest unemployment figures in the U.S., Mr. Daswani is concerned the new building will cannibalize demand from MGM’s existing properties while adding pressure to room rates.

Citi has a “sell” rating for MGM Mirage.

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November 18, 2009 · 12:51 PM

Las Vegas New Year’s Eve Firework Displays to Return to Strip Rooftops

Las Vegas residents and vistors alike finally got some great news– they just may be able to actually see the New Year’s Eve half-million dollars of fireworks displays this year! NewYearsStrip

Las Vegas Events (LVE) and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced late last week that the New Year’s Eve celebration known as America’s Party: Las Vegas New Year 2010 will include a spectacular fireworks show fired from seven rooftop locations along the three-mile stretch of the Las Vegas Strip. 

Although fireworks displays had been launched from the top of Las Vegas Strip hotels since Dec. 31, 2000, the show was launched from resort parking lots and garages last year when new Clark County fire and safety rules tightened regarding rooftop fireworks following the Monte Carlo rooftop fire in January 2008. 

The lower launch point caused the fireworks display last year to not be viewable at many traditional Las Vegas vantage points. 

But, despite the lower aerial displays, last year’s New Year’s Eve still drew nearly 291,000 visitors to the area, include nearly 30,000 downtown, for an nongaming economic impact of $188 million to Las Vegas, according the Las Vegas Visitors Authority.

 The budget for this year’s Las Vegas show, which is funded by the state’s room tax, has reportedly increased by $50,000 to $550,000– not bad for a poor economic year with many residents out of a job. 

The Las Vegas firing locations (from the south, heading north) this year include the following resort properties: MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Aria, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island (TI), Venetian and the Stratosphere. 

Fireworks by Grucci of New York will again coordinate the pyrotechnic display. 

The group recently created the spectacular Grand Opening of the Atlantis Hotel and The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai and has executed numerous presidential inaugurations and citywide celebrations.

 Grucci will also do the fireworks for the $8.5 billion CityCenter grand opening planned for Dec. 16 in Las Vegas. 

Michael Green, a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada, said New Year’s Eve fireworks high above the Strip have become part of the fabric of Las Vegas, commenting, “Granting that Las Vegas is still in a lot of economic hurt, the signs are pointing the right way. So maybe the fireworks will give us something to look forward to and up to.”

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November 18, 2009 · 11:03 AM

Only One Gambling Site in Las Vegas’ New $8.5 Billion CityCenter

AriaIs gambling in Las Vegas becoming passé with the advent of new venues? 

Gaming regulators in Las Vegas last Friday granted preliminary licensing approval for the only casino component inside the $8.5 billion CityCenter project and suggested the revenue mix might be sharply different from the traditional gaming-driven environment that has existed since Las Vegas’ creation. 

During a hearing that lasted more than two hours, the Nevada Gaming Control Board was told not to expect additional gaming inside the multiple hotel, high-rise residential and entertainment complex. 

Aria, pictured, CityCenter’s 4,004-room centerpiece, was designed as the project’s only casino. Vdara and Mandarin Oriental are nongaming hotels, and Veer Tower is strictly residential. 

Executives from MGM Mirage and Dubai World, its 50-50 partner in the development, explained the CityCenter concept, using a promotional sales video and previewing Aria’s first television advertisement in what will be a $20 million marketing campaign. 

Gaming is not the focal point of the 67-acre project. The casino at Aria, roughly the size of Bellagio, will have only 145 table games and 1,940 slot machines, half of which will be linked to a server-based gaming platform. 

Aria President Bill McBeath said the casino’s revenue projections are modeled with Bellagio, but the CityCenter casino has fewer slot machines. He said Aria is designed to have private gambling salons like other MGM Mirage high-end casinos, but the rooms will not be used immediately. 

“There will be cross-marketing between the properties,” McBeath said. Aria will host MGM Mirage’s private Chinese New Year party for high-end customers at the MGM Grand, Bellagio and other company resorts. 

McBeath said Aria’s slot machines are projected to produce roughly $320 win per unit per day. 

During MGM Mirage’s quarterly earning conference call with analysts, City Center Chief Executive Officer Bobby Baldwin said Aria would produce $1.2 billion in revenue in 2010. 

“The (revenue) projections are optimistic,” Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander said. “But they seem reasonable.” 

The three-member control board then recommended unanimous approval for Aria. The Nevada Gaming Commission will consider the recommendation this week.

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November 14, 2009 · 6:00 AM

Cirque du Soleil Announces New Elvis Presley Show in Las Vegas

Cirque du Soleil has announced the title for its new show based on the life and music of Elvis Presley: Viva Elvis. 

The production, to be directed by choreographer Vincent Paterson, will take up residence at the new Aria Resort & Casino in the brand spanking new $8.5 billion CityCenter in Las Vegas, beginning performances on December 18. 

Tickets are not yet on sale but the show will open for media previews in December. 

The show will fuse dance and acrobatics, live music and iconic tracks, nostalgia and modernity, high technology and raw emotion. 

While he is most famous for his collaborations with Madonna and Michael Jackson, Paterson has also worked in the performing arts. In 2006, he staged a ’50s style revival of Massenet’s Manon for Los Angeles Opera. 

Cirque du Soleil currently has numerous shows already in Las Vegas, including O, LOVE, Ka, Zumanity, and Mystere. 

The company is also currently touring its Allegria show; recently opened its new show Ovo in Toronto; and another new show, Banana Shpeel, begins performances in Chicago this month and will then play New York.

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November 9, 2009 · 6:19 AM

Sneak Peak into Las Vegas’ Kingdom of Haute Opulence- CityCenter

Time is getting close for the long-awaited opening of extravagant and opulent Las Vegas entertainment and retail businesses galore.    Not just ordinary businesses, but the most haute and opulent on the planet!

If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be up close and personal with $8.5 billion of opulent entertainment and retail establishments, then don’t miss out this December when CityCenter gradually opens up in Las Vegas. 

With the economy tanking and only slowing recovering, most experts agree that further business casino and hotel developments down the Las Vegas Strip or adjoining properties will be on a hiatus for at least five years, more likely 10 years. 

Las Vegas Backstage Access has written on the many unique CityCenter planned developments, but now has further updates to share.   As casino area slots are being tested, finishing touches are being applied at the Aria casino-hotel tower.   

Some restaurants are on the second floor at Aria, near Elvis Theater, or located in The Crystals, the nearby 500,000-square-foot retail, entertainment and dining district- a city within a city. 

Oversize Elvis belt buckles cover the exterior of Cirque du Soleil’s Elvis Theater.  Reportedly, a “big splash” for this is planned for Jan. 8, which would have been Elvis’ 74th birthday. 

In terms of artwork, there is Maya Lin’s depiction of the Colorado River made out of recycled silver.    Henry Moore’s woman and child reclining is also auspicious, purchased for about $5 million and now worth about $7.5 million– that’s just some of the $40 million spent on CityCenter’s artwork. 

A prominent attraction at The Crystals, is Mastro’s Ocean Club, which is housed in a “tree house,” over the main floor, the 14-foot ice sculpture that magically re-form after a 90 percent meltdown and CityCenter’s version of Rome’s Spanish Steps. 

There is something for everyone at CityCenter.  It will surely be the Las Vegas center of attention for a very long time.

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October 18, 2009 · 4:45 AM

CityCenter in Las Vegas to Cut Condo Prices by 30 Percent

Developers of the $8.5 billion CityCenter on the Las Vegas Strip plan a 30 percent price cut on condos there that people have already agreed to buy, just help close the deals during the recession. 

Company officials announced that CityCenter, co-owned by MGM Mirage and Dubai World, will begin closing on the nearly 2,400 units that have been built in two boutique hotels and two residential towers in January at the reduced prices. More than half of the units are under contract. The price cut roughly parallels the decline in Nevada’s real estate market since the units first went on sale in January 2007. 

The price reductions apply to the 227 units at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, the 670 units at the Veer Towers and the nearly 1,500 condo units at the 57-story Vdara Condo Hotel. 

A typical one-bedroom unit of about 800 square feet at the Vdara is now selling for about $674,000, according to an analysis by Bill Lerner of Union Gaming Group. 

Other parts of the 67-acre project include a 4,000-room casino-resort, convention space, hotels and a retail mall. The project is to start opening in December. 

Several casino industry analysts said MGM Mirage and Dubai World, the development arm of the government of Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates, had to make such a move to close real estate sales in a down market that has been particularly tough in Las Vegas. 

Lerner said in late August that the 30 percent price reductions would bring the Vdara’s prices in line with those at the Trump International Hotel down the street and the nearby Palms Place condo-hotel located 1.5 miles west of the Strip. 

Lerner said MGM Mirage might begin pushing those who have committed to buying units at Vdara toward Veer instead. 

CityCenter was originally supposed to have 200 more condo and condo-hotel units atop the Harmon, but that plan was scrapped when developers delayed the opening of the 400-room hotel portion to 2010.

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October 13, 2009 · 10:45 AM

Tiffanys Plans Las Vegas Opening in New CityCenter

Tiffany & Co. announced design details of its soon-to-be-opened store at CityCenter in Las Vegas Strip. The new two-level store will face Las Vegas Boulevard and will be located in Crystals, CityCenter’s 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind and Rockwell Group, which features a crystalline canopy. 

Slated for a December opening, the approximately 10,000-square-foot store features an 85-foot-high glass façade that is canted slightly over the street and shaped like a diamond. The façade incorporates the store’s entrance of polished black granite framing deco-inspired stainless steel doors, and serves as a great window that reveals the store’s interior with its spiral steel and glass staircase and curved, multi-layered ceiling.

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September 25, 2009 · 9:15 AM

CityCenter Gets Ready to Blossom in Las Vegas – Opening Schedule

In just three short months, the world will be introduced to CityCenter in Las Vegas. An extraordinary urban resort destination brought to life by eight world-renowned architects, CityCenter will debut a new era of resort experiences with an ambition to refine and redefine Las Vegas. 

Conceived to bring a true center to The Strip, CityCenter will be much more than a collection of resorts and residences; it will rather be a true community – a welcoming environment for people to gather, relax and enjoy. Great pedestrian corridors, dynamic public spaces, authentic richness and diversity of experiences will voke the energy of the world’s most exciting places. 

CityCenter’s public Fine Art Collection will enliven the street and engage passersby. As if in a trolling gallery, guests will happen upon works by world-renowned artists such as Maya Lin or Nancy Rubins as they wander through CityCenter’s walkways, hotels and residences. 

Upon opening, CityCenter will be one of the largest sustainable developments in existence, bringing a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Strip. The U.S. Green Building Council already has awarded Gold LEED(R) certification to ARIA’s hotel tower, convention center and theater; as well as Vdara Hotel. CityCenter’s remaining venues are poised to receive a combination of Silver and Gold LEED(R) ratings.

(Prior to this, Las Vegas Backstage Access has written many articles on specific venues.  Please use the search feature to find under, “CityCenter.”) 

CITYCENTER’S GRAND OPENING SCHEDULE: 

    —  Vdara Hotel – December 1, 2009

    —  Crystals retail and entertainment district – December 3, 2009

    —  Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas – December 4, 2009

    —  ARIA Resort & Casino – December 16, 2009

    —  The Harmon – Late 2010 

Residential occupancies slated to begin mid-January 2010.

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September 17, 2009 · 11:39 AM

Fine Art of CityCenter Artists, Architects on Exhibit at Bellagio in Las Vegas

Sadly, with most of the fine art style of Las Vegas museums closing up shop– Las Vegas culture — including the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum at the Venetian and Las Vegas Art Museum, and lesser robust ones opening by appointment only, it’s refreshing to know the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is apparently still going strong. 

Tomorrow, in fact, the Bellagio Gallery is debuting 12+7: Artists and Architects of CityCenter.   Organized in partnership with the CityCenter Fine Art Collection and its curatorial advisor Michele C. Quinn, the exhibition will feature sculpture, drawings, paintings and models by 12 of the contemporary artists and seven of the master architects whose work will dramatically change the artistic landscape in Las Vegas when the $9.1 billion, 76-acre CityCenter opens in December (please search for other articles using “CityCenter” in Las Vegas Backstage Access). 

The art exhibition will offer a sneak peek at the highly anticipated CityCenter development, showcasing artwork by such artists as Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, Antony Gormley, Tony Cragg, Nancy Rubins, Peter Wegner and Richard Long. 

Also included are early sketches and architectural models of CityCenter’s towers, retail and the entertainment district designed by architects Pelli Clarke Pelli, Helmut Jahn, Studio Daniel Libeskind, Rafael Vinoly, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Foster + Partners and Rockwell Group. 

Admission is $15 for general admission, $12 for Nevada residents and seniors 65 and older, and $10 for students, teachers and military with valid ID.  Children 12 and younger are free.  Tickets and further information by calling 702-693-7871 or online at www.bellagio.com

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September 3, 2009 · 10:45 AM

Mandarin Oriental Annouces Pierre Gagnaire’s Twist Restaurant in Las Vegas’ CityCenter

Mandarin Oriental, prominently situated at the entrance of CityCenter in Las Vegas, will introduce the award-winning cuisine of three-star Michelin Chef Pierre Gagnaire at the luxury hotel’s signature restaurant, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire.

Opening in December 2009, Twist will be Gagnaire’s first restaurant in the United States. The innovative menu will infuse the simplicity of classic French cuisine with a modern spin, relying on a pairing of flavors and textures for which Gagnaire is known.

In a distinguished career that spans more than 35 years, Gagnaire has gained the highest acclaim for his restaurants in Paris, London, Tokyo, Seoul, Dubai and his namesake restaurant, “Pierre” at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. 

Gagnaire is well-known for being at the forefront of the fusion movement. Beginning his career in St. Etienne, Gaganaire won three Michelin Stars and tore at the conventions of classic French cooking by introducing radical juxtapositions of tastes and textures. His influence on cooking has been recognized worldwide. 

Las Vegas Backstage Access will provide you a spot or feature article and/or professional photography for this or any of the many new venues opening in CityCenter this December for your publication.  If interested, please provide comment to this article or newsletter/contact tab and we will get back to you.

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August 10, 2009 · 10:26 AM

Elvis Enters Las Vegas ‘House,’ Prepares for New Cirque du Soleil Show

Elvis?  Isn’t he dead?  Naah.  In Las Vegas, the iconic entertainer never really died- he just morphed into impersonators galore, performing one after-life performance after another.  cirque

Cirque du Soleil is capitalizing on the the never dying Elvis fever big-time, preparing for their new Elvis show “Viva Las Vegas,” slated to open this December at CityCenter, located on 67-acres on the Las Vegas Strip between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo, boasting the largest private development – and most extravagant – in United States history which will add 6,000 new hotel rooms to the existing Las Vegas inventory of 140,000 rooms. 

The seventh Cirque show in Las Vegas will be housed within Aria at CityCenter, a 61-story, 4,004 room gaming property featuring the most technologically advanced green-sustainable suites in the United States. 

Making a marketing splash last Saturday, 22 of the 75 new cast members arrived in street clothes in Las Vegas from Montreal, Canada, Cirque’s headquarters, to a hearty serenade of the theme song from Elvis’ 1964 film by more than a dozen colorful characters from “Mystere,” “Ka” and “Criss Angel Believe,” three of Cirque’s six shows in Las Vegas.  

The new troup arrivals will have three weeks to find a place to settle in Las Vegas before resuming rehearsals. 

The remaining cast members will arrive in Las Vegas over the next couple of days. 

Cirque production manager Mike Anderson promises fans will feel Elvis’ presence in the CityCenter theater. The show, directed by former Michael Jackson choreographer Vince Patterson, will feature dancers, acrobats, “a killer band and a lot of guitar elements,” Anderson said. 

Priscilla Presley, who married Elvis in Las Vegas in 1967, was among a VIP group that got a preview of the show last Wednesday. Also attending was CityCenter boss Bobby Baldwin and Robert Sillerman, who purchased 85 percent of Elvis Presley Enterprises in 2004 for $114 million.

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July 16, 2009 · 1:48 PM

Mandarin Oriental Provides Las Vegas Step Down to Haute Luxury at CityCenter

The check-in lobby for the Mandarin Oriental at CityCenter in Las Vegas will actually be on the building’s 23rd floor, causing guests to go down to their rooms at the boutique nongaming hotel that offers customers a panoramic view of the Strip and the rest of the $8.5 billion CityCenter through floor-to-ceiling windows inside the property’s Sky Lobby. MandarinOriental

After years of planning, Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental is removing the wrapping from the company’s first luxury resort in Las Vegas. The company operates 41 hotels in 25 countries. In the United States, Mandarin Oriental has hotels in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Miami and San Francisco.

The 47-story Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas has 392 rooms and suites, ranging in size from 600 square feet to 3,000 square feet. The building also has 227 residences, which will be accessed by a separate entrance and elevator from the hotel side. 

Hotel rooms will offer numerous technological enhancements including keyless door locks and automated control panels that allow guests to manage the lighting, room temperature and entertainment systems. Mandarin Oriental will have a 27,000-square-foot spa and fitness center and several restaurants and bars. 

The Sky Lobby serves as a sort of buffer zone. The floors beneath the lobby are for hotel guests and the 24 floors above house the residential units. The 23rd floor is also home to The Mandarin Bar, the Tea Lounge, and the property’s signature restaurant, the first U.S. offering from celebrity chef Pierre Gagnaire.

One thing Mandarin Oriental lacks is a casino. 

Gaming at CityCenter will be exclusive to Aria, the centerpiece 4,004-room hotel-casino operated by MGM Mirage. That shouldn’t concern Mandarin Oriental’s guests, said Jhingon, who spent five years as the general manager of the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore. 

“We’re in walking distance to all the activities at CityCenter,” he said. “Our guests come here for our personalized service and experience.” 

The Mandarin Oriental is scheduled to open Dec. 4.. The property will begin accepting hotel room reservations on Aug. 17. Room rates have yet to be established, but Jhingon said the luxury property will set prices at levels that will be considered reasonable in a market that has seen hotel room prices decline to their lowest levels in over two decades because of the sour economy. 

“I believe it’s the perfect time for us to open,” Jhingon said. “We’re a boutique hotel by Las Vegas standards and we’re very visible. I believe we will be a choice for a lot of people from Day One.”

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July 13, 2009 · 7:00 AM

MGM’s CityCenter in Las Vegas Announces Huge Retail Lineup

CrystalsCityCenter, the multi-use development opening later this year on the Las Vegas Strip, announced a collection of unique luxury retailers and restaurateurs that will join the lineup at Crystals, a 500,000 square-foot retail and dining district.

Planned to open December 3, Crystals will showcase a large and varied array of the world’s most exclusive retailers including many flagship stores.  For many of these brands, the Crystals’ location will represent their largest business in Las Vegas, the United States, or in some cases, the world.

Large-format luxury retailers that are planning to establish Crystals as a preeminent international shopping destination include Prada, Christian Dior, Bulgari, Carolina Herrera, Hermes, Roberto Cavalli, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Versace. These brands will join previously announced retailers Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Ermenegildo Zegna. 

Unique-to-the-market retailers opening their first locations in Las Vegas include Tom Ford,  Assouline, Kiton, Miu Miu, Paul Smith and Porsche Design, along with the previously announced de Grisogono, H. Stern, Marni, Boutique Tourbillon and Mikimoto.  Restaurants opening their first Las Vegas locations at Crystals include Eva Longoria Parker’s Beso and Mastro’s Ocean Club Seafood House.  These upscale restaurants will join an exciting new Pub concept by Todd English and two previously announced new concepts by Wolfgang Puck.

Other prestigious retailers joining Crystals’ lineup include Bally, Emilio Pucci and Ilori.  Additionally, Dale Chihuly will introduce a stunning new gallery.

The Taubman Company, the world’s leading developer of upscale shopping centers, is responsible for the leasing of Crystals.

 “We’ve assembled an extraordinary collection of retailers and restaurateurs to make Crystals one of the world’s most unique shopping and entertainment districts when it opens this December,” said Frank Visconti, president of retail for CityCenter.  “Crystals will delight guests with its unique architecture, awe-inspiring interior design, brilliant art and intriguing water features.  These experiential offerings, coupled with exclusive items from the industry’s most celebrated brands, will make Crystals a premier social and cultural environment in the heart of CityCenter.”

An architectural achievement that integrates the talents of world-renowned artists, architects and designers, CityCenter plans to attract visitors from around the world, being a landmark for global taste and style.  In addition to Crystals, CityCenter will feature ARIA Resort & Casino, a 4,004-room gaming resort; three luxurious non-gaming hotels including Las Vegas’ first Mandarin Oriental, Vdara Hotel and The Harmon (slated to open in late 2010); Veer Towers, the development’s only strictly residential buildings; and a Fine Art Collection. 

Mandarin Oriental, Vdara and Veer Towers will include approximately 2,400 residences.

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April 26, 2009 · 7:12 AM

Elvis Investors All Shook Up in Las Vegas

The Elvis-themed resort planned for the Las Vegas Strip may not become a reality.  A group of investors who had planned to build the resort on the 18 acres across from CityCenter could be forced to sell their property because of a default on a $475 million mortgage loan. 

New York-based FX Real Estate and Entertainment said its lenders informed the company on April 9 of the bank’s intention to sell the land “to satisfy the principal amount…owed to them under the mortgage loan and secured by the property.” 

FX said it would not be able to resolve the default issue by the May 18 deadline and “is considering all legal options, including bankruptcy proceedings” to prevent the sale of the property.

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March 25, 2009 · 11:18 AM

Las Vegas’ CityCenter Project Facing Collapse?

The very survival hangs in the balance for Las Vegas’ largest employer and the city’s largest construction project- and arguably one of the world’s largest and most expensive buildings.   MGM Mirage, operating nine Las Vegas Strip resorts and employing more than 61,000 workers, is now embroiled in a contentious lawsuit over the $9.1 billion, 76-acre CityCenter development with its half-shared partner, Dubai World through its Infinity World financial subsidiary.  dubaiworld

Analysts said the lawsuit filed Sunday casts a damaging dark cloud over the project and sends more negative signals on the overall financial health of MGM Mirage.   According to the lawsuit, Dubai World, a 50-50 joint venture partner in the CityCenter project, is seeking unspecified damages and wants to be relieved of its obligation under the companies’ agreement, which was struck in August 2007. 

Dubai World, a world-leading business conglomerate suffering from a two-thirds drop in their oil prices – leading some to question if the lawsuit is merely trying to sever their joint venture agreement or simply gain more project control – said MGM Mirage, which is CityCenter’s managing partner, is responsible for mismanagement and cost overruns with the project.  Dubai World further contends that statements by the MGM Mirage in the company’s financial filings last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission constitute a breach of the joint-venture pact and has put the project at risk. 

The lawsuit took the MGM Mirage reportedly by surprise, but theirspokespeople responded vehemently yesterday that they are doing everything they can do and are ready, willing, and more than able to meet all financial obligations and debt holder payments. 

Despite the lawsuit, CityCenter still plans to open in stages, starting in October with Vdara, a nongaming condominium and hotel tower, and Aria, CityCenter’s centerpiece 4,004-room hotel-casino, scheduled to open on December 16.  

MGM Mirage continues to accept job applications, having over 90,000 job applications for the CityCenter project and planning to hire 10,000 employees to boost the staganant Las Vegas economy. 

However, MGM Mirage and Dubai World are still seeking the remaining $1.2 billion in financing to finish the project. 

MGM Mirage received from its lenders last week a two-month waiver to avoid violating its loan covenants.   Some financial analysts believe that MGM Mirage might have to file a Chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure their $13.5 billion in debt.

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March 4, 2009 · 12:34 PM

MGM Mirage Tapped Out?

What a difference a short time can make in a volatile economy.  Months ago the MGM Mirage had billions of dollars of cash at its disposal, supposedly well insulated for the recession.  Now they are painting a continuing bleak and mgmmiragegloomy picture.   The MGM Mirage tapped last week their remaining $842 million in cash under their $4.5 billion revolving credit line because of the turbulent credit market markets and the “uncertain state of the global economy.” 

On Monday the MGM Mirage stock plummeted to an all-time low of about $3 per share, down about 95 percent from a year ago. 

Despite agreeing to sell the Treasure Island to former New Frontier owner Phil Ruffin for $775 million in December, the MGM Mirage, the Strip’s biggest casino operator, leading entertainment provider, and Nevada’s largest private employer could be facing a bankruptcy Chapter 11 filing if it can’t renegotiate better payment terms with its lenders covering some $7 billion in their outstanding loans.  The MGM Mirage has a little more $1 billion in cash remaining on their balance sheet. 

And if MGM Mirage lenders are not flexible in payment restructuring, also at risk is their new $9.1 billion CityCenter project that has a final $1.2 billion payment owed.   The project has been planned to open in October, with the 4,004-room Aria, the centerpiece hotel-casino, scheduled to open in December. 

Like most other Las Vegas casino operators, MGM Mirage has undertaken numerous cost-cutting and debt restructuring measures over the past year.  But, so far, none have brought them the much needed financial relief.   Talks on a variety of other debt restructuring schemes continue including selling some of their 10 Strip hotel-casinos, other properties, or, failing that, sell part of their CityCenter project and perhaps negotiate with Dubai World, already a 50 percent owner in the project that has invested almost $6 billion, for Dubai assuming a greater ownership stake.

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January 30, 2009 · 6:04 AM

Resorts Continue to Build in Las Vegas

Despite our economy, there still is much casino and hotel room construction going on in Las Vegas. In fact, nearly 13,000 hotel rooms remain under construction in 2009.

The $2.9 billion Fontainebleau mega-resort is planned to open late this year.  It features 3,815 rooms and suites; 27 restaurants and bars; a 7-acre pool deck with four pools; a 350,000-square-foot shopping area called the Runway; and a spa with 55 treatment rooms.  That’s a mouthful.

The Silverton Casino Lodge is undergoing a $130-million expansion including adding pools, a high-limit gaming salon and 800 slot machines.

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino expects to add 950 guest rooms and expand the pool, while adding more meeting space.

The $1-billion M Resort is heading toward a March 1 opening of its 390 guest rooms and a 100,000-square-foot pool that gives the feel of being in a canyon.

Finally, construction continues on Las Vegas’ 900-lb gorilla, CityCenter, an $8.6-billion development slotted to open in late 2009.  Hotels in the project include the 4,000-room, 61-story Aria Resort & Casino; a 400-room Mandarin Oriental, the first in Las Vegas; and Vdara, an all-suite condo/hotel project with more than 1,500 units. Structural issues have delayed the opening of CityCenter’s Harmon Hotel.

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January 1, 2009 · 8:34 AM

Elvis Plans to Bail Out of Las Vegas

Some fortunate Las Vegas entertainers live on in their death and later become business entities because of their larger than life presleycharismatic persona- or at least we thought so, that is until our current economic financial crisis has imbedded its nasty fangs into virtually every sinew of Las Vegas business life.

 

FX Real Estate and Entertainment had a dream that started back in 1998 to build an 18-acre Elvis-themed resort on land they purchased in six separate transactions that occurred through 2005.  It was to be built across from the CityCenter project that is now under construction and would stretch from where rental properties stand now, from the Harley-Davidson Café on the corner of Harmon Avenue to the Smith & Wollensky building just north of the MGM Grand.

 

Back then the business concept sounded great to Robert F.X. Sillerman, whose publicly traded company CKX, Inc. owns the name and image of Elvis Presley.  The idea was also well received by Graceland hotel developer Paul Kanavos and residential and commercial developer Brett Torino.

 

But their lofty dreams and plans were largely dashed back in September when FX noted the all too familiar “dislocation and turbulence in the capital markets.”  They have now defaulted on their $475 million loan from Credit Suisse and are on the verge of losing the land – and their dream – through foreclosure.

 

Yesterday FX, which is publicly traded on the NASDAQ, had a 10 cents per share close, a fall from their January 10 offering-day high of $10.02 per share.

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December 22, 2008 · 5:36 PM

Wynn Opens ‘New Gilded Cage’ – Encore Las Vegas

encoreIf you missed the recent new casino opening hoopla, Steve Wynn has opened yet another of his gems- Encore Las Vegas – on December 22, 2008. Weighing in with a price tag of $2.3 billion, the glitzy 2,034-room Strip playground provides refreshing eye-candy from all the gloomy economic news on work stoppages for the partially started and planned Las Vegas casino and entertainment projects.

With any luck, perhaps Encore will serve as the cornerstone catalyst for a rejuvenated Las Vegas and a positive economic outlook in 2009.

Encore’s opening, combined with the good news of Phil Ruffin’s $775 million purchase of Treasure Island Casino & Hotel from MGM Mirage earlier this month – a great holiday present for their 3,200 Treasure Island employees. The former New Frontier owner’s purchase will help fund the planned finish of MGM Mirage’s $9.1 billion CityCenter next year, the largest private construction job in the U.S..

And, lest we forget, the Fountainebleau and the M Resort still are on track to debut in 2009, further helping to hopefully solidify our lethargic economy.

Recent local Las Vegas casino stimulus events could not have happened at a more needed time. Gaming revenue in Clark County, which includes downtown Las Vegas and the Strip, is reported down 8.5% for the 2008, to $8.3 billion. And visitor volume is down 3% over last year, though the city’s convention business is holding steady.

Any positive local stimulus would be welcomed with open arms.

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