Downtown Grand Article

Found this article about DT Grand. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/jun/15/rebirth-resort-starts-right-name/

While the article focuses on naming the property, I found this quote interesting....
“We designed a hotel that is very easy to walk into the lobby, go to the bar, go to your room and never walk into the casino.”

What? Why the hell would anyone in the Hotel/Casino business in Las Vegas want this, much less actually design a concept where the casino is not 'front and center'?

No wonder gaming revenue in Vegas is down. Is this the new Vegas attitude? Has gaming really become an afterthought? I have seen many reports that the casino floor at DTG is dead. I think now we know why.

 

I think it's true, Las Vegas is not ALL about the gambler and gaming anymore... in fact, non-gaming revenue has surpassed gaming revenue. That's the reality, but I doubt it's because the consumer can't find the casino. The days of burying the bathrooms all the way in the back and hiding the exits is over... Benny and Jackie are gone too. Of course, patrons are no longer using home equity as an ATM either... things have changed. The new Las Vegas caters to more than just the grinder who wants to stand at a smokey craps table for 10-12 hours. There'll always be a welcome place for them here I hope, but I'm actually excited to see the city become more of an overall destination that also includes fine dining, world-class shopping, day and night clubs, pool parties, etc. There are plenty who think this is the road to disaster for Vegas... of course, that's been predicted many times before. Gambling wasn't offered in almost every state "back in the day" and I think for Vegas or Nevada for that matter, to have ridden that horse alone much longer would've certainly been a catastrophe.

I host business meetings of people (20-30) from across the country on a regular basis. Our meetings are generally at Trump, Vdara or Platinum due to the number of folks who just don't want gaming to be "in their face". It doesn't bother me, but then I've been around it for most of my life. A good portion of the group goes out in the evenings and eats and gambles a little bit, but they like the feeling of going back to a non-gaming establishment. My guess is there's a bit of that sentiment in the design of Downtown Grand. I've been in there, the casino's NOT hidden... you just don't go through a mile of it to get to the elevator to go to your room. Honestly, I think that old style's stupid anyways... are you really gonna spend money in the casino, cause it's a long walk to your room? I can't remember the last time I said, "damn... it's a long ways over to the elevator, I'll just stay here and drink and gamble for a couple hours."

Your points are well taken though and I know many others find the whole "expansion" into other arenas not to their liking as well.

 

Funny that they're so aggressive with free hotel stays to players club members though. I signed up for a card, played out my freeplay and left (couldn't stomach their bad VP pay tables), yet they still sent me a mailer for 2 free nights.

 

I'm not sure anyone suggested that gamblers are being "shunned"... gaming will always be a part of the mix, it's too damn profitable,

 

The golden nugget is designed similarly. From both check - in areas you can get a drink and then up to your room without entering the gaming floor.

 

How long did it take for the mailer?

 

About a month or so. The offer is good for June, I visited in April.

 

I got an email for 2 free nights over July 4 holiday. I played out my Freeplay which I lucked out and got $238 worth and then hit the tables for about an hour or 2 at $10 to $20 a hand. Hopefully I will see other mailers. I won't make it back to Vegas this summer.

 

Thanks for the info. Have a good one.

 

While the Sun paints a rosy picture of how things are going at the DG, this article makes it sound like they are struggling (which appears to be more the case based upon the lack of activity I've seen during my visits)

http://vitalvegas.com/downtown-grand-currently-experiencing-embarrassing-shrinkage/

 

Judging by the general downtown revenue numbers over the past few years it takes 85% to 95% capacity at those joints for them to make a decent buck. That means the casino packed, the rooms full.

DTG is nowhere near that and I worry that they may have already gone off the cliff.

If they brought back good gambling conditions and publicized that now, it would smack of desperation in the same way the Plaza and Vegas Club did. Even the Vegas Club's promotion of 40% better house edge on their games, clearly marked, couldn't bring people back.

Now, that said, of course the DTG is a much nicer property, but it seems like the momentum they had in the first 3 days, in terms of video poker paytables, has been completely squandered. Which is a shame, because they have really good coffee.

 

As others have stated, not gambling revenue now is more than gambling revenue. The mega-resorts on the strip have all their shops and restaurants located inside, while the Grand has them outside - Triple George Grill, Hogs & Heffers, Mob Bar, Pizza Rock all are part of the grand.

The casino in the Grand was is quite small (even for downtown) by design (less overhead). Gambling revenue was not their #1 focus in design.

 

I like that Steve Wynn is keeping up the old school tradition of playing craps on opening night of a new casino.