Bellagio Conservatory display cut to four displays a year.

Catching up on last week, I saw this posted by Vital Vegas. Searching here I was surprised not to find any discussion of it.

"In what appears to be a cost-saving measure, the Bellagio Conservatory is reducing its number of seasonal displays in 2020. Instead of its traditional Spring and Summer displays, there will be one: "Japan Journey: Magical Kansai." This display will span two seasons, spring and summer."

I'm surprised that they eliminated a Spring/Summer display, as I would would have expected the Chinese New Year display to be the one to be eliminated, since that holiday is celebrated by far less than a majority of visitors. Are people really looking to see a Chinese New Year display in late February, and in March up to the 14th, when the New Year date was January 25th? Keep in mind the Christmas time display is quickly taken down around January 4th.

I have a suggestion for a new Las Vegas slogan. "Las Vegas, where you'll notice a new way we've found to cut costs every time you visit!"

 

In this day and age, its only a matter of time before it completely goes away and becomes retail space

 

Link

Money talks, they want to attach Chinese (and Japanese) guests and grease their Japanese casino bid. There are three non-Asian themed months, surprised it's that high considering MGM's focus is Asia. MGM has been selling/dumping everything they are able to find a buyer for in the United States (including their sale of Bellagio's real estate / land) to have a chance at a Japanese casino.

Axing Christmas, at least with this first set of cuts, would be an even worse PR move, they can always cancel their planned 31 day display as Fall approaches.

They may as well have planned three total themes, Christmas, Chinese New Year, and a 10 month Asian Themed Display. Why have a Fall display? Is that when the Japanese Casino bidding ends and they no longer require Magic? What is a Magical Kansai anyway? Another cartoon / superhero movie?

 

It’s basically like saying “The Magical World of Disney”. Kansai is a region in Japan that includes many cities, including Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and others.

 

Got it, Thanks. Looked it up found the region but didn't see results for "Magical Kansai".

 

Not that I care terribly about the Conservatory display, but the ongoing MGM cost-cutting really will be death by a thousand cuts. Who is the next Steve Wynn and what is he or she building? That's what I want to know, so I can find my new LV go-to spot on the strip. As a loyal patron of many years, I'm getting sick of the MGM BS. It was the cut to the craps feature bets that really set me off. I used to like those!!

 

Well, there is the Wynn/Encore if you haven't stayed there before. It's not perfect, but it sure beats whatever MGM is offering nowadays, in my opinion.

I would bet money that there won't be another Steve Wynn in Las Vegas. There is no other hotelier in Vegas that gives that much of a crap about their own properties as he did.

 

Don’t care, no offense to the OP.

I’m glad they are eliminating all of the non gaming stuff. Vegas needs to go back to what it used to be. The gambling Mecca. Not the place where a bunch of people just walk around and take up space.

I get that these displays have been a focal part of the Strip for the last 35 years. However back in the day the average Vegas tourist would go check out the conservatory or fountain or volcano for about 3 mins then go in the casino play and lose 1/4 what the conservatory cost to put together.

Nowadays they look at the conservatory walk around the retail area go outside and look at the fountains. From there they might check out the volcano, and walk some more. Go back to their hotel eat at McDonald’s and drink the beer they got from Walgreens and go to bed.

This type of business model is not sustainable.

 

I stayed there a couple of times but it was back when I was in a different financial situation, not really playing at a level where I'd be on the host radar. However the past 7 years or so I've been rather fortunate financially and moved into what I'd call "strong player" category. Not whale but strong. With the exception of the incompetence I've experienced with Aria staff, the MGM family (Bellagio, MGM, etc.) have always treated me right.

I have not had the WynnCore host/strong player experience.

 

No skin off my back. Every time I've ever been there I've been lucky enough to go in during a reset and never get to see everything.

 

Our relationship with Bellagio started as true love and gradually progressed to dislike, finally disinterest after we switched to Wynn. I’ll admit some sorrow watching MGM wreck the place and all the greatness that Mirage Resorts once was. This is just more of the long, long, slow death.

And, no, there will never be another Steve Wynn. I hope there is, but I think Mr. Wynn was the Las Vegas genius of my lifetime and I’ll never see his equal. The squad from Caesars will eventually wreck Wynn and Encore too if Ms. Wynn does not stop them. We can already see tiny, very subtle cracks.

Some will think, “Okay, Boomer,” but in the case of Bellagio the old days were actually very much better. I remember 1998 and 1999 as my favorite Vegas years. Those were the days, my friend........

 

Price saving measures....why not cut resort fees to boost tourism and restaurant and bar fees as well as taxi fees.

 

Taxi fees?

 

3 dollars to use the credit card. They also charge the drivers say 75 cents for every client as well as take a dollar out of every tip.

Was not a fan of The flat rate fairs to and from the airport.

but to the OP, never seen the conservatory. Heard it’s cool though.

 

Hopefully they will put more into those they do have. I doubt most people will notice.
The Chinese New Year display looked OK, but not as impressive as some of the other displays. I'm sure that's related to the short turn around needed. I was ready for the St Patrick's / Easter bunny display.

 

For the record, my dream is to be Mr. Wynn 2.0. Just with better eyesight, less orange glow, and a few less harassment charges lol.
Squeezing every dollar out of a place isn't everything. I'd rather be worth $900,000,000, control my legacy, and have the best hotel in the world than be worth $5,000,000,000 and be beholden to shareholders while my vision is compromised.

 

The display's will soon go the way of The Rio overhead shows.
Sad, but true.

 

Vegas had a monopoly on gambling then. There's casinos all over now. Focusing on only gambling wouldn't be sustainable at all, especially with an aging population. Young people (21-40) typically don't gamble a lot unless it's sports.

 

Have many fond memories, mostly beginning from 1998 thru 2005. Slowly we drifted away from MGM properties and received much better comps from Palazzo or Wynn and most recently (well 2016-till 2018) Cosmopolitan
Still remember my GF getting those 4 comp nights, $300 slot credit and $100.00 dining credit offers from Palazzo.

When Aria opened I thought that was going to be the MGM "High Roller" hotel; but Bellagio still had higher rates. Appears that Bellagio will continue to cut costs, so sad to see this happen.

 

Vegas hasn’t had a Monopoly on gaming since the early 70’s. There was Atlantic City, Biloxi, Bahamas, and various Indian casinos.

They did have a monopoly on being the gambling Mecca.