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Open letter to Derek Stevens

Discussion in 'Downtown Hotels' started by dedhd, Sep 4, 2017.

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  1. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    That may be the case. However, no generation is monolithic despite the way they are portrayed. I think there is a way to make this project different from the D and GG and still get the desired demographic. And maybe it's me, but I don't see a way for a property to invest that much in a remodel and rely on one generation's business. I see a need for a more high end space downtown. I can also see a need for some campy fun. I would look forward to either But another D clone would be a bad move IMO.
     
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  2. Odelay77

    Odelay77 Low-Roller

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    This.

    As long as the gambling remains superior to the strip, then I can deal with the crowds, the 'upgrading' of the old aesthetic, and the half-assed attempts to attract millennials.
     
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  3. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Solid point... the two don't necessarily have be mutually exclusive.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2017
  4. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Chalk-up one more who thinks Derek is going to go "higher" end & directly compete with the Nugget...
    I don't think he'll go with a "D-clone", and I suspect that the music will be at a lower decibel level, and range from 70s through 90s.
    He'll likely skip the dancing girls, and instead go for 'easy-on-the-eyes', younger & friendly dealers - a stylistic thumb in the eye of the Nugget!
    I also believe that he'll throw in some 'old downtown' nostalgia into the place...in what form, I can't say - but it wouldn't surprise me to see Keno girls make a come-back, coin-droppers near the Fremont St. entrances & an outside area selling deep-fried twinkies & oreos.
    Inside, I would think we'll get a higher-end steak-house as well as a 24-hour cafe/diner. I expect he'll have a very nice sports book as well....and a state-of-the-art pool.
    He'll have to be careful to avoid the mistakes that the Nugget has made (higher minimums, surly dealers, bad VP, mediocre cocktail service),
    I predict that it'll have a stand-alone 'Player's Club', only unifying with GG & 'theD' once it's been well-established. I'm not expecting any easy comps, but I do think that those of us on GG's & 'theD's' radar can expect some sort of introductory offers... (I'm hoping, anyway!)
    :beer:
     
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  5. bubbakitty

    bubbakitty Doing retirement again and happily so....

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    (I reduced your post above)

    Hey, I do all that stuff except split a 4.99$ buffet. How can I do that? And I look forward to the changes over the next 20-30 years.
     
  6. joshrocker

    joshrocker VIP Whale

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    I agree with pretty much everything you said except for the stand alone players club. It wouldn't make any sense to have them separated that I can think of. Tons of benefits to have them combined right off the bat in my opinion.
     
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  7. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Josh...I just think that Derek will want to be able to gauge interest in his new property - and solely in his new property...at least for awhile.
    After all - the GG & D clubs are still separate.
    Wouldn't surprise me to see those two unified while the new place gets going... and then put all three under the new place's club after a year or so.
    I guess we'll find out soon enough!
    :beer:
     
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  8. joshrocker

    joshrocker VIP Whale

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    You can use comps at either place right? I am excited about a new place downtown. It will be fun to see something original and I trust Stevens to do it right.
     
  9. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Cause, you're not an old fogie! It's possible to stay young at heart, be somewhat set in your routines, be comfortable with who you are and what you enjoy... but as leo21 pointed out to me, not necessarily to the exclusion of other groups. My rants are aimed at those who have this unwritten rule that DT is for older folks and should stay the way it was and the "livelier bunch" should stay down on the strip. I thought the OP's letter was actually well-penned... and maybe I read things between the lines that aren't really there, but the whole notion from some that "my Vegas is slowly bein' taken away from me" is more complex than resort and parking fess and 6/5 BJ.
     
  10. The Rumor

    The Rumor VIP Whale

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    I think he talked about this on the Vital Vegas podcast at some point. It had a lot to do with the investment not making sense and also with figuring out what the right thing was across all 3 properties. Not to do with keeping them separate as a strategy.

    I would bet a load of money they unify LVC's replacement in to a shared program.

    I think you're totally off on needing to keep them separate to gauge interest in a new property. They are going to market the hell out of that property to the customer base of the D. And a decent shared program still lets you track what is being played where.
     
  11. Guy

    Guy Captain of the Heads

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    It wouldn't be surprising to see 'Andiamo' moving across the street to the new property.
     
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  12. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    I hope you're right... it would be nice if my 'theo' worked in my play at GG & 'theD'... add in 'LVC', and it would be even nicer.
    Nope
     
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  13. Rush

    Rush MIA

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    Dear dedhd,

    When you buy Downtown, you can dress it how you like.

    Smuggly,

    DS
     
  14. ruralhipster

    ruralhipster High-Roller

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    The problem is that for low end places to exist they had to be bought and paid for and allowed to slide into a lower tiered venue by virtue of being profitable with lower revenues. The instant you talk about purchasing property or even renovating it, higher revenues will be required to justify the upfront costs. I think Binions is the only casino still operating IMHO that has declined in quality over the last 20 years downtown. With the disappearance of The Western, the Gold Spike, LaBayou, Mermaids and the LVC there are no real super-low end properties left downtown. There are still quite a few downtown casinos that seem to be trying to balance their appeal across many economic stratas, but the days of any casinos paying the bills with dollar blackjack, dollar drinks, and 3 dollar lunch specials are over.
     
  15. ruralhipster

    ruralhipster High-Roller

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    I was thinking that same thing. I could see the space in the D then turned into a more modern-style steakhouse and bar or the world's most successful red lobster or olive garden.
     
  16. NotFromConcentrate

    NotFromConcentrate It’s a Cassowary :)

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    This made me chuckle... because in Italian, "andiamo" means "let's go" :D
     
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  17. NotFromConcentrate

    NotFromConcentrate It’s a Cassowary :)

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    I think that what disturbs me about this posting is not so much the thought of a Red Lobster or Olive Garden going in there... but rather the possibility of it happening.

    As silly as it may sound, I think that where Andiamo currently sits would be the perfect nightclub venue - the one thing that downtown is missing, and would actually attract millennials. The space is the ideal size/shape for a dance floor, a lot of the decor is already there. It's right upstairs from the main casino floor, and on the same floor as the upstairs gaming, which makes the movement from clubbing to gaming a seamless one. The noise wouldn't really be an issue, because of how noisy the casino is already.

    Fremont Street wouldn't really be "losing" a steakhouse, primarily because they can just move it across the street, and secondarily because there are already a number of other steakhouses downtown anyway (Vic and Anthony's, Oscar's, Hugo's). Furthermore, I don't have the numbers to support this, but I'd expect that a nightclub would be way more profitable than a steakhouse. Between being effectively the only game in town (and easily justifying a $20+ cover charge), having much higher profit margins, and bringing in all of that extra foot traffic, I feel like it would be a license to print money.
     
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  18. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    I would hope that a casino operator that bought a whole frickin' casino to stop CVS coming downtown would be better than that. It would hurt his cred with me at least..
     
  19. The Rumor

    The Rumor VIP Whale

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    God, it does feel like a club fits down there somewhere.

    Derek has also talked a lot about the LVC replacement having a big time pool.
     
  20. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Since this thread is "an open letter to Derk Stevens", may I add the following?:

    Derek - please use whatever influence & political clout you possess to have "Slotzilla" removed.
    If left standing, it will be an eyesore and visual block between your new property & GG.... it is an affront to every lover of "downtown", and is completely antithetical to the "downtown atmosphere".
    Kill it now, before it's too late.
    :beer:
     
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