What constitutes a Vegas resort? We have to go to the original, universally agreed to be the first resort on the strip, the El Rancho. Small casinos, nightclubs and motels existed on highway 91 before the El Rancho opened, but it was the combination of a hotel/motel and a casino on property that made it a Vegas resort. It’s with this template that we have created the definitive order for Las Vegas resorts and their evolution on the strip.
Okay. Let’s start by addressing the Elephant in the room. Las Vegas was racist. Really, really racist. Not Alabama bad but Las Vegas was known as the “Mississippi of the west” and I’m certain it wasn’t a compliment.
Nothing special is probably a very good way to describe the Royal Nevada. Not that it wasn’t nice or well located, it just wasn’t memorable. Think Monte Carlo Vegas and its luxury on a budget theme. Mix that with the opening of 4 new Vegas properties in 1955 and the answer to the question is yes, Vegas was over built.
This is one of those projects that I would have loved to see make it to the strip; and who knows, we may still get it one day. Yes a space theme has failed before in Las Vegas but come on, it was Bob Stupak behind it. Just like Luxor before it, I wonder how long those themed attractions will last. Another problem with a space themed resort is how quickly things can look dated. $5 billion dollars is a crazy price tag for a concept that is clearly targeting the middle class. Only time will tell if this concept comes to market but considering its Vegas, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Many regard Jay Sarno as the father of the themed casino as well as the mind behind family friendly Las Vegas. His contributions to the strip, Caesars Palace and Circus Circus, are complete opposites on the theme and customer base scale. While he was many things, a womanizer and a gambling addict, no one can dispute that he was also a visionary. Jay Sarno was exactly what Vegas wanted during a time when all its current owners were being scrutinized by attorney general Bobby Kennedy; a legit guy with no previous connection to organized crime.
