The Movable Buffet

Dispatches from Las Vegas
by Richard Abowitz

Category: March 2008

« February 2008 | The Movable Buffet Home | April 2008 »

Trump opens in Vegas

March 31, 2008 | 2:08 pm

I have inaugurated a new category on the Buffet for our newest mogul: Donald Trump. Today, Trump International opens. Most of the 1,300 condominiums have already sold, according to local Eyewitness News, which notes: "Currently, there are 4,200 luxury condos built and another 12,000 under construction." Like the condominiums in Palms Place, Trump International suites can convert to hotel rooms for when the owner is out of Vegas. Trump International is not connected to a casino.

Construction deaths on Strip - 9 lives in 16 months

March 31, 2008 | 10:43 am

Every few months, someone dies building the next generation of Strip condominiums and resorts.

It has become so regular I have wondered how many deaths were "normal" in construction and worrying why building the new Strip has cost such a high body count.

Nine construction workers have died in the past 16 months.

Yesterday, the Sun (whose sister publication, Las Vegas Weekly, I work for), began a multi-part look at those deaths by explaining the details of each accident. The story is very complex and long and therefore hard to summarize beyond saying that no one needed to die in any of the accidents.

Sun writer Alexandra Berzon offers a scary portrait, noting:

"Investigators for the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration found troubling patterns of safety violations: failure to ensure that workers are properly trained, allowing workers to use faulty equipment and leaving workers exposed to falls by not covering over or guarding gaping holes or not placing temporary planks or netting below."

Berzon then delivers a heartbreaking look at each accident's possible causes amidst the rush and speed of the Strip's current unprecedented construction frenzy.

How much is a smile worth?

March 31, 2008 | 10:23 am

On Friday, I, along with dozens of others, was dismissed from jury duty following a few hours of pointlessly sitting without ever seeing the inside of a courtroom. And so, with the unexpected free time, I got my emissions check and then renewed my car registration. I followed that by going to an accountant to sign my tax return.

So, my offerings to the Man, in all his guises, should be complete for a while.

But one thing I was reminded of repeatedly on Friday was how used I am to the vastly superior customer service offered on the Strip. My first question to the county worker was interrupted by a dismissive sentence: "What I need you to do is take a seat over there." Like I cared about her needs? I wanted to know the location of the nearest bathroom.

I admit I have become spoiled by bell desks that answer questions, security people willing to give directions, and have learned to ignore the phony smile that comes with what one L.A. Times colleague visiting here called the "unctuous" way frontline employees treat guests. But living in Vegas has taught me that Holden Caufield was wrong about phoniness; phoniness is the best in customer service.

Yes, the smiles are as fake as the empty wishes of good luck, but who could be authentically friendly 40 hours a week working in front of partying tourists? I can't think of a place in the country where customer requests and concerns and questions are accepted more congenially and treated more respectfully than in the tourist corridor of Vegas.

Yes, the resort's offering of happy workers with broad smiles sickened Hunter Thompson, but did he ever try, and fail, to get the attention of the cashier who likes to text at the gas station's mart?

Of course, the frontline workers in casinos earn vastly more than the cashiers at the nearby mart. And the fake smiles and friendly help have a price. The plastic bottle of cola I get at the mart costs about $1 before taxes, whereas the same bottle, at some resorts on the Strip, costs about $3 before taxes. I am not saying that $2 increase is going to the frontline employee, as plenty of resort money is obviously going elsewhere. I am simply saying that only the Strip offers such consistently great customer service.

But how much is that smile worth?

(Photo by Sarah Gerke)

Jury duty: again and never

March 28, 2008 | 9:07 am

Today I am heading out early to perform my citizen responsibilities on jury duty. I have been summoned for jury duty repeatedly since moving here. Every time I get summoned to jury duty I feel that there must be a shortage of residents without felony convictions. So, though it is only March, this is my second summons for 2008.

That does not mean I get to serve on a jury today. I have never served on a jury. For example, earlier this year, after I arranged to spend the day free following the order of the 8th Judicial District, Court of the State of Nevada, in and for the County of Clark, I was dismissed the night before as unneeded. All that deadline-moving for naught. This then returned my name for eligibility, and now I have been recalled for this morning.

In the past when I have had to go down to the courthouse, I sat in a room as silent as a library and was sent home by early afternoon. There was one time I made it into an actual courtroom in Las Vegas as a prospective juror. But in my work I had interviewed both the prosecutor and the judge for stories. I was immediately dismissed.

Anyway, for your amusement, I have randomly included this photo from my morning e-mail. Here are the odd, odd couple of Fergie and Quentin Tarantino, who attended Cirque's "Love" last night.

(Courtesy photo from Cirque by Ana Dobrijevic)

Not so hot spot: Mirage's volcano won't spurt lava until fall

March 27, 2008 | 11:48 am

Despite the success of Jet nightclub and Cirque's Beatles show "Love," the Mirage as a Las Vegas landmark is really best known for its outdoor volcano.

So, imagine my surprise when I noticed that the Mirage's volcano is pretty much gone and the faux lake around the volcano drained.

I contacted Mirage and was told:

"The Mirage is in the process of a complete renovation of the volcano. We’re finalizing design details as we speak and will hopefully be announcing details very soon. It is scheduled to be down until the fall of this year. We’ll forward you press materials as soon as they are final and approved."

If you are curious what the Mirage looks like without its signature volcano, as well as how the Strip's in-progress construction boom progresses, ratevegas.com has some nice recent shots from all of the accessible building sites. (Photo by Mike Ch, courtesy RateVegas.com)

Elvis-land resort headed for the Las Vegas Strip?

March 27, 2008 | 11:39 am

I can hear the tourists of the future in my imagination: "I wanted real luxury. Bellagio and Wynn are so old now. We wanted to get a cool and luxurious suite, so we went to the Elvis."

I was writing yesterday about the stumbling of many of the new projects that had been slated for the Strip in the current economic climate. But there are always new dreamers with big plans and not enough financing ready to make new announcements.

Today the Review-Journal reports: "New York based FX Real Estate and Entertainment is planning an Elvis-themed hotel casino development for nearly 18 acres of the Strip." The 18 acres of Elvis would be built between the MGM and Planet Hollywood (which the R-J, on a graphic map of the project that speaks volumes about local perception, still labels as the Aladdin).

But the part of the proposal for this new resort that amazes me is that the plan is to "compete within the upper strata of the luxury market."

Now, I love the King. And I even enjoy the early Vegas music he made here, which included some smoking live discs, if you don't believe me.

But first off, all respect to the Venetian, themes have been out for resorts at the high end since Bellagio opened a decade ago. More important, everything about the image of Elvis speaks to the middle, if not elderly, range of the Las Vegas tourist market.

I am not saying that the people who are staying at the Strip's Four Seasons don't love Elvis any less than more budget conscious tourists. But there are those who come to Vegas for luxury and those who come more for fun. And all of the cheese involved in Elvis-inspired themes in a resort are not likely to appeal to tourists who are looking for notable chefs, exclusive retailers or even a hot nightlife.

Consider a couple who want a luxurious wedding without money as an object: Do you pick Bellagio or go for the place where "developers ... hope to tap into the local market for Elvis-themed weddings"?

Well, if high-toned Elvis appeals to you, the plan is for the $3.1-billion resort to be completed by 2012. But before packing your blue suede shoes to stay at the Heartbreak Hotel tower, you might consider one slight problem the developer still faces in creating Elvis as the new Vegas standard in luxury:

"FX said the feasibility of the project will depend on its ability to raise capital through debt and equity financing. The company acknowledges it doesn't have enough money on hand or through cash flows to fund the project."

My bet is that Elvis will leave the building before ground is broken.

Photo: Harold Bingham shot Elvis and Ali together in Las Vegas in 1973.

The incredible shrinking Vegas Strip

March 26, 2008 | 1:17 pm

The last few days have made painfully clear that even a fantasy land like the Las Vegas Strip exists in the real world. And the troubles with the real estate market and credit crunch seem to be imperiling a significant amount of the next wave of Las Vegas development.

Three major Strip projects seem to be suffering various degrees of crisis.

Cosmopolitan is still being built next to MGM-Mirage's City Center. But the project is in major trouble, as a lender has begun foreclosure proceedings against developer Bruce Eichner.

Meanwhile, Business Press is reporting that the super-sized version of New York's Plaza, planned for where New Frontier once stood, may be delayed because of the credit crunch. That project was to have cost $6 billion.

Finally, today comes news from the Sydney Morning Herald that the land on the Strip that Australian billionaire James Packer had once proposed to build the world's tallest building on as part of a $5-billion Towers resort is up for sale. Packer's company Crown, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, remains connected to another major Strip project, "funding the Fontainebleau Hotel Casino in Vegas with U.S. group Turnberry."

And as Fontainebleau's continued construction hints, "slowing down" in Vegas still has development going at a rapid pace. Dubai's partnership with MGM-Mirage on City Center assures the completion of the biggest project in town. MGM has already opened its Signature property. Also, the Venetian's Palazzo expansion recently opened. And George Maloof is in the process of opening his Palms Place tower. Wynn's Encore expansion is set to open soon, and Echelon Place is being built at the location of the imploded Stardust.

So, even conservative estimates have about 20,000 new rooms set to open by 2010. Locals are counting on those rooms to generate the jobs to keep the local economy humming and especially to salvage the devastated residential real estate market.

In any other city people might worry: Will more tourists arrive in Vegas to fill all those new rooms and pay for all those new jobs and justify all this construction?

While Las Vegas may have some short-term economic issues, locals long ago stopped sweating that big issue. It seems no matter how many hotel rooms get built on the Strip, more tourists come to play here.

Is it possible that this time will be any different?

Why are Nevada Republicans wearing porn lanyards?

March 24, 2008 | 12:17 pm

Porn is so commonplace in Vegas that those preaching family values don't even realize they're walking advertisements for extreme adult content.

Back in January, adult trade publication AVN held its annual porn convention, Adult Entertainment Expo, at the Venetian. The well-known adult company Elegant Angel (former sister company to John Stagliano's Evil Angel) was one of the sponsors.

As part of the sponsorship, Elegant Angel brought a bazillion lanyards to Vegas sporting the company logo to use for convention passes.

Apparently, more lanyards were brought to the Venetian than could be used at the adult convention. And more than a few were left in Vegas by Elegant Angel. Somehow the lanyards seem to have wound up in the hands of Nevada's Republican party.

So, needing lanyards for VIPs at the State Republican Convention, these lanyards, advertising Elegant Angel, were worn by the heads of Nevada's Republican party. Oops.

Reporter Erin Neff, while covering the Republican convention, was given one of the Elegant Angel lanyards as well. She paid attention as the Republicans urged support for the convention sponsors from the stage. Naturally, she was surprised to discover the nature of Elegant Angel's business.

Neff traced the Republicans' baffled response to the lanyards -- ranging from wondering if Elegant Angel really makes porn to suggesting a Democratic conspiracy -- in a fun column.

Of course, one of the big supporters of the Republican party in Nevada is the Venetian's Sheldon Adelson. Neff wonders if it is possible that Adelson's team donated left-behind porn lanyards from the convention to the family-values party.

Photo by Sarah Gerke

Local paper picks Vegas' best

March 24, 2008 | 12:09 pm

The Las Vegas-Review Journal just issued its annual "Best of Las Vegas" package. Locals have discerning tastes, and the R-J provides the choices from readers and editors. If you travel around Vegas, you will find advertisements that constantly reference winning this award. The reason is that while a lot of the best of Vegas-type lists are rigged and play favorites, the Review-Journal's package manages to maintain credibility and respect. So, you may be interested to know that this year both readers and the Review-Journal's editors have picked the Palms as the best place to play slots.

Not that this list is perfect.

The Review-Journal likes to prove that it isn't a hip publication. So, on the media side, while there is space for the categories of best weathercaster and best radio personality in Vegas, the Internet still doesn't exist as a Vegas resource. So, forget about finding a category for the best Vegas-theme website or, for that matter, the best Vegas blog (hint).

But there is hope for next year.

The Review-Journal has finally gotten around to launching its first real blog earlier this month by the talented and witty Doug Elfman. I am looking forward to reading Elfman. Now, maybe with a blog of their own, 2009 will include the Internets' various Vegas manifestations on the R-J's "Best of Vegas package."

Luxor's new Company ditches fancy food

March 24, 2008 | 12:07 pm

Back in December I went to the opening for Company American Bistro at Luxor. Company, run by Pure Management Group, offered a high-end dining experience created by chef Adam Sobel, but, by working on a nightclub model, added celebrity investors to kick up the restaurant's appeal.

A VP for Luxor told me at the time: "This is new to Las Vegas from a dining perspective. Restaurants have not only become a dining experience but an entertainment experience. The celebrity gives more appeal to a particular restaurant and defines the space.”

The celebrity investors for Company include: Nicky Hilton, Nick Lachey and Wilmer Valderrama. Back in December, Nicky Hilton told me: “What really attracted me were the people, Pure Group. They have LAX (at Luxor) and Pure (at Caesars); so their track record is first class.”

Of course, since then Pure Management Group has been subject to an IRS investigation that has focused on Pure as well as LAX. Also recently, Pure's Lucky Strike at Rio has been sold back to the casino.

The last time I was at Company was on New Year's Eve. Not by coincidence, Nicky and Paris Hilton were having dinner there at the time. Maybe they like quail eggs. But I never liked Company as a place to eat. I am not a foodie. When I went to Company I could hardly find anything on the menu I would eat, and what I would eat, I could not afford. I guess I was not alone.

Now, after a lot of whispering about bad numbers, there appear to be major changes underway at Company. Sobel has resigned following the departure of other key members of the cooking staff. Also, according to Robin Leach's blog: "the Company sommelier, Michael Shearin, and the front-of-house manager Lucas Rienans, who both worked together previously at the prestigious Guy Savoy restaurant in Caesars Palace, have been hired away by real-estate mogul Trump for his new fine-dining destination restaurant."

In its next incarnation, Company 2.0 will be "more affordable." Translation: a more typical menu meant for average tourists rather than the highest end of the market.

PMG spokesperson Kate Turner offers this on the new incarnation of Company: "It will then be open 7 days a week (instead of 5). We'll also have a bar menu for the first time."

Obviously, this situation is yet another bump in the road for Pure Management Group. It turns out that people will let a Hilton sister lead them to dance and drink but not to dine.

But more importantly, Company's problems also send an interesting message to the Luxor about the appeal of high-end, celebrity chef dining to its core clientele. If this sort of food cannot succeed in a prime position across from the packed and hot LAX nightclub, maybe the nightclub crowd and the fine dining crowd don't overlap as much as many people in Vegas assumed. And if that is true, it may be there is a good reason that the star chefs congregate mostly at the high-end resorts like Wynn, Venetian and Caesars.

The old Vegas view is that people staying at a middle-market property like Luxor want to eat a good steak more than they want to dine on exotic food for three hours. That was the theory that restaurants like Company attempted to show was obsolete in the new Vegas by using celebrity to "define the space."

But that approach seems to have resulted in too much empty space for Company. So my guess is that the new menu will be far more in keeping with the traditional tastes of Luxor's guests than with the more esoteric tastes of celebrity owners.

Photo: Sarah Gerke

Dispatches from Las Vegas by Richard Abowitz

Dispatches from Las Vegas
by Richard Abowitz