Planning a meeting in Las Vegas or attending a convention in Las Vegas and having to organize satellite events?
What's in a Name?
As 2011 has some corporations continuing to trim budget fat, especially when it comes to travel, those watching the bottom line may be pleasantly surprised to learn that their dollar is going to get them farther this season. At least such is the case when looking at the Las Vegas lodging landscape. Instead of hotels and resorts investing in expansion and large scale marketing campaigns, they are finding significance in revamping their existing properties and bringing more value to customers. Several Las Vegas-area hotels are doing just that which is welcomed news for the event planning industry national wide.

When researching hotel accommodations it is now more important than ever to dig a little deeper into what the current status of the facility is and less important to rely on name recognition alone. Hotels that may have lost some of their luster when newer, more promoted properties moved into town may now actually have more modern and up-to-date guest rooms, gaming areas, bars, and meeting space. Not only do the renovations apply to material goods, but policy as well. By rehauling customer loyalty programs and complimentary guest amenities, hotels are able to bring back those who have since been gone. These renovations and brand revamping are benefiting the companies which book them for meeting and event lodging by giving guests the appeal and services of a new property but at the same pre-renovation price. The following four hotels are ones you should keep an eye on.

Tropicana Renovation

Tropicana’s head-to-toe makeover started in 2010 and was the first remodel the hotel has undergone for several decades. The idea was to bring cohesion throughout the hotel with a south-beach feel starting from the moment you walk in the door with a pumped-in tropical sent. The two-phase renovation started with updates to public, convention, and restaurant areas as well as the sports book. The first phase also included redoing the once-popular pool which Las Vegas hotels are finding to be a key element for the young demographic.

While on your way to the guest rooms you pass Thassos white marble title in the gaming pit and white painted walls in elevator lobbies, a departure from the brass and mirrors previously found on the ground floor. Completely redesigned rooms feature furnishings with rattan and bamboo material and 42-inch plasma TVs. Of course the suites and high-end rooms are even more lavish and modernized. Overall the look is cleaner and crisper with bright colors and natural light. Built in 1957 and one of the Strip’s oldest properties, the Tropicana has indeed proved it has staying power.

Caesars Palace Tower, Nobu Hotel

Perhaps one of the most innovative renovations announced this year is the conversion of a Caesars Palace tower into the Nobu Hotel. The concept is a hotel-within-a-hotel. Currently Caesars Palace features six hotel towers which will include the newly announced Nobu Hotel, replacing the existing Centurion Tower. The Nobu Hotel will feature 180 rooms fused with Nobu’s signature Japanese elegance, a restaurant and a lounge. Guests of the new hotel will have the distinction of private check-in services as well as room services from Nobu’s culinary team. Nobu Matsuhisa is the visionary of the Nobu brand and also the chef who was classically trained in Tokyo. Nobu is seeking a hospitality brand with universal appeal which is sure to entice style-makers and trendsetters.

The 9,500 square foot restaurant and lounge will be placed at the base of the Nobu tower, near the existing Appian Way at Caesars Palace. Promising to be a fun and social experience, the hotel will be attracting first-time visitors in the near future. The launch may not be ready until 2012 but with the possibility of the Nobu brand replicating this concept in other Caesar properties in other markets, you could be the first to host your organizations’ next event at this imaginative facility.

Ravella Hotel

Not often do hotel guests get to enjoy the luxuries and prestige of the Ritz-Carlton brand at about 30 percent off the usual price tag. Since the Ritz-Carlton’s 15-acre, 348-room luxury hotel closed at Lake Las Vegas in 2010, it has been given a second chance by New Jersey-based Dolce Hotels & Resorts. The new hotel is called Ravella and it has retained much of the Italian-inspired décor of the luxury brand but with added contemporary flourishes. Modern flares like bright artwork have been added to the lobby for comfort instead of the antique-looking tapestries and olive color tones. The lobby has also been divided into three sections with a restaurant, sitting area, and business area. The business section of the lobby emphasizes the focus that the Ravella Hotel has placed on the corporate traveler. TVs and tables with connectivity ports give business people a chance to operate outside of their rooms and a partnership with restaurants allows tabs to be charged back to their rooms while dining within MonteLago Village.

Also aimed at corporate travelers is the hotels on-site, once three-meal restaurant that has been replaced with a market-style restaurant for convenience. When work and business isn’t calling, SouthShore golf course, a private Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Lake Las Vegas, is open to guests looking to hit the links. The Ravella Hotel’s lakeside location, spa, and white-sand beach are also great ways to unwind after a day of business affairs.

1
2
Gallery
 
Submit an Article
If you have expertise in a particular area relevant to planning meetings and or events, you may submit a 400 to 750 word "how-to" article for possible inclusion in any of our magazines and/or our websites.

If accepted, your submission will be edited for length and clarity. There is no monetary payment if your item is used; instead, you can publicize yourself through a five-line biography with your contact information that will appear at the end of the article.

Send submissions to
editorial@MeetingPlannerResources.org. We will contact you if your submission is chosen.