Random Vegas Fontainebleau isn’t the first property to encounter financing problems causing the project to sit unfinished. That title goes to the Landmark who broke ground in 1961 but had to halt construction in 62 due to financing issues. So it sat, 80% done. During that time it was the tallest building in the state of Nevada. It sat dormant until 1969 when Howard Hughes bought it and finished building the property. The Landmark would eventually open July 1st, 1969 (Vintage Research) Twitpic of...
Dec 17, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 367
On our first Vegas trip as a couple, I swung for the fences. Determined to have a great time and convince her that her previous terrible Vegas experience decades prior was not the only way to do Vegas, I made sure to fill our days with fun and our nights with great entertainment. On that trip, we saw Brilliant at the Neon Museum, Fantasy, the Beatles Love, and finished off our final evening at Absinthe. It was wildly successful. The problem is, where do you go there? You can have the top half. O...
Dec 13, 2023•31 min•Ep. 364
Dec 10, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 366
Random Vegas Similar to the myth of Bugsy Seigel and the Flamingo, a popular myth has been told many times over about Howard Hughes and the purchase of the Desert Inn. The legend says Hughes overstayed his welcome because ownership wanted the penthouse rooms for high rollers coming in for new years. Instead of leaving, Howard bought the place. The real story about the Desert Inn purchase is that Howard kept holding up the deal with seemingly petty details. The two parties would agree in principl...
Dec 03, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 365
Random Vegas Surprising no one, the sportsbooks at multiple properties reported record breaking action on F1 betting Twitpic of the week I know it looks like this at every F1 track but damn it looked cool in Vegas. Whatever you think of F1 and/or its impact on the city you can’t argue they know how to illuminate a track. That was captured magnificently on ESPN via helicopter, then shared via screenshot by @MeltzVegas . Many records have been reported as a result of the often-trolled event but it...
Nov 25, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 363
People will try to describe the experience you have at the Sphere but let’s start with saying it unlike anything you've experienced before. It doesn’t matter if you see the film or a live act, this will be different. Which is exactly what Madison Square Garden Company was going for with the Sphere. You’ll find a lot of comparisons to IMAX, Disney’s Soaring Attraction, 360 theaters but that’s only because how else do you describe something never done before. The Sphere is one of those rare attrac...
Nov 22, 2023•35 min•Ep. 361
Random Vegas The Westward Ho was advertised as “The World’s Largest Motel”. It had 777 rooms and closed in 2005. When demolished they had to take down 27 total buildings. (@las_when) Twitpic of the week What else can you say but wow? Here’s hoping Vegas properties will take notice that you can do so much more with LED signage than just running commercials. If the Sphere hadn’t already endeared itself in the hearts of the locals it did with this display showcased during F1 practice, shared by @ke...
Nov 19, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 362
Premium Content Preview - Patreon.com/360Vegas The Sahara used to be referred to as the start of the strip, when the strip began to develop. During that time, people talked about the strip like they do off strip properties today, too far from the action. Turns out what people really wanted was more options and the development of the strip over the years has been nothing short of remarkable. The question is, does the strip have a limit to the number of properties it can support, or do the struggl...
Nov 18, 2023•10 min•Ep. 256
Random Vegas The office of Sam “Ace” Rothstein and the Tangiers sports book in Martin Scorsese’s Casino was filmed on the site of an unopened casino at the Jockey Club ( @summacorp ) Twitpic of the week One of the reasons Vegas is like no other place on the planet is the wide array of architecture it has on display. It has a mixture of traditional, themed and many in a category of their own. Unfortunately, the creativity that brought us the likes of Caesars Palace, Paris and Excalibur, shared he...
Nov 12, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 360
Most of you probably don’t know who Kenny Epstein is, but you should. He’s the owner and CEO of El Cortez. Much more than that, he’s the guy that made the conscious decision to not remodel the property but to refresh it while retaining the vintage feel the property permeates. Kenny understands what El Cortez does so well and sees the value in continuing to service those customers. So instead he upgraded just about everything in the property, all without changing the esthetic. This year, the El C...
Nov 04, 2023•19 min•Ep. 359
Random Vegas The music video for U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, filmed in downtown Las Vegas in 1987, was done in one take, shot in less than 3 hours with a skeleton crew and an unsuspecting cast of extras. All the stuff in the video really happened. The music video is credited with introducing, or in some cases re-introducing, Fremont St to the masses and creating a demand for the area that it hadn’t had in a long time. This would go on to spark the need to renovate the area...
Oct 29, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 358
Random Vegas Roughly 26 international destinations are reachable from Las Vegas (@lasvegasweekly) Twitpic of the week In Las Vegas, perspective is everything. While some may look at gambling losses as a negative, those that love the city understand its part of the dance that leads to a win. This week, @luckytraveling shared a POV that reminds one that even when passed out on a casino floor one can still find beautiful imagery. Captured is a view of the Cromwell hallway from the floor up to the c...
Oct 22, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 357
Random Vegas Advertising at the Sphere costs approx. $450k for a one-day campaign, $650k for a week. For comparison, traditional billboards cost $20k a month, Mekka Walgreen’s is $65k a month and a 30 second spot during the 2024 SuperBowl will run you $7.5 million. Pricing for the Sphere does include production development of the ad. (VitalVegas & News3lv.com ) Twitpic of the week Barbary Coast, in all her chasing lights glory, shown here by @las_when as she was originally introduced to the ...
Oct 08, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 356
Random Vegas Because they used the shell of the Marina Hotel, the entire MGM Grand project was considered a remodel rather than new construction. Therefore, property taxes were set at the value when the Marina was built. (@AStotland) Twitpic of the week While it may be hard to wrap your head around, motels used to dominate the Vegas strip and beyond. They must have seen the writing on the wall when hotel towers became the future of hospitality but that didn’t stop properties like the La Concha f...
Oct 01, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 355
Who farted? Do you have that one piece of media that you would like to check out, but never seem to get around to it? Like, you’re scrolling through Netflix, and there’s that one movie that you’re interested in checking out, but not this time. Or the next time, or the time after that. It’s always there, and you’re interested, but not interested enough to dive in at the moment. That, my friends, is how Blue Man Group was for me until recently. I’ve known who the Blue Man Group was for over 20 yea...
Sep 27, 2023•22 min•Ep. 346
Random Vegas While already in use at multiple other businesses in the valley, the Las Vegas Club installed the 1st neon sign on a hotel gambling establishment in 1931 (Vintage Research) Twitpic of the week While there are many reasons to not like Caesars Palace, the architecture isn’t one of them. The move from the Sarno block exterior to an aesthetic that more appropriately reflects the time and place its representing was masterfully applied. Even though we know these are all recreations it sti...
Sep 24, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 354
Patreon.com/360Vegas Something for everyone, that’s what Vegas has that makes it a magical destination. It took decades for the market to get that way but it seems every time change is needed, the city finds a way to adapt and evolve. At the end, the Hacienda looked miniature next to its new neighbors Luxor and Excalibur. Like many properties before it and since, the Hacienda evolved as much as it could but ultimately had to be imploded to make room for the future of the strip. Thankfully part o...
Sep 23, 2023•8 min•Ep. 254
Random Vegas By 1980, the states five dominate gaming entities were publicly traded companies. They were Harrah’s, MGM, Del Webb, Caesars World and Hilton (Neon Metropolis) Twitpic of the week The concept was unique and interesting to begin with. City Center, a city within a city. So big it has its own fire department onsite. Unfortunately, what we got was essentially a very expensive office park on the strip. While not pictured, Aria is a sexy bitch, but it was designed to usurp Bellagio as the...
Sep 17, 2023•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 353
Random Vegas There are over 130 unique employee uniform styles at the Aria. Each uniform is equipped with a radio frequency ID chip ( sincitytalk.com ) Twitpic of the week Welcome to the new strip landscape, one populated by a mesmerizing giant cylindrical object proving that even LED can be done in an interesting way and not just as a giant rectangular TV. It will come as no surprise that @maverickheli shared this new view. Here we see the entire strip showcased with the Strat in the foreground...
Sep 10, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 352
Random Vegas The myth is that casino carpet is busy to keep guests looking at the slots. The fact is its to conceal stains as well as wear. (@VitalVegas) Twitpic of the week A breathtaking photo of @Caesars Palace from @maverickHeli . An arial view of the property showing just how diverse and sprawling the property is. This photo has it all, well, almost all. It has the 6 different hotel towers, the Roman, Centurion, Fantasy (known today as the Nobu tower), Palace, Augustus, and Octavius towers....
Sep 03, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 351
Random Vegas Silver Sevens deals live roulette again. That makes 67 casinos in the Las Vegas market that offer the game. There are 71 with table games. Of the four that don't deal roulette, three are small locals that only have blackjack. The other is Main Street Station. (@John_Mehaffey) Twitpic of the week Whenever we start talking about “locations” for 360 Vegas Vacations, think of this picture from @JustWonOne when we refer to center strip. From the Horseshoe to Aria. Just disregard that MGM...
Aug 27, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 350
Random Vegas Casino staff often use police code as shorthand when dealing with guests. For example, a “408” means a drunk guest (@vitalvegas) Twitpic of the week It’s a hell of a view of west Fremont St, although not the view it used to be. But that’s okay. Business is business and the only constant is change. Especially in this town. So we’ll enjoy what we have and be grateful for it. Or so help me I will turn this car around right now. Anyway, thank you @cinamongirl for sharing your view from ...
Aug 20, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 348
Patreon Exclusive Content The Flamingo may be the most iconic property in all of Las Vegas. Credited with bringing the luxury theme to the strip, its opulence was considered off putting to some, particularly locals, especially when they were initially informed they weren't allowed to wear their cowboy hats inside. If your interested in learning more about the Flamingo, check out... lvstriphistory.com When the Mob Ran Vegas After-Hours Architecture Gambling on a Dream: The Classic Las Vegas Strip...
Aug 19, 2023•10 min•Ep. 252
Random Vegas The MSG Sphere uses 150 Tera watt-hours of electricity every year. Also known as a 150 trillion watts. (@KTNV) Twitpic of the week She’s the newest and one of the sexiest neon signs in the history of Fremont St. Carousel Bar Ginger @Plazalasvegas ’s outdoor Porte cashre bar is a lovely addition to the history of neon sex downtown. Vicki is the original neon beauty and thanks to the Steven’s group and Circa, we still have her in almost all her glory. That kicking leg has turned out t...
Aug 13, 2023•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 345
Random Vegas Drummer for the Killers Ronnie Vannucci worked at the Little Chapel as a photographer while the band recorded their first album Hot Fuss (@tmobilearena) Twitpic of the week Some call her the dirty castle but I call her part of the unique landscape that is the strip. Excalibur is an example of an “only in vegas” experience you can have if theming remains. I’m not saying you have to have people dressed up in character but you need to keep the castle…and the wall decorations to help se...
Jul 30, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 344
On the next "Chicks you don't want to break up with:" I think there’s been more talk about this show since it opened than any other Vegas show in memory. Good or bad, people are talking about Awakening. We saw the show in late February 2023, when we were in town for the Half Marathon and 360 Vegas Winter Vacation. Before we get to the review, let’s talk about how Wynn got here. When the resort opened in 2005, it opened with the production show La Reve. Like Awakening, La Reve had its share of pr...
Jul 27, 2023•37 min•Ep. 339
Random Vegas Caesars Palace legendary casino dome has a crystal chandelier that weighs approx 3,200 pounds and is comprised of 12,000 individual crystals (@VegasTravelNews) Twitpic of the week I may not like the city center complex on the strip but that isn’t saying they are sexy as hell buildings. Especially Aria. It’s a Vegas conundrum. I never have any luck playing at the property and yet I still enjoy visiting it. Did they crack the code on this one? Is that the ultimate goal is to make it c...
Jul 23, 2023•53 min•Ep. 343
Random Vegas The pool complex at Fontainebleau is six acres and will have seven pool experiences as well as gaming. The casino floor is 150k square feet with a sportsbook a little larger than 13k square feet. (@Meltzvegas) Twitpic of the week Look Familiar? For most of you, it does not. At least not in this incarnation. This week @_GrandPaD shared a photo of the Sundance under construction circa 1979-80. This was the last property Moe Dalitz opened in Las Vegas and before Circa was built, it was...
Jul 16, 2023•58 min•Ep. 342
Random Vegas The 2023 WSOP main event at Horseshoe Vegas is officially the largest of all time with 8,846 total entries ( CardPlayer.com ) Twitpic of the week So often people share pictures with us that we have to encourage them to share the photo via Twitter so it can be a candidate for Twitpic of the week. This week’s winner by @TheCrybabyVegas is an example of that situation. Here we get to see the view from his room at NYNY during his most recent trip and it’s a beauty dominated primarily by...
Jul 09, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 341
Random Vegas While preparing the Landmark for implosion, two men were accused and convicted in April 1998 of violating the Clean Air Act by improperly removing asbestos from the hotel before its 1995 demolition. The jury found a third defendant innocent. In March of 2001, he 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reversed the convictions. (Vintage Research) Twitpic of the week In a city where you are mathematically certain to lose, perspective is critical. It’s beating the odds that ...
Jul 02, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 340
