Because the ability to travel is why we go to work
The Mirage today welcomed its newest addition to Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat - six-week-old white, white-striped and golden tiger cubs. The public will get its first chance to see these rare and adorable cubs in a special nursery created for them in the Secret Garden Friday, June 13, 2008, which happens to be Siegfried’s 69th birthday.
The Mirage welcomes tiger cubs to Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat
Las Vegas is in a crappy geographical location, surrounded by desert, water is scarce and nearly everything needs to be trucked or piped in. With the influx of new construction one has to wonder if the Vegas money men are thinking towards the future, hopefully trying to secure Las Vegas as a quasi-environmentally aware oasis in the desert or just the wasteful wonderland many perceive it to be. I was surprised to find out that “The Palazzo”, the new luxury tower in the Venetian empire earned itself the silver LEED certification in green building, making it the largest “green” building in the world. The more investments into green tourism the better, and this type of movement towards green building will hopefully continue to spread across Vegas and beyond.
The Palazzo Las Vegas, a Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) property, announced that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) made its “green” status official with the presentation of a Silver LEED(R) Certificate (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) at an award ceremony held today. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and David E. Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency at the U.S. Department of Energy were also on-hand to honor this impressive accomplishment.
The Palazzo employs such effective environmentally-efficient technologies that it conserves enough water to provide each Nevada citizen with 266 eight-ounce glasses of water for a year and saves enough energy to light a 100 watt light bulb for 12,100 years. It even promotes alternative modes of transportation by offering valet parking-for bicycles. Key features that contribute to The Palazzo’s tremendous conservation include:
– Artificial turf, drip irrigation and moisture sensors in planted areas
result in over a 75% reduction in irrigation needs.
– Swimming pools at The Palazzo are heated with an expansive solar pool
heating system. In the summer, the excess solar energy not needed for
the pools is directed to the hotel’s hot water system, reducing the
need to heat water for guest suites.
– Air conditioning controls in guest suites that automatically setback by
several degrees when guests are not present and reset to the desired
temperature upon return.
– Team member service areas equipped with lighting occupancy sensors that
shut off lights when no one is in the area.
– Interior plumbing fixtures use 37% less water than conventional
buildings as a result of water-efficient showerheads, high efficiency
toilets and low-flow lavatory faucet aerators.
– Moisture sensors monitor real time, site specific air temperature,
humidity, rainfall and other factors to provide daily watering cycle
adjustment.
– A waste recycling program implemented from demolition through
completion diverted over 70% of waste from the landfill.
– The building’s structural steel averaged 95% recycled content, while
the concrete averaged a 26% recycled content rate.
The Palazzo Las Vegas Named Largest ‘Green’ Building in the World
Macau keeps getting bigger and bigger. MGM Mirage group in a partnership with Pansy Ho opened the 600 room MGM Grand today. It does make you wonder if that area can sustain all this growth, how many casinos have opened in Macau in the last couple of years?
Located on a prime site on the Macau peninsula, MGM Grand Macau is a stylish icon at the center of the Macau gaming industry. The new resort features 600 rooms, suites and villas; a grand casino offering approximately 375 table games, 900 slot machines and 16 private gaming salons for preferred customers; and the signature Grande Praca showcasing Portuguese-inspired architecture, dramatic landscapes and a glass ceiling rising 25 meters (82 feet) above the floor of the resort.
MGM Grand Macau Debuts Stylish New Icon
MGM just announced a $3 billion development project in the tremendously rich city of Abu Dhabi. How rich is Abu Dhabi? To quote it’s Wikipedia entry, “Each of Abu Dhabi’s 420,000 citizens is worth $17 million (AED 62 million), and more than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in this city alone.”. Noticeably missing is mention of a casino which makes a whole lot of sense being that Abu Dhabi is the capital of an Islamic country. From the press release:
The MGM Grand Abu Dhabi will be strategically located at a prominent downtown waterfront site on Abu Dhabi Island. Once completed, the MGM Grand Abu Dhabi will feature unparalleled views of the city skyline as well as stunning panoramic views of the waterfront.
This initial phase will utilize 50 acres and consist of an MGM Grand hotel and two additional MGM branded luxury hotels each appealing to a distinct market segment. In total, more than 1,200 luxury guest accommodations will be developed in the first phase. The development will also feature a major entertainment facility, as well as high-end retail shops and world-class dining and convention facilities. The development will also integrate a variety of luxury residential offerings including waterfront residences with private yacht berths.
Disney plans Hawaii resort hotel [Yahoo]
The Windy City’s Best: Sofitel Chicago Water Tower [HotelChatter]
New Frontier To Be Imploded November 13th [Two Way Hard Three]
For some reason I love a good hotel bar. It could be because of their short proximity to the room after several rounds of drinks. Some hotel bars I’ve come across share their kitchen with the hotel’s restaurant, offering up better food than a vast majority of places you might stumble into. In Orlando, our occasional hang-out is the Ohana’s restaurant bar in the Polynesian. I know, it’s fake and sort of cheesy, but it’s a great place to get a beer and some food. Time it right and you’ve got a great seat for fireworks too.
It seems hotels are finally taking notice and turning their once crappy bars (anyone remeber those horrible sports bars in Marriotts? Are those still around?), into places people can actually enjoy. The New York Times took notice and writes about the transformations.
Hotels increasingly see their lobbies as more than a way station to somewhere else, offering wireless Internet service, for instance, and comfortable chairs and sofas to encourage socializing and informal meetings. The changes at hotel bars are part of that trend, inspired by the thriving bar scene begun at boutique hotels run by Ian Schrager and the W brand from Starwood.
(Link courtesy of Gridskipper, picture from Critiki)
The Boston Harbor area gets another luxury hotel with the building of The Regent Battery Wharf. The hotel will have 150 hotel rooms, 104 residences that range from 1-3 bedrooms, a spa, a Guy Martin restaurant and a marina to park your boat. There’s no mention on how much the residences will run for, but it’s Boston and it’s in a luxury hotel so my guess is not cheap. I hope the hotel is a whole lot better looking that it’s website.
Hard Rock San Diego Unveils Guest Room Selections [HotelChatter]
The Luxor To Get De-Egypted [Luxist]
It seems two Mike Ditka Resorts are opening in Orlando, FL (well one is a resort and the other seems to be a condo-tel). Visiting each each resort website (Lighthouse Key, Runaway Beach Club) offers the usual information, amenities, accommodations. The big thing I’m noticing is that a majority of the pictures seem to be using the magic of computer animation. Also each website has the following near the bottom of each page “The use of Mike Ditka’s name is not to imply that he has ownership interest in the hotel and is used in pursuant to a licensing arrangement.”, so out of all the people in the world, the owners of these resort licensed Mike Ditka’s name? I’m sure he’s a great person and all, and a great coach, but…Mike Ditka? That’ll drive the folks to sunny Florida.
‘Welcome, Guests. HELLO, OWNERS!’ [Yahoo Finance]
Cuba bets on small hotels [Orlando Sentinel]
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi (MS) holds grand opening weekend July 7 [Hotel & Motel Management]
Blackstone buying Hilton Hotels for $26 billion [Orlando Sentinel]
Vail Square will welcome RockResorts newest resort, The Arrabelle this upcoming January. The resort, set in the mountains of Colorado is inspired by the architecture of exclusive chalets of the European Alps. The 36 room resort features a 10,000 foot spa, fitness center, pool and fine dining.
RockResorts, a collection of luxury resorts in unforgettable settings, has announced that one of its newest resort additions, The Arrabelle at Vail Square, will debut on January 5, 2008, at the foot of North America’s number one ski resort. Upon completion, The Arrabelle—the crown jewel of the RockResorts collection—will offer a luxurious hotel experience that combines Old World charm and the timeless elegance of Europe’s grand resorts with the romance and world-class style of Vail’s alpine heritage.
The Arrabelle Set To Open In Vail [Luxist]
After years of stagnation, two nearby Indiana hotels, French Lick Springs Hotel and West Baden Springs Hotel who were the grand belles in the 1920’s, are undergoing a $382 million renovation to restore their former glory.
At its zenith, the hotel was such an architectural marvel, and so exclusive, that tour guides from the Indiana Historical Society say it commanded twice the nightly rate of the Waldorf-Astoria. The cream of Victorian society came for the healing properties of its mineral springs—and stayed for the illegal gambling that was an open secret in the town—until the Great Depression put an end to the good times. By the 1990s, the former wonder had become an abandoned shell mired in red tape.
Amazing space [Chicago Tribune]
A jaw-droppingly grand spa in the heart of the lavender-scented Provencal countryside, a 45-minute drive from Nice airport. It’s the new addition to the all-suite resort with its two championship golf courses and stunning infinity pool with views of medieval hilltop towns. Expect the characteristic Four Seasons double whammy of superb service and top of the range kit, presented in such a friendly, unsnooty way that even spa virgins wouldn’t feel intimidated. But what it also delivers are those very modern luxuries – space and calm.The Spa Discovery Package starts from euros 695 (£473) per night b&b in a suite, plus a 55 minute treatment per day, based on two sharing. Spa day packages start at euros 295 (£201) including 165 minutes of treatments.
For those of you not up on your currency conversions that comes in at around $935 American per night. But of course if you’re the type who’s used to staying at the Four Seasons that really doesn’t matter.
The Four Seasons Spa, Provence [Times Online]
(Link courtesy of Luxist)
