It's been a while since I wrote and I even just started the blog a few months back. Its not for lack of interest, but rather lack of things to say. While I still follow up with all of the news out of Vegas, there's only so much one can think of or say about bankruptcy and stalled projects. But I'll save that rant for next time (and so there isn't such a large gap between posts).
I was motivated to write this entry by a story that appeared in the Las Vegas Sun this morning. Here is the link:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/sep/30/what-happened-theme-vegas-theme-resorts/
The image above is probably one of the most iconic examples of de-theming in Las Vegas. After MGM aquired Mirage Resorts, they changed Treasure Island, a pirate themed resort, to the trendy TI, complete with crappy marquee. (You can google it if you don't know what the new one looks like, but I won't deface my blog by publishing it). At any rate, de-theming hurts Las Vegas. Sure there are plenty of millionaires out there that want to stay in the most swankiest of hotels and feel pampered, but there needs to be distinguishing factors among places to stay. As it seems right now, with every hotel de-theming, there are three types of hotels on the strip. There's the Luxury hotel, the Modern-Hip hotel, and the budget hotel.
The only thing distinguishing staying at Planet Hollywood, TI, or Luxor (all Modern-Hip) is the price. You don't stay at Treasure Island for the Pirate feel or the Luxor for the Egyptian feel because they've removed all aspects of these themes. So whats to draw someone to walk around the strip and check out every property? It's almost hard to tell the difference these days between properties. The fun and excitement just isn't there. The casinos want you to play the games, lose your money, and leave. There's no interest in making sure you have fun elsewhere. People are more apt to return, even if they lose their money, if they had an enjoyable overall experience.
I stand by the fact that I believe the majority of Vegas goers would like a completely different feeling from one property to another. Not every property can copy Steve Wynn and be high-class luxury. I think the casinos will realize this soon and start to find ways to differentiate themselves again. People will always gamble, but with more states legalizing gambling, what's to keep people coming to Las Vegas? The casinos need to be more impressive and different than the local ones. This means that Las Vegas needs to bring back themes. Until they do, I will shed a tear for years past.
