renaming the Imperial Palace
If Caesars avoids MGM's mistakes at City Center, then Linq will probably be a success. Overall, this is great news for Las Vegas. The only downside will be that Vegas tourists on a tight budget will miss out on The Imperial Palace's best feature: paying Circus Circus prices for a location at the center of the Strip.
They should at least keep some sort of nod the fake Pagoda outside of the place.
Quote: renoEarlier this week Caesars Entertainment announced the Imperial Palace will be re-skinned, re-furnished, and re-named as part of their new Linq entertainment complex. This is a smart move, since the Imperial Palace is in desperate need of a thorough face-lift, if not a demolition. The rumor is that the hotel will be re-branded as Horseshoe. What would you name it?
When Caesars (then Harrah's) acquired the Park Place/Caesars properties, they had made an announcement that all their casinos would fall under four brand names (Paris and Flamingo excluded). Harrah's was to be "the party casino", Horseshoe "the gambler's destination", Caesars "the resort destination", and Rio "All-suites and festive atmosphere". Rebranded properties were to include Bally's Las Vegas, Caesars Southern Indiana (which became Horseshoe Southern), Sheraton Tunica (which subsequently became Tunica Roudhouse, but would have fallen under the Rio brand), Grand Casinos, Tunica and Biloxi (to become Harrah's properties), Showboat AC (to become Rio) and eventually when the sale went through, Casino Windsor (now Caesars Tunica). I'm not sure what Harvey's, as most became Harrah's.
Anyways, my initial feeling was Bally's would be best suited for the Horseshoe moniker. It's not like the property has always been Bally's (Remember MGM Grand anybody?). The motif would have to be altered slightly.
However, Horseshoe tends to be "all about the gambler." While not perfect, they do pride themselves on not really fitting into the Harrah's mold. Even Horseshoe Council Bluffs, which operates most like Harrah's properties as there is a Harrah's about a mile down the road, offers free buffets for 30 minutes of play. This is a stark contrast from anything you would ever be able to find on the Vegas strip. It's hard for me to think that Caesars would be willing to forgo such benefits to its Las Vegas patrons. Don't get me wrong, I would love for that to be the case, but I just don't see it happening.
As for a name for Imperial Palace, I'd vote for Horseshoe for what I want, but it will probably be renamed something stupid, like Bill's Widow's Gambling Parlor and Crap Hotel
Then I opened and read the thread.
"Linq" makes the most sense.
I think if they're gonna remodel, the pagoda will be removed.Quote: thecesspitThey should at least keep some sort of nod the fake Pagoda outside of the place.
Or "Whats is a hotel like me doing in a place like this?"
Quote: NareedHoe about "The Has Been" :P
Or "Whats is a hotel like me doing in a place like this?"
Your accidental "hoe" reminded me of what my mom call's the property in Council Bluffs...
"The Horse's Hoe" (she's a slot player btw)
How about The Horse's Whore?
Quote: renoEarlier this week Caesars Entertainment announced the Imperial Palace will be re-skinned, re-furnished, and re-named as part of their new Linq entertainment complex.
If this was 2007, they'd be tearing it down. Its been there since the 70's. Its this economy, we're going to be seeing a lot more 'refurbishing'.. Oh boy..
Quote: TiltpoulYour accidental "hoe" reminded me of what my mom call's the property in Council Bluffs...
"The Horse's Hoe" (she's a slot player btw)
How about The Horse's Whore?
But Ho's Palace (in stylized Chinese lettering)
Quote: rxwineBut Ho's Palace (in stylized Chinese lettering)
Actually, take out the apostrophe, like Caesars. (Hos Palace)
That way everybody who enters and stays there can feel like a Ho.
Quote: KeyserThey should call it the "Armpit".
For twenty years it was called the Flamingo Capri so perhaps the Horseshoe Capri might be an appropriate name. Personally I like O'shea's Horseshoe. I think people liked the name and it would make sense to keep it.
The L Spa and Resort at Salmon Stone
or
That place with the clothes iron burns in the carpets.
Quote: TiltpoulYour accidental "hoe" reminded me of what my mom call's the property in Council Bluffs...
Funny. You reminded me of a bit by Rita Rudner :P
Quote: pacomartinPersonally I like O'shea's Horseshoe. I think people liked the name and it would make sense to keep it.
And it gives you a chance to make a sentence with lot's of apostrophe's: While my Mom's friend's daughter's cousin played the Wizard's strategy at PGP at the O'shea's Horseshoe's table tended by my friend's friend's borhter's uncle...."
It must be close to 4 am and I must still be at the office.
The restaurant wasn't as bad as recent reviews that I've seen, although it wasn't anything to write home about, either. I do remember that the coffee was good and that there were nice fruit-filled crepes at breakfast.
If they're giving it a facelift, I would love to see an actual casino with a faux-East-Asian theme. If that's not what they have in mind, I hope that they at least consider some serious work on their penthouses. My one stay there left me wondering whether anyone at the IP had set foot inside a penthouse since the 1970s.
The are no casinos in North America with a good, well-realized East Asian theme. We have France, Italy, Classical Greece/Rome, and the Tropics on the Strip. East Asia would seem like the next logical place to turn. Some casinos in Atlantic City and Chicago have nice Asian gaming areas with noodle bars, but it doesn't extend to the whole casino.Quote: heatherIf they're giving it a facelift, I would love to see an actual casino with a faux-East-Asian theme.
A great idea would be to try and recreate the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, one of Frank Lloyd Wright's lost masterpieces.
Hey! That was my idea:Quote: 7outlineawayImperial Crapshack?
Quote: DJTeddyBearMy immediate response was "Center Strip Shithole." (And I'm gonna be staying there for G2E!)
Quote: teddysThe are no casinos in North America with a good, well-realized East Asian theme. We have France, Italy, Classical Greece/Rome, and the Tropics on the Strip. East Asia would seem like the next logical place to turn. Some casinos in Atlantic City and Chicago have nice Asian gaming areas with noodle bars, but it doesn't extend to the whole casino.
A great idea would be to try and recreate the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, one of Frank Lloyd Wright's lost masterpieces.
In another thread I actually posted how if Fontainebleu had ever been completed how it may have saved the Sahara. I stated that the Sahara would have probably had to undergo another renovation, and that an Asian themed casino would work well with Echelon and Fontainebleu in a way to get customers away from what would have been a higher end property.
Quote: renoCaesars' budget for demolishing O'Shea's, remodeling the Imperial Palace, and building Linq is $500 million. Considering the size and ambition of Linq, and the dilapidated condition of Imperial Palace's 2,600 rooms, I'm skeptical. Either the actual cost will balloon well beyond the projected $500 million, or Linq won't be nearly as grand as Caesars would have us think. Am I being too pessimistic?
Given how much most hotels cost to build these days in Vegas (upwards of a BILLION dollars), I don't think you're being pessimistic at all. This indicates: 1) The IP is not going to get THAT much remodeling, maybe rework the entrance so it's not nearly as awkward and really place it up on the Strip. 2) Project Linq is not going to include a revamping of any other property, which I would argue Flamingo, Harrah's and Bally's are all in SERIOUS need of some upgrading (The first two especially).
I know that City Center was developed from the ground up, but I can't imagine being able to successfully pull the project off without at least a 1.5b dollar budget.
Quote: renoCaesars' budget for demolishing O'Shea's, remodeling the Imperial Palace, and building Linq is $500 million. Considering the size and ambition of Linq, and the dilapidated condition of Imperial Palace's 2,600 rooms, I'm skeptical. Either the actual cost will balloon well beyond the projected $500 million, or Linq won't be nearly as grand as Caesars would have us think. Am I being too pessimistic?
I think that "Linq won't be nearly as grand as Caesars would have us think". The budget for Tropicana was $180 million. Project Linq involves the tear down of O'Sheas, the construction of the ferris wheel, the construction of the new restaurants, and the renovation of the public spaces and the rooms.
The Golden Nugget dropped hundreds of millions of dollars to vastly improve their property, only to see revenue temporarily jump and then flatten out. At one point I calculated the property was making more money in 2000 when MGM bought it from Wynn.
I also don't think people will want to spend much time in a 60 yard gap between two big buildings. People want to see the strip. Ceasars has that whole section in front of Bally's that is 90 yards wide. They should build decks there so people can wander around outside and watch the fountains at the Bellagio. I think that would be $500 million that will pay off in the long run.
People stay at the IP because it is cheap. They are not going to be as interested if you get the same basic room at 50% increase.
Quote: pacomartinPeople stay at the IP because anyone who has played at a CET casino in the past year gets comped there.
fixed
I don't want to copy the whole thing because of copyrights, but the key points are:
Quote: QoDThe Las Vegas High Roller, will be a 550-foot-tall Ferris wheel. For $20 or less, you can be one of 40 passengers in any of the High Roller’s 28 globe-shaped gondolas (standing room only). Your ride will take 30-40 minutes.
The rival wheel, called Skyvue, set for a height of 476 feet, calls for 40 gondolas carrying 25 passengers each.
(As with the High Roller, the idea is to get groups to rent them out so they can have catered parties in the sky.)
The High Roller would be tucked behind the Imperial Palace (which will shortly have to be renamed, the rights to its trademark having expired).
So that's why IP will be getting a new name.
But the catered parties idea shocked me. Really? Catered parties?
Then I checked and found London Eye Afternoon Tea, under the heading "Corportate functions". It doesn't sound like a bad idea.
Quote: DJTeddyBearThen I checked and found London Eye Afternoon Tea, under the heading "Corportate functions". It doesn't sound like a bad idea.
The London Eye costs £56.28 for a family of four, and £45.60 if you pre-book your ticket.
The "afternoon tea" for 20 people is £23 + £18 for tea and sandwiches per person. That is nearly the price for the family (without food). That is very expensive and only people who are organizing corporate functions would pay that kind of money. But the London Eye offers spectacular views of one of the great cities of the world. Do you really think that the corporations who hold conventions in Las Vegas will pay similar kinds of prices for the view of the back of the strip?
Quote: renoThe rumor floating around is that they're going to call it The Quad.
I think most of us associate "The Quad" with an architectural square on campus.
But the word now has copious meanings in the urban dictionary. Most of them vulgar or drug related. They may find that it is a tricky name to market. Maybe they should stick with something like Ceasars courtyard or Beer Pong Alley.
Quote: pacomartinI think most of us associate "The Quad" with an architectural square on campus.
The Quad at my alma mater, the University of Washington is awesome:
Quote: slytherThe Quad at my alma mater, the University of Washington is awesome:
Hmmmm.. You struck me as a WSU kinda guy. :)
Quote: renoThe rumor floating around is that they're going to call it The Quad.
I took the survey yesterday about "The Quad" They asked a lot of questions like "Would you gamble at a place called the 'Quad?'"
Names are meaningless. I'll go anywhere, but I'll keep going places based on the experience. Do I particularly like the name 'Quad'? No, doesn't do anything for me.
In fact, I said that I thought the name would hurt them, because Quad means 4, and 4 is bad luck as everyone knows. Re-branding the Asian casino "4" seems kinda strange.
Quote: rdw4potusEvery time I see or hear "the quad" my mind goes to Will Ferrell yelling "We're going streaking!..." like in that scene in Old School. I guess that'd be one way to keep the middle-aged party crowd interested in the property...:-)
Now I am going to think of an overweight, slightly hairy, middle-aged naked man, streaking across the quad.
If you are middle aged, this is the definition that you think of when you hear Quad:
Quad (verb) The activity of drinking whilst on the quadrangle. Usually accompanied by pinnies, loud music and drinking games (cornhole, dizzybat, bocce ball, ext.). Sundresses or bikini's are encouraged for girls. A warm weather, daytime activity.
Kids hear something very different. From the urban dictionary:
(1) A quarter of an ounce of marijuana. "Yo, hook me up with a quad for $75"
(2) A quadruple-stack of the drug ecstasy
(3) Four hits of LSD on paper that usually have not been cut by scissors into individual hits
(4) Quadruple P = Pretentious, pious, pompous person
(5) Term referring to a 4x4 dirt ATV (all terrain vehicle)
(6) A four man multi-kill in the infamous game of Call of Duty.
(7) A slang term originating from the video game Mass Effect 2 , the term "quad" refers to krogan testicles, due to the fact that they've got four balls.
(8) A ratchet group that consists of 5 people. Also known as a wolf pack who travel to different parties, and gets ratchet.
(9) A person attracted to males, females, hermaphrodites, and animals
(10) An overweight female that has huge camel toes that are usually quad.
(11) A gay person that's always on all fours
I'm just saying you have to be careful with slang as it means very different things to different ages.
Hmmm.... Maybe that's part of the plan.Quote: FinsRuleIn fact, I said that I thought the name would hurt them, because Quad means 4, and 4 is bad luck as everyone knows. Re-branding the Asian casino "4" seems kinda strange.
Not only are they scrapping the Asian theme, but they are considering a name that may cause Asians to go elsewhere.
Tie that in with the college quadrangle being the first thing that comes to mind, and that one of the artist conceptions features Beer Pong, I'd say that they are trying to create something that attracts the college crowd.
Kinda like O'Sheas was. Why not just rename it O'Sheas?
I knew that it wasn't going to be converted to a Horseshoe. I'm a bit surprised they are going with an Asian theme, as it isn't beer pong that I think of as being an Asian sport, but whatever goes in Vegas, so we'll see...
Quote: TiltpoulI'm always one to say "I told you so..." so....
At least you admit you are :)
But it's not like Caesars would have been the first corporation to devalue a brand. And I'll believe the name, whatever it is, when there is an ofical anouncement; pending a sign being put up, too.
Quote: renoEarlier this week Caesars Entertainment announced the Imperial Palace will be re-skinned, re-furnished, and re-named as part of their new Linq entertainment complex. This is a smart move, since the Imperial Palace is in desperate need of a thorough face-lift, if not a demolition. The rumor is that the hotel will be re-branded as Horseshoe. What would you name it?
If Caesars avoids MGM's mistakes at City Center, then Linq will probably be a success. Overall, this is great news for Las Vegas. The only downside will be that Vegas tourists on a tight budget will miss out on The Imperial Palace's best feature: paying Circus Circus prices for a location at the center of the Strip.
what were the MGM's mistakes at City Center?
Quote: 100xOddswhat were the MGM's mistakes at City Center?
Harmon Tower. The sun ray of death at the pool. Projecting profits rather than losses.
Quote: rainman
Hmmmm.. You struck me as a WSU kinda guy. :)
How dare you! :)
Quote: 100xOddswhat were the MGM's mistakes at City Center?
Quote: bigfoot66Harmon Tower. The sun ray of death at the pool. Projecting profits rather than losses.
City Center is full of mistakes. It isn't easy to get to Aria or Vdara, neither are pedestrian-friendly from the Strip. (And Vdara's missing a self-parking garage.) The decor of both Aria & Vdara feels corporate and humorless, especially when contrasted with the playful Cosmopolitan next door. And perhaps it was a mistake for MGM to gamble that Vegas would need 6,000 new rooms in 2009. I get the sense that Vdara rarely fills up to capacity, that place is a ghost-town: I stayed there over Super Bowl weekend in 2011 and paid $180 for a 1 bedroom corner suite with full kitchen & laundry, and a view of Bellagio fountains. On Super Bowl weekend, that suite should have gone for $300 or $400 per night (or more), but they were desperate.
Quote: pacomartinI also don't think people will want to spend much time in a 60 yard gap between two big buildings.
Yeah, it's an alley. Perhaps building a mall in an alley between 2 big buildings will provide some shade from the hot desert sun. But you're right, it will take some clever architecture to disguise the fact that it's a mall in an alley.
Quote: 100xOddswhat were the MGM's mistakes at City Center?
It also ran about $5 billion over budget which is 10x the projected cost of Linq.
Also LOL at the Urban Dictionary entries. "Welcome to the newest Las Vegas casino - The Cameltoe... er Quad".
