So what new and interesting things can Gulf and family travellers expect from Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas right now?
We have 10 hotels in Las Vegas – 32 in total across the US – and it’s really been about renovations for us in the last couple of years. We’ve renovated 5,000 rooms across the market in 2016 and we have another 7,000 on the books to be renovated this year, which is a project continuing into 2018 until every single property has been refurbished. As you can imagine with 24,000 rooms that’s quite an undertaking – but it was time to do a massive refresh and it’s an ongoing project that’s been extremely fun and exciting to watch. Customers have whatever room type they want. If you want a non-smoking two-bed room with a view of The Strip, that’s what you get. It never used to be that way in Las Vegas but we’ve moved towards a higher level of customer satisfaction.
What else can we expect from these renovations?
It’s been dependent on each property and its needs. Caesars Palace is our flagship property and the public areas have been well maintained, but we’ve added new restaurants. We also have a restaurant sitting out on The Strip, which is about to switch brands, so there’s always something new and exciting to look out for both in terms of entertainment and rooms.
What can you offer your new Gulf guests aside from the gaming element?
We have 2,000 suites in Las Vegas across 10 properties and many of the high-end suites were formerly not available to the public. We recently opened them for sales and they range from US$350 at The Linq, our millennial property, and they go all the way to the $35,000-a-night villas at the Palace. They also come with connecting bedrooms that can be attached to the main suite, so that’s really ideal for families. The nice thing about the product is they’re all contained on one site (www.caesarssuites.com).
What’s happening over the summer in terms of events and activities?
There’s never a “not busy” time but the summer heat makes it perfect pool weather. It’s just a really fun atmosphere with entertainment and DJs around the pool that’s become its own culture in recent years. There’s healthy competition among the hotels for who has the best day club; for instance Drai’s at The Cromwell – our only boutique on The Strip – is a pool on the rooftop and their day club is one of the most popular and also turns into a nightclub in the evening. Drai’s is definitely one of the best along with the seven [Garden of the Gods] pools at Caesars Palace. Every property has its own personality so it really depends on what suits the guest. There are exciting things coming in terms of celebrity chefs, but I’m not sure I can share the details yet. Gordon Ramsay now has four restaurants in Las Vegas but his signature venue is called Steak at Paris and it’s one of the most popular, reminiscent of the tube in London – one of my personal favourites – but he also opened a fish-and-chips restaurant in The Linq promenade where the High Roller (Ferris wheel) is, which is fun and doing well.
Can you tell us something exciting about the destination outside of the hotels?
We have a partnership with Papillon Tours and our guests can book a two-for-one trip to the Grand Canyon in a helicopter or plane. They pick you up the hotel, take you to their airport and you can be at the Grand Canyon in an hour, instead of a five-and-half-hour drive. It really should be on anyone’s itinerary. There’s also headline entertainment at The Coliseum with Celine Dion and other headliners on rotation, including Elton John, Rod Stewart and others – so make sure you check before you book your trip.