Cosmopolitan raises stakes in Las Vegas

The top four floors of the Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas have been vacant since the day the casino opened in 2010. But as part of a five-year capital investment plan by the Blackstone Group that shifts the hotel’s focus from culinary destination to stylish casino hot spot, they’ve finally been furnished and opened to the public.

Well, sort of. The 21 Boulevard Penthouse suites that now fill those top floors have balconies overlooking the Bellagio fountains and Vegas strip, designs by Adam Tihany, and $56,000 bottles of Louis XIII Black Pearl cognac — and a minimum buy-in of $1 million at the Reserve, the Cosmopolitan’s high-roller lounge. According to travel specialist Jack Ezon of Ovation Travel, that may make them the most expensive hotel rooms anywhere in the world.

The main driver here is to attract so-called whales. Before, those who wanted to play a million or more in the casino could go elsewhere and get more than what the Cosmopolitan was offering. “They were players and not stayers,” explained Brian Benowitz, senior vice president of casino operations.

“People play more where they sleep.”

THE VALUE PROPOSITION

It’s hard to argue that the Cosmopolitan’s suites are “worth” their million-dollar price tag — particularly when the competitors offer a similar range of amenities. But if what you want is exclusivity and style (at any price), the Boulevard Suites will win your affections.

Here’s what they promise: round-the-clock butler service, chauffeured airport transfers in a variety of luxury SUVs, and a full culinary team that will “create whatever our guests desire,” said Benowitz.

Welcome amenities are selected based on each guest’s preferences and could include a hard-to-find bottle of bourbon or a humidor full of their favourite cigars. Livingroom walls are swapped for resin panels trimmed in 24-karat gold, and bathrooms have floor-to-ceiling marble and pod-like soaking tubs. A white grand piano stands in the living room.