Rates, security up amid Strip violence
28 were arrested in single night
Several fights over the weekend along Las Vegas’ tourist corridor have caused at least one casino operator to increase both security measures and room rates in an effort to quell the violence.
Capt. Patricia Spencer, head of the Metropolitan Police Department’s downtown area command, addressed the media Tuesday afternoon to discuss the multiple events along the city’s tourist corridor over Labor Day weekend.
On Friday alone, downtown area command arrested 28 people and issued 27 citations. Spencer declined to offer details on where the incidents took place and did not offer figures for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
“People coming here to have fun and take part in the festivities … we welcome you,” she said. “For those of you coming here to prey on the tourists or residents of this community, it will not be tolerated.”
Greg Mullen, vice president of CDC Consulting, said much of the violence among Las Vegas visitors in recent weeks is directly tied to casino-resorts’ low room rates.
‘Uncharted waters for Las Vegas’
As occupancy rates have plummeted post-pandemic, casino operators have had to offer low room rates and travel incentives to more customers in their database, instead of solely targeting high-value customers.
According to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the average daily room rate in
Las Vegas was $104.39 in July, down 18 percent from the previous year.
“Cheap retail rates for the hotel rooms (and) free rooms are going to the players that have never had free rooms in Las Vegas,” Mullen said. “They’re going deeper in their database to get players who aren’t as lucrative, because it’s better just to get a body in there.”
Mullen said maintenance calls due to the destruction of rooms are at an all-time high at some high-end properties.
“This is uncharted waters for Las Vegas,” he said.
Encore incident
Videos of violence among tourists have been circulating on social media. A video titled “Fight in ENCORE HOTEL LAS VEGAS LABOR WEEKEND 2020,” posted to Youtube on Sunday, amassed nearly 31,000 views by Tuesday evening.
The video shows people within a hallway swinging at other guests and casino security as a crowd watches. The visitors eventually disperse, leaving behind a velvet rope toppled to the ground.
Wynn Resorts Ltd. spokesman
Michael Weaver said the company is increasing its room rates and investment in its security workforce and procedures after a fight broke out at
Encore over the weekend. The company has no record of injuries from the incident.
Weaver said the changes are being made to ensure Wynn’s two Las Vegas properties, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, “maintain the guest experience standards for which (they) are known.”
Changes include more security throughout the resort and additional uniformed Metropolitan police officers. The properties will also scan all hotel room keys at elevator entrances so that only registered guests are admitted to the hotel towers.
“An otherwise calm holiday weekend was marred by a disruption created by non-hotel guests in the Encore casino,” Weaver said. “Security officers and others currently prevent groups of unrelated guests from gathering to ensure appropriate physical distancing; with their increased presence, Wynn security will allow no exceptions.”
According to Hotels.com, room rates at Wynn Resorts started at $197 for a stay Saturday, Aug. 22. Rates jumped to $349 on Aug. 29, then to $499 the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Room rates this Saturday start at $319, according to the company’s website.
Wynn CEO Matt Maddox told investors last month the company is focusing on promotions and casino revenue, as nongaming revenue was down about two-thirds in the second quarter.
“We’re doing everything we can to get heads in beds,” Maddox said, adding that the company didn’t plan to “cut (its) way to better margins” at the risk of hurting its brand, culture and company.
Risk of tarnish to Las Vegas’ image
While it’s easy to pinpoint low room rates as the cause of Las Vegas properties’ spike in violence, solving the issue isn’t as easy as bumping prices.
Mullen said resort executives will need to manage a balancing act between setting prices high enough to keep out less-desirable guests, but low enough to maintain a decent occupancy rate amid the pandemic.
It’s a struggle that’ll likely go on for months. Las Vegas room rates aren’t expected to bounce back to 2019 levels until the return of conventions, concerts and other forms of entertainment.
Mullen said the way resorts handle the unrest today could affect Las Vegas’ reputation for years to come.
“Several of our higher-end profile clients say their high-end guests are done coming until this is under control,” he said. “They’re scared to walk outside their rooms, and don’t feel safe on elevators or on the casino floors themselves. It’s a bad look. … You can really severely put a tarnish on Las Vegas.”
A spokesperson for MGM Resorts International said there were “no major incidents involving guest melees on our properties this past weekend.”
Las Vegas Sands Corp. spokeswoman Alyssa Anderson said the company has a “very robust and progressive security program in place,” and declined to provide further information on The Venetian and Palazzo’s security protocols.
A spokesman for Boyd Gaming Corp. declined to comment when asked if the company had also seen violence erupt at its properties. Spokespeople at Red Rock Resorts Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc. did not return a request for comment.
Cheap retail rates for the hotel rooms (and) free rooms are going to the players that have never had free rooms in Las Vegas. They’re going deeper in their database to get players who aren’t as lucrative, because it’s better just to get a body in there.
Greg Mullen Vice president of CDC Consulting
“We’re doing everything we can to get heads in beds,” Wynn CEO Matt Maddox said, adding that the company didn’t plan to “cut (its) way to better margins” at the risk of hurting its brand, culture and company.
ost likely, this past Labor Day weekend, you may have consumed a Hamburger, an American Original. By the time you have finished reading, you’ll likely want to go out and find the best burger in Las Vegas. This year, there are 78 area restaurants asking you to consider them the best burger. Between now and September 30th (when voting ends), we encourage you to review the list at Bestoflasvegas.com, try several that may be new to you, and then cast your vote!
According to Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa Delauro (D), the hamburger, a ground meat patty between two slices of bread, was first created in America in 1900 by Louis Lassen, a Danish immigrant, owner of Louis’ Lunch in New
Haven, Connecticut
As the story goes, a customer ordered a quick hot meal and Louis was out of steaaks. Taking ground beef trimmings, Louis made a patty and grilled it, putting it between two slices of toast. Some criticss like Josh Ozersky, a food editor for New York Magazine, claim that this sandwich was not a hamburger because the bread was toasted. Louis’ Lunch is still operating today from the original location and using the same unique cooking gear.
There havve been rival claaims by Charlie Nagreen, Frank and Charles Menches, Oscar Weber Bilby, and Fletcher Davis. White Castle traces the origin of the hamburgger to Hamburg, Germany with its invention by Otto Kuase. According to White Casttle, Kuase invente the hamburger iin 1891,, with a beef patty cooked in butter and toppped with a fried eggg German sailors would later omit th ried egg.
The Menches claimm o haave sold a ground beeef sandwich at the
rie County Fair in 18885 in Hamburg, Neww York. Dduring the fair, they ran out of pork sausage for their sandwiches and substituted beef. The story notes that the name of the hamburger comes from Hamburg, New York not Hamburg, Germany.
The hamburger gained national recognition at the 1904 St. Louis
World’s Ffair when t e New w York
Tri une referred to the ham mburger as “th in nnovation of a food d vendor on the pi ke”.
No o conclusive arg mment has ever eended the disput te over venti ion. An artic e from ABC Ne ws sums up: “One problem is that there is l ittle written hi story.
Ano other issue is that the spread of the burger happened largely at the World’s Fair, from tiny vendors that came and went in an instant.
Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas claimed to have invented the hamburger when his wife Ciddy ran a sandwich stand at the St. Louis World’s Fair.
Since those early years, the hamburger or “burger” has grown in popularity. Some say because of our way of life. With the modernization of the American family through the 1950s and 60s, fast food service was created.
The milk shake can be attributed to the fast food craze that started with the first Mcdonalds restaurant. Started in 1948 in San Bernardino, California by brothers, Maurice “Mac” and
Richard Mcdonald, the two were shopping sho for appliances for their sma all hamburger stand when they met t salesman Ray Kroc, who was intri gued by their need for eight malt t and shake mixers. Kroc bought the brother’s concept, perfected it and it is the Mcdonalds we know toda ay. In the 2016 movie “The
Fou nder,” Michael Keaton plays Kroc base ed on the true story. You can strea am the movie on Amazon Prime.
Today, there are so many versions vers of burgers from driving while you eat, to chef inspired gourmet. If you can’t decide, there is always a selection of sliders to be enjoyed.
Eat well and make sure to vote each day until September 30th for your favorite burger! Cast your votes at Bestoflasvegas.com.