Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge is Finished

Construction on the Hoover Dam Bypass bridge is finally complete. A dedication ceremony was held on Tuesday commemorating the opening of the Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. The bridge will open to traffic within the next few days.

The bridge should help traffic flow between Phoenix and Las Vegas now that drivers do not have to slow down to cross over the Hoover Dam. Traffic over the Dam will be suspended once the bridge is fully operational.

The 1,900 foot bridge sits 890 feet above the Colorado River and has a price tag of $240 million. Planning for the project began in the late 90's with approaching roads beginning construction in 2003. The bulk of the bridge construction started in 2006.




Source: Wiki.

Fremont Street Flightline

A new zip-line attraction will be opening soon at the Fremont Street Experience. Riders will be able to traverse 800 feet of zip-line under the Fremont Street canopy going from a height of 67 feet dropping down to a 15 feet high landing area.

This looks like a pretty cool attraction, and may be a good solution for thrill seekers who are too afraid, or don't want to pay $100 for the Stratosphere Sky Jump.

Oktoberfest is back for another haunting season of freakish fun at the Fremont Street Experience. If ghosts and goblins aren’t enough to scare you, why not fly down "Frightlines” under the Fremont Street Canopy. Imagine being part of the Viva Vision show as you launch down a zip line that runs approximately 800 feet in length. The crowds underneath cheer as you zoom past on your broom from 67 feet dropping down to 15 feet at landing!

Hours of Operation: (however the schedule will vary based on volume)
Weekends: Thurs, Fri, Sat 2pm – 2am
Weekdays: Sun-Wed 2pm - midnight

Rates:
$15 before 6pm; $10 re-ride
$20 after 6pm; $15 re-ride
Re-rides include head of the line privileges

For more information check out Fremont Street Flightline.

UPDATE: The temporary zipline on Fremont Street will be upgraded to a permanent structure called Slotzilla in 2013.

Bring Your Dog to Caesars Palace

Caesars Palace, Imperial Palace and Rio now allow guests with dogs to stay at their hotels. I'm a little surprised that Caesars would allow dogs especially at the Agustus Tower since that is a fairly new and nice tower, but I guess if the pets are contained to a specified area then everything would probably work out and other guests wouldn't be disturbed.

UPDATE - January 2011: The Pet Stay program has now been expanded to include Caesars Palace, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Harrah's, Flamingo, Bally's, Rio and Imperial Palace. Please check with each hotel for details.

Here's the policy:

Caesars Palace, Imperial Palace and Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas are rolling out the red carpet for traveling dogs, with the launch of "PetStay," the resorts' new pet-friendly hotel program.

Guests participating in the PetStay program are greeted by several canine-friendly in-room amenities including a mat, food and water dishes, disposable waste bags and dog treats.

Caesars Palace, Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino and Imperial Palace each host a designated PetStay area within the hotel, equipped with welcome packets that direct guests to outdoor relief areas and dog walking routes as well as specialty room service menus. Additional Information about dog-friendly items for purchase and nearby dog services (such as grooming, walking and veterinary care) is available upon check-in at each of the participating resorts.

Policy
Caesars Palace, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and Imperial Palace have the following pet policy:

* Dogs staying at any of the three hotels must weigh 50 pounds or less and be present at the time of check- in.
* Up to 2 dogs per room are allowed
* Dogs are permitted to walk through designated common areas while on a leash and accompanied by the owner.

Hotel room rates for owners traveling with a dog are competitively priced at a $25 per night upgrade for designated pet-friendly hotel accommodations in the Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace; a $20 per night upgrade applies to similar accommodations at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and Imperial Palace.

Source: Harrah's - Pet Stay Las Vegas.

August Numbers look good for Strip

Gaming win on the Las Vegas Strip was up 21.09% in August 2010 compared to August of last year.

Baccarat continues to carry the load for the Strip. Amazingly the amount that Strip casinos won on Baccarat was more than all of the other table games combined. It looks like the super high rollers were back on the Strip in August. If these numbers for Baccarat continue for the foreseeable future that would be a huge boost for the high-end hotels on the Strip.

Downtown numbers weren't as good however, as they were down 1.41% year over year.

It looks like things are improving in Las Vegas, especially on the Strip. Gaming numbers are improving and room rates seem to be creeping up.

Source: Nevada Gaming Control Board:
August Gaming Revenue Report and Win Revenue Summary.

Penn National Buying M Resort

Penn National has bought the M Resort's debt, paving the way for the company to take ownership control of the casino. The Pennsylvania based company paid $230.5 million for about $860 million of total outstanding debt.

Penn National has been looking to get into the Las Vegas market for a few years now. They own 23 casinos around the country, so they have a pretty big customer base to lure to a Vegas property. M Resort is probably a good place to get their feet wet in Las Vegas, especially considering they are getting a brand new property for a fraction of the building cost.

Penn was a player in the auction to buy the stalled Fontainebleau project, but backed off in the later stages giving the property to Carl Ichan. They have also been long rumored to buy the Rio, but nothing ever came of that either.

While the M Resort is a good start, there is little doubt that Penn National would like to have a property on the Strip. Perhaps they will look to expand further into Las Vegas after they fully acquire M Resort. Who knows, maybe they will end up with Fontainebleau after all in a few years when Ichan decides to unload it. M Resort and a finished Fontainebleau would be a really nice foundation for Penn National to build on in the Las Vegas market.

Source: Bloomberg.