Bellagio to Renovate Hotel Rooms, Eyeing Las Vegas Recovery in 2021

Posted on: February 8, 2021, 10:03h. 

Last updated on: February 8, 2021, 01:49h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Bellagio’s new colorful room upgrade will provide “comfort” to attract players and travelers to the Las Vegas Strip gaming property as the COVID-19 pandemic hopefully winds down, according to casino sector analyst the Rev. Richard McGowan.

The hotel hopes that the upgraded rooms, along with additional health and safety protocols, will attract customers and make them feel safe, according to a statement by Ann Hoff, Bellagio’s president and chief operating officer.

And brick-and-mortar casinos, like the Bellagio, will need to distinguish themselves especially after the pandemic-linked recessions, said McGowan, a finance professor at Boston College who closely follows the gaming industry.

“This is one way a casino on The Strip can do this,” McGowan told Casino.org. “They will need to be creative to provide new sorts of luxury and entertainment.”

Each of Bellagio’s 2,568 rooms in the main tower will get refreshed interiors, according to the MGM Resorts International-operated casino. The design is inspired by Bellagio’s iconic outdoor fountains and incorporates new colors.

The premier king rooms will include blue colors resembling the sky before sunrise. The premier, two-queen rooms will be highlighted by yellow that is associated with the late-day sky at sunset. The renovated rooms also will include two seating nooks, a built-in closet, and an activity table. Bathrooms will feature a shower with doorless entry, dual sinks, and backlit mirrors.

Numbers Still Down

The number of travelers using Las Vegas’s McCarran International Airport continued to decline in December, down more than 60 percent from the same month a year earlier. The slump in Las Vegas tourism contributed to low hotel-casino occupancy rates.

Given these numbers, McGowan said renovations similar to Bellagio’s may take place at other venues on the Las Vegas Strip.

“MGM and other operators will be betting .. that after patrons have been cooped up for over a year, they will be looking for high-end entertainment and comfort,” McGowan said. “The casino operators need to provide it.”

Las Vegas Traveler Demand Could Increase

Macquarie analyst Chad Beynon also noted in a statement to investors that searches for Las Vegas trips 60 to 90 days increased for the second consecutive month in December, rising 7.6 percent year-over-year. Beynon explained that is a sign consumer demand could perk up in the April through June period.

That jibes with a recent survey indicating business travelers are longing for in-person conventions. That is another positive for Las Vegas, Casino.org reported last month.

Bellagio room upgrades will start this week, according to Stacy Hamilton, executive director of public relations at MGM Resorts.

It will last through August,” Hamilton told Casino.org. “First rooms will be available for guest stays in April.”

The renovations at Bellagio were developed by Chicago-based The Gettys Group along with MGM Resorts International Design Group.

Ben Nicholas, senior principal at The Gettys Group, explained in a statement the redesigns “transcend cultures and speak to an international audience. We took inspiration from water, which is synonymous with Bellagio, and blended in elements of light and nature, to create spaces that make guests feel at home.”

El Cortez Casino Underdoing Renovations Downtown

In downtown Las Vegas, the El Cortez Hotel & Casino completed a $25 million renovation. The venue is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year and the property said it is the longest-running hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

The casino installed new ceilings and a woven Axminster carpet by Brintons on the gaming floor. Also, 200 tower rooms and suites were remodeled.