THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ... CASINO PROPERTIES:
Timothy Poster resigned late last week from the board of directors
of Station Casinos, Inc. -- with good reason. His company, Poster
Financial Group, a Las Vegas-based private investment firm also
owned by Thomas Breitling, agreed to buy the 1,907-room Golden
Nugget Las Vegas -- downtown's largest property -- and the 300-room
Golden Nugget Laughlin from MGM-Mirage for approximately $215
million. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.
Poster and Breitling founded Travelscape.com and later sold it to
Expedia.
WHAT'S IN A NAME? Plenty, apparently, if you're
casino development mogul Steve Wynn and your company, Wynn Resorts,
is going global. With development plans in Las Vegas and Macau,
China, and future possibilities in Monaco, Wynn decided to create a
global brand name for his hotel-casino properties. That means that
Le Reve, under construction on the Strip, is now Wynn Las Vegas.
Wynn Resorts, however, owns the hotel and hospitality rights to the
name Le Reve, and, according to company officials, it will be used
somehow in conjunction with the resort.
BUY TWO, GET ONE FREE: Clients who book
Imperial Palace's 92 Days of Summer Sale package also will receive
a free room night for a stay between Nov. 2 and Jan. 29. The plan,
available through Aug. 31, includes two-for-one drinks at any
casino bar from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (excluding Nomiya, Shangri-La and
Daiquiri drinks); two-for-one spa admission; two-for-one tickets to
"Legends in Concert;" a free Budget car rental day, based on
minimum three-day rental; a free pass to the Auto Collections; and
a free buffet meal for new Imperial Player members who accrue 100
points in the first 24 hours of play. A minimum two-night stay is
required for the plan, which is priced weekdays at $44 per room,
per night and weekends at $69 per room, per night. For
reservations, call (800) 634-6441 or log onto www.imperialpalace.com.
IN THE SWING: Greens of Las Vegas, a
golf-putting attraction located at the corner of Tropicana Avenue
and Paradise Road, is scheduled to open this Monday with the debut
of the Eco Course, a specially designed 18-hole natural grass
putting course, and Bogees Sports Bar and Grill at Premiere Park.
Besides food, the eatery will offer two full-swing golf simulators,
video games, in-house radio and TV broadcasts, a cigar humidor and
TV monitors.
THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE: Maverick Helicopter
Tours added six Eurocopter EC 130 B4 helicopters to its fleet
because they feature a reduced sound level that complies with new
environmental pollution requirements. The new aircraft also offer
low internal cabin noise level; extra safety features, such as
back-up hydraulics; new landing gear; a customized air-conditioning
system; and 23% more cabin space, which allows each helicopter to
accommodate seven passengers plus the pilot. The company operates
seven different daily tours including six Grand Canyon excursions
and nightly Las Vegas Strip flights. For more information, agents
can phone (702) 261-0007 or visit www.maverickhelicopter.com.
A CUT ABOVE: Smith & Wollensky Las Vegas
was named a Distinguished Restaurant of North America (DiRoNA). The
Strip steakhouse will officially receive its award during DiRoNA's
annual conference Oct. 1 in Montreal.