MGM Resorts Archives · EDGe Vegas

Lady Gaga Confirms Las Vegas Residency

I was told that Lady Gaga was in final negotiations with MGM Resorts for this residency over a year ago. The deal is finally done and she’ll begin a 2-year residency at the Park Theater at Park MGM in December 2018. You can read details from the press release below.

Press release:

LAS VEGAS (December 19, 2017) – Six-time GRAMMY Award-winner, Golden Globe Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee superstar entertainer Lady Gaga will bring her one-of-a-kind talent and creativity to the stage at Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas beginning in December 2018. On the heels of a year that included a stunning Super Bowl performance and a wildly celebrated sold-out tour, Lady Gaga’s energy and raw talent will forever change the Las Vegas entertainment landscape. With a show designed specifically for this intimate venue, Lady Gaga will launch a two-year, multi-date love affair with Las Vegas.

Lady Gaga said, “It’s the land of Elvis, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra, the Rat Pack, Elton John, Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli. It has been a life-long dream of mine to play Las Vegas. I am humbled to be a part of a historical line-up of performers, and to have the honor of creating a new show unlike anything Vegas has ever seen before. I’ll tell you exactly what I told my MGM and Park Theater partners – you can count on this performer always for one thing…I’ll leave my heart on the stage every single night. Thank you to my fans for always believing in me. Meet me in Las Vegas baby, we did it!”

Bill Hornbuckle, President of MGM Resorts International said, “Our announcement today of Lady Gaga joining an amazing lineup of talent at Park Theater is monumental for Lady Gaga fans, MGM Resorts and the Park MGM brand. We have all been wowed by Lady Gaga’s raw talent, but the passion, commitment and creativity she is prepared to bring to this engagement will truly be transformational…Las Vegas, get ready to become the Entertainment Capital of the Universe.”

Lady Gaga has amassed an extraordinary 30 million global album sales and 150 million single sales, making her one of the best-selling musicians of all-time. Gaga is one of the biggest living forces in social media with more than 60 million likes on Facebook, over 75.3 million followers on Twitter and more than 26.9 million followers on Instagram. Her fifth studio album “Joanne” was recently released and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, marking her fourth consecutive No. 1 album – the first female to do so in the last seven years. Lady Gaga has also seen incredible touring success with Live Nation producing and promoting all of her tours since The Monster Ball tour (2009-2011), which was the highest-grossing tour for a debut artist in history. Since then, she’s also entertained fans with her Born This Way Ball tour (2012-2013); the 2014 ArtRave: The ARTPOP Ball tour; her 2015 tour collaboration with Tony Bennett; as well as her current JOANNE WORLD TOUR which will wrap in 2018.

Performance dates and ticket information for Lady Gaga’s special engagement at Park Theater, promoted by MGM Resorts and Live Nation Entertainment, will be announced in the coming months. For future information, visit parktheaterlv.com or www.ladygaga.com.

MGM Parking Fees Now In Effect For T-Mobile Arena Events

MGM Resorts paid parking information for T-Mobile Arena was just released. This is straight from an email they sent to ticketholders.

Reserved Event Parking for April 6 will be available for $10 in advance. Prices will increase the day of show. To purchase Reserved Event Parking, please click here.

Valet options will be available on event nights at New York-New York and Monte Carlo for $30.

These fees are only at the two hotels for now. Hotel guests won’t have to pay for parking at this time. Parking fees won’t begin across all MGM Resorts properties until late June (see the last sentence here).

More details below:

SUBJECT: Grand Opening of T-Mobile Arena – Parking Information

NEED PARKING? NO PROBLEM!
Reserved Event Parking is now available for all events at T-Mobile Arena. Reserved Event Parking is available on designated levels of the parking facilities at New York-New York, Monte Carlo, and the Aria Event Parking Garage. Parking in these locations is available on a first‐come, first‐served basis and subject to availability.

We encourage guests to purchase event parking in advance as Reserved Event Parking may not be available for purchase on‐site on the day of the event at these locations due to demand. Guests who do not have Reserved Event Parking may be turned away from these locations on event night.

To access Reserved Event Parking locations, please utilize Frank Sinatra Drive as your primary route.

Reserved Event Parking for April 6 will be available for $10 in advance. Prices will increase the day of show. To purchase Reserved Event Parking, please click here.

Valet options will be available on event nights at New York-New York and Monte Carlo for $30.

Link to pay in advance for parking at T-Mobile Arena.

Thanks to @Vegas724 for the info.

The Park Beer Garden Has A Name And Some Beer

Beerhaus, The Park Beer Garden — Beerhaus

The Park Beer Garden is the last restaurant or bar to receive a name at the new complex opening later this year (You can see more info on The Park at Front Desk Tip).

The “Beer Garden” will be called Beerhaus and serve artisanal food and craft beer. Let’s be real, all that matters about this place is the beer.

At first look, Beerhaus’ initial beer listing is diverse but not entirely unique. While there are good options you can find many of these beers elsewhere in Las Vegas (See Top 10 places to drink beer on VegasTop10).

Draft: The selection includes lagers such as The Bruery Humulus Lager from Placentia, CA, and Joseph James’ American Light Lager. IPAs including Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin from San Diego and the rich Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout from Longmont, CO will make the draft menu an instant favorite on The Strip.
Bottles & Cans: Off draft, choices range from the gluten-free Green’s Dry Hopped imported from the UK and the Ayinger Celebrator from Germany, to ales such as Hitachino Nest White Ale from Japan and Belgium’s Saison DuPont.

There’s nothing wrong with this selection and the location should make Beerhaus another good option for beer drinkers on the Vegas Strip.

You can read the press release below for more information:

This spring, Las Vegas visitors and locals will be introduced to Beerhaus, a remix of the American beer hall, tapping an eclectic beer program for hop heads and casual drinkers alike. Located in The Park – MGM Resorts’ new dining and entertainment district opening April 4 – the beer garden will celebrate an indie vibe and boast pours from Vegas-local breweries such as Joseph James alongside beloved domestic crafts and international all stars.

Beerhaus will be ideally situated near the 20,000 seat world-class T-Mobile Arena, playing the role of both pre- and post-event headquarters. Its location, steps from New York-New York and Monte Carlo, sets the stage for a killer outdoor patio scene at the center of all the action. Exposed brick and a roller-coaster-shed façade put revelers in the proper mindset as they transition inside to the industrial-chic setting.

No beer hall is complete without a menu of mouthwatering bites to soak up the suds. Libations will be complemented by artisanal eats that are hormone-free and regionally sourced with the bonus of hand-held ease for maximum efficiency. Bar food will include savory roasted sausages and rotisserie sandwiches with premium meats such as porchetta, beef brisket and free-range chicken. Overhead, a soundtrack reminiscent of indie records and throwback hip-hop will serve as the ideal playlist for complete beer nirvana.

Beauty in the Eye of the Beer-Holder

Whether a seasoned enthusiast or just beer-curious, there will be a rotating selection of refreshing offerings to delight the palate. Renowned Trappist ales brewed by monks stand alongside the familiar Pabst Blue Ribbon, giving all taste buds an equal opportunity at satisfaction at this new sudsy spot.

· Draft: The selection includes lagers such as The Bruery Humulus Lager from Placentia, CA, and Joseph James’ American Light Lager. IPAs including Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin from San Diego and the rich Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout from Longmont, CO will make the draft menu an instant favorite on The Strip.

· Bottles & Cans: Off draft, choices range from the gluten-free Green’s Dry Hopped imported from the UK and the Ayinger Celebrator from Germany, to ales such as Hitachino Nest White Ale from Japan and Belgium’s Saison DuPont.

· Other Taps: For the vinos, Beerhaus offers tap-drawn alternatives to good ol’ grog, including a selection of unique keg wines. The spirit savvy also can get in on the draft goodness through a revolving list of refreshing selections such as small-batched Moscow Mules and Cosmopolitans on tap.

It’s All Fun and Games

Beerhaus will be in the business of brewing good times. Guests are invited to grab a cold one and make new friends over bar games such as Connect Four, which are stationed at every table. Visitors also can engage in friendly competition with beer hall classics such as foosball, shuffle board and ping pong. There’s also corn hole on the outdoor patio to showcase beer-enhanced skills day and night.

New Name For Monte Carlo, Excalibur Expansion, Crystals For Sale, REIT and More From MGM Resorts Earnings Call

Jim Murren, CEO MGM Resorts — Jim Murren

Earlier today I listened to the MGM Resorts quarterly earnings call. The company has so much going on that they’re easily the most fascinating of the Vegas casino companies to follow.

You can read press releases and listen to the MGM quarterly earnings call here for specifics. Below are my notes with lots of information.

Jim Murren said MGM would like to participate in DFS in the future. They’re waiting for clarity in the area. This was last question asked if you’d like specifics.
Excalibur is underperforming and Jim Murren discussed idea of mid-scale retail expansion on the Vegas Strip to draw people into property.
Murren restated that Monte Carlo will have a new name next year. Outlook is very optimistic for the property.
Small note given to the fact that customer booking windows are growing
Crystals still on the market by MGM Resorts. There’s plenty of interest. They’re sorting through investors. Murren says it’s worth over $1 billion.
Mandalay Bay now has the 5th largest convention center in the US after recent expansion. Details on the expansion here.
2016 should be best year ever for conventions at MGM Resorts. Even with Mandalay Bay expansion they still don’t expect to have enough capacity.
Press release on MGM REIT
MGM Resorts keeping 2 most profitable properties in Las Vegas out of the REIT (Bellagio & MGM Grand).
MGM REIT will be called MGM Growth Properties and be a separate stock offering planned for Q1 2016.
MGM Arena not part of REIT because it’s a partnership with AEG. REIT doesn’t include any partnerships like City Center.
Non-luxury MGM Resorts properties growing faster than luxury. For example REVPAR for non-luxury up 14%, lux up 6%
Aria hotel EBITA up 23% Year over Year. Vdara 0ver 40% EBITA increase.
MGM Detroit EBITA only ranks behind Bellagio, MGM Grand & Mandalay Bay. Better than The Mirage, New York New York, etc.
MGM hotel rooms had a 96% occupancy rate last quarter. Up 1% from same period last year.
Average Daily Room rate for MGM hotels was $141 last quarter. That’s up $10 (8%) from same time last year.
Circus Circus is interesting opportunity for MGM seemingly because it’s 100 acres of land on the Vegas Strip.

Get Ready To Say Goodbye To Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo Las Vegas Fountains — Monte Carlo Fountains

Way back in February, Vital Vegas was the first website that I saw mention that the Monte Carlo would be changing names. The hotel has pretty much been entirely been de-themed of its Monte Carlo roots over the past couple years of construction so a name change made sense.

I snapped the picture above of the fountain that used to be located near the Vegas Strip entrance a couple of days before it was removed. Today there’s very little that makes you think about Monte Carlo when you look at the property.

With that in mind it should come as no surprise that the name of the hotel didn’t test well with MGM Resorts customers since there hasn’t been any Monte Carlo at Monte Carlo for a couple of years:

(MGM Resorts, CEO, Jim) Murren said that after the Park project began moving forward, MGM did “a number” of studies and focus groups and found that the Monte Carlo brand did not resonate with customers as well as other MGM properties did.

Jim Murren went on to tell Vegas Inc. the following about Monte Carlo:

“a name change is almost a certainty.” MGM is evaluating the resort’s non-gaming amenities to determine what the rebranded Monte Carlo could look like, he said.

The name change made sense in February and makes even more sense today as Monte Carlo continues construction on new restaurants and a sports book. It makes sense for MGM Resorts to prepare that they will have an entirely new name for this almost entirely new hotel as new outlets begin to open next year.

The next question here is which bland SEO driven name will they choose? Maybe MGM Resorts will sell the name of the hotel to a company like Toshiba like they did the plaza by the new arena.

Photo: Vegas Photo Blog

Mandalay Bay Sports Book On Deck For Renovations

Hidden deep inside an awesome #LongRead article called “Evolution of The Sportsbook” on Covers last week was a nugget about which MGM Resorts hotel will renovate their sports book next.

Technically it won’t be next since Monte Carlo is closing and moving their sports book but it looks like Mandalay Bay is on deck for some well deserved changes.

Rood said Mandalay Bay will hopefully get that treatment next spring or summer, with a completion date ahead of the 2016 football season.

This isn’t a proclamation that Mandalay Bay will definitely have their sports book updated but it does fit into a timeline I heard about last year. This would make sense since for MGM Resorts as they’ve updated almost every facet of Mandalay Bay in the past few years (See Delano here, Mandalay Bay here).

A Mandalay Bay renovation would also make sense since MGM Resorts has renovated their other larger sports books at The Mirage, Bellagio, Aria and (soon) Monte Carlo, in the past few years.

The Mandalay Bay sports book space is huge and could be great but is very very dated. The TV screens and seating may be the same from when the property opened in 1999.

The Mandalay Bay sports book ushered in a whole new VIP level of sports book experience years ago. They were one of the first sports books, if not the first, in Vegas to offer bottle service (see Vegas Chatter article). You now see this type of VIP service available at many different sports books around Vegas.

Photo: ATI-AV

Sake Rok In, Monte Carlo Sportsbook Out

On July 8, I posted the rumor that the Monte Carlo sportsbook would be moving to a new location as MGM Resorts continued construction of park project.

Yesterday Eater Vegas found some renderings of a new restaurant called Sake Rok that gave a little more insight to the Monte Carlo sportsbook moving.

Before the announcement of the Monte Carlo building a $100 million, 5,300 seat, theater and concert hall, Sake Rok was positioned to be built as an addition to the southern side of the resort, taking over space at the rear of their sports book. The renderings also indicate an outdoor dining area was scheduled to The Park, minus the theatrical presentations inside. An official location for the sushi restaurant has yet to be announced.

Sake Rok Las Vegas — Sake Rok – Rendering RAYDE

Sake Rok is scheduled to open in the spring of 2016 but specific details like time and date of Sake Rok construction and sportsbook closure have not been released by MGM Resorts. You can see more renderings of Sake Rok at Ray Design Environments.

A plan for the new sportsbook at Monte Carlo has not been revealed yet. This Covers article about the “Evolution of Sportsbooks” will give you some insight how MGM Resorts has approached their recent sportsbook renovations.

History tells us that MGM Resorts will have a new Monte Carlo sportsbook ready in time for the first weekend of March Madness.

You may remember that The Mirage sportsbook renovations were finished just before March Madness in 2013. Moving the Monte Carlo sportsbook to become a part of The Pub seems more realistic by the day. I’ll share details on that as soon as they’re revealed.

Monte Carlo Sportsbook: Vegas Photo Blog
Sake Rok rendering: RAYDE

Rumor: The Mirage And Marriott To Partner

By now you’ve probably read the rumors and analyst discussion about MGM Resorts selling The Mirage. Today MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren said that The Mirage isn’t on the market. Well, if the rumors about The Mirage already being sold are true than he’s not lying. It’s not on the market.

My source that says the The Mirage has been sold also says that they will have a new hotel partner once they’re no longer be a part of M Life, MGM Resorts’ players club.

It’s rumored that Marriott will be the hotel partner for The Mirage once the sale goes through.

It’s difficult to be an independent hotel-casino operator on the Vegas Strip so Starwood Capital Group is taking steps to bring in a partner to help fill the hotel. Marriott was just voted the #1 national hotel chain rewards program by US News and World Report.

Starwood is also rumored to bringing in Paragon Gaming to operate the casino. Paragon currently operates the Westgate casino and used to operate the Riviera casino.

Marriott is currently the hotel partner for Cosmopolitan but it’s been rumor for while that the relationship will end soon since Blackstone, owners of Cosmo, also owns Hilton.

You can see the press release for MGM Resorts’ quarterly earnings here.

Monte Carlo Gets New Theater

Monte Carlo Las Vegas Theater And Park Rendering

There are so many rumors about Monte Carlo that it’s hard to keep up with what I actually post. Last week I posted that a new theater would be built at Monte Carlo to replace the current Blue Man Group Theater. MGM Resorts confirmed that rumor today and also revealed where Blue Man Group would be moving.

Rumors about the sportsbook, poker room, name change and more are still unconfirmed. The park area between New York-New York and Monte Carlo continues to evolve. Here’s the press release about the theater and a blog post on where Blue Man Group will be moving:

LAS VEGAS, July 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM), one of the world’s leading presenters of live entertainment, today announced plans for an approximately 5,000-seat theater at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. The new concert venue will amplify the vibrant entertainment district taking shape on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip with a robust calendar featuring special engagements by many of the music industry’s most-celebrated performers.

With more than 7 million entertainment tickets sold in 2014 alone, MGM Resorts’ offerings are unrivaled. The Company owns and operates two arenas; two Las Vegas Strip festival lots (62 acres); seven theaters housing Cirque du Soleil production shows; 14 theaters for concerts, headliners and comedy performances; and more than two dozen lounges and nightclubs. Additionally, it is currently developing a new world-class Las Vegas arena as well as integrated resort projects in Macau and National Harbor, Maryland, each of which will feature entertainment venues as central amenities.

Rumors: Cosmopolitan And Monte Carlo Sportsbook Moving

Rumors are all over the place with Monte Carlo heading deep into construction of The Park. This park-like area will be located between Monte Carlo and New York-New York leading to the new arena that’s scheduled to open next year.

Monte Carlo has undergone some major changes with its Vegas Strip frontage and now they’re moving to the side leading to the arena. Similarly (but not the same) the Cosmo is renovating its casino floor. Here’s the juice I’m hearing:

Monte Carlo Rumors

Vegas Eater says that the Blue Man Group Theater will be closing and becoming a larger theater to be used as a concert hall. Now comes rumor (on the Five Hundy By Midnight Podcast) that the Monte Carlo sportsbook will be closing and moving into The Pub. This would make The Pub more of a sports lounge and closer to what you see at Bellagio and The Mirage.

If this rumor is true it wouldn’t be surprising to see the poker room also close and move. The sportsbook and poker room occupy the same side of the casino so it might make sense to see both shuttered to make way for the planned restaurants and bars.

Possibility: Both make sense and sound logical.

Cosmopolitan Rumors

Last month I wrote about the rumor that Cosmopolitan may be getting a poker room on Vegas Chatter. That still hasn’t come to fruition but there’s another rumor about their tiny CG Technology sportsbook.

Word is that the sportsbook will be moving from the second floor to the first floor with the other casino gaming. I reached out to a CG Technology rep on twitter and didn’t receive a response like I have every other question I’ve asked.

Possibility: Not sure the majority of customers would care about either. I could make a case for both but I can also see bean counters not caring about such a small piece of gaming revenue (about 2%-3% total).

Closing

Rumors are a hit and miss proposition. Sometimes they’re true and sometimes they’re not. The success rate I’ve had with rumors that make sense is about 50%. If that holds true here then we should see two of the rumors mentioned above come true. Time will tell as construction is progressing at Monte Carlo and Cosmo is quietly making changes to their property.