Las Vegas Sun - History

March 28, 2024

March 28, 2024 Currently: ° | Complete forecast

New Hotel Not Waiting For Convention Hall To Be Built

The fear of opening any more new Strip resort hotels patterned after those that failed last year has caused at least one operation to be completely revamped in order to have a better chance at survival.

The Las Vegas Hacienda, still unlicensed and unopened, will not enter into the bidding for high-priced dining room entertainment, but instead, is already lining up conventions and organizational groups up to 1,000 capacity, which will meet in the erstwhile dining room.

If present plans of the Hacienda management are carried out, the hotel will book as many fall and winter meetings as possible, to ensure a full house during an otherwise slow period. Needless to say, the Hacienda plans to fill up first and keep the overflow nearby. Thus, the hotel's casino will have first chance at gambling patrons by virtue of their conventions sessions in the adjoining room.

The Hacienda "dining room" will seat 300, and the stage, once planned for lavish entertainment, will instead be used as a display area for wares of interest to delegates.

In addition to the man room, several smaller rooms have been set aside nearby for committee meetings.

Already, several groups have been contacted to meet here next fall and winter, with headquarters at the Hacienda. Additionally, Hacienda officials are negotiating for a West Coast office staffed by one of the area's leading sales promotion men, to head up a team geared to book regional and national groups.

The Hacienda will have a head start in the convention field, since many of its investors area also owners of the Haciendas in Fresno and Bakersfield, Calif. These hostelries, already catering to many California businessmen and groups, will channel conferences to Las Vegas whenever possible.

Tot take the place of the lavish shows Strip habitues have come to expect, Hacienda Entertainment Director Bruce Davis plans to book top-flight lounge acts. The "dining room" will not be used for serving food, and will be kept dark except during conventions and meetings.

Davis said he will sign only big-name talent among the lounge acts, and plans continuous entertainment or dancing from 5 p.m. through 6 a.m. in the lounge adjoining the casino.

Principal Las Vegas investor in the Hacienda is Jake Kozloff, former operator of the old Last Frontier hotel. There are 39 others seeking to be licensed for the casinos with the Nevada Tax Commission and Clark County. Most of these are California businessmen.

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