Siegel’s details

By Sarah Feldberg

Monday, May 3, 2010 | 4:39 p.m.

If Siegel Group president Stephen Siegel has his way, Vegas is going to get a little smaller in the hotel department. Siegel Group has acquired five properties around town with a mission of revamping the decrepit and mismanaged into attractive, modern havens from the big-casino scene. Read all about the company's boutique ambitions here, or continue on for a few insights into how they've been staging their own Extreme Makeover for Vegas properties that have bottomed out.

Gold Spike

A lot has changed at 400 E. Ogden Avenue.

• New look: Beneath the classic Gold Spike sign, the casino has been redone in muted browns with simple, clean finishes. "The only thing we kept are the four walls," explained Siegel Group Director of Business Development Michael Crandall, adding that they've actually lost some regulars who were "scared away by the cleanliness."

• Fresh air: Smoke out, breathable air in. The ventilation system now seems to be actually ventilating. Also missing: the conspicuous scents pumped into some Strip properties.

• New rules: The Gold Spike used to be a destination for folks looking to kill time indoors playing an occasional penny slot. A bolstered staff makes sure no one camps out in the casino.

• Room renewal: "We were taken aback," Crandall said of the extent of decay in the Gold Spike's rooms when Spiegel Group took over in early 2008. After spending $100,000 to remove asbestos from the property, they gave the rooms a complete makeover, adding iPod docks, flat screens and a simple white, black and teal color scheme. A photo from the Neon Boneyard in each room depicts a sign with the word "Modern," just in case you aren't getting the message.

• Suite life: Seven suites on the Gold Spike's top floor all feature large patios and amenities such as stripper poles or pool tables, which vary room to room.

• Good neighbors: In Gold Spike's less savory days, its neighbor was an equally depressing Travel Inn. Siegel Group has bought the property and given it a full 180, renaming it the Oasis at Gold Spike. The two hotels are connected via a walkway and share a pool that will host summer parties.

• Something old: A taste of the old Gold Spike still can be found in the elevators, the last pieces of the building to be replaced. With ceiling pieces missing and obvious signs of abuse, they're a reminder of how far the property has come.

Rumor

Soon to be Siegel Group's flagship property, boutique resort Rumor in the Harmon Avenue space formerly home to the St. Tropez will open in June.

• Dive in: The resort's low-level buildings all look out onto a massive courtyard and giant pool that will be Rumor's centerpiece. Expect pool parties, free yoga lessons, private events and concerts.

• Old school: Crandall emphasized the service at Rumor, which is modeled after a Vegas of days gone by when guests were greeted by name and everyone was treated like a regular.

• New look: By the end of its tenure, the St. Tropez's look was beyond dated, so Siegel Group has gone back to the drawing board and to Tandem Design and Mark Tracy of Chemical Spaces for the design of its lobby and rooms. Rooms will be done in purple and gray with clean lines and small ornate details, and the lobby will be built of unmatched but complimentary pieces.

• Play it safe: Rumor will be a non-gaming facility, almost. There will be a few machines in the hotel's bar, but for everything else guests will be directed across the street to the Hard Rock.

• Familiar face: Directing the Rumor team will be a familiar face that most people are used to seeing on the other side of Harmon Avenue. Yale Rowe, formerly of the Hard Rock, has joined Siegel Group full time to work on the new project