Alex Rizk, CEO of Elevations Hotels and Resorts, poses for a photo at the Lexi Hotel Thursday, June 1, 2023.
Monday, June 19, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Visitors to the Lexi Las Vegas — an elegant but eclectic hotel that recently opened just west of the Strip — may feel transported back in time as soon as they enter its grand lobby, where an indoor fountain, marble floors, multicolored lights and more create a somewhat whimsical atmosphere.
The newly christened Lexi is well-known for having an entire floor of cannabis-friendly rooms, but Alex Rizk — CEO of parent company Elevations Hotels & Resorts — emphasized that the quaint, 64-room hotel has much more to offer. It debuted earlier this month.
“You don’t come to our hotel just to get stoned — it’s not the goal,” Rizk said. “It’s not why you come to our hotel. You come for the experience, the events, the parties, the pool parties … and the fact that we allow (cannabis) consumption in certain areas, where permissible by law, is just an additional perk.”
Public consumption of cannabis is not allowed in Nevada, and Rizk said the Lexi isn’t trying to challenge that.
Instead, all the rooms on its fourth floor — boutique-style, with modern paneling, lighting and vintage mini fridges — have been outfitted with specialized air filtration systems so people can bring their own product and smoke it privately.
“Our interpretation of the law tells us that we are in the OK zone,” Rizk said. “And the more and more that I’ve been speaking with the city officials — they are accepting to walk that line as well.”
David Edelblute, an attorney at Howard & Howard Attorneys in Las Vegas, said the distinguishing legal factor of the Lexi’s approach to cannabis consumption is that it does not intend to sell cannabis products, or allow consumption in public areas.
Cannabis regulation in Nevada is relatively new and constantly changing, Edelblute said, but the efforts of businesses like the Lexi as well as stakeholders and regulators — as they seek to both protect the public and permit consumption — should contribute to effectively and safely growing the industry.
“I think the demand for responsible adult use in the cannabis industry is very high,” he said. “I think innovation is very high, both in Nevada and in other jurisdictions that allow it, and so I think you’ll continue to see not only other hotels that don’t have gaming consider this type of approach, but other types of what are considered public spaces pushing the boundaries and working with all of the the partners in this industry to make these things work.”
Rizk emphasized that the Lexi and the Elevations brand overall are taking on the challenge of providing legal cannabis consumption in Nevada’s still-uncertain regulatory landscape with the hopes of benefitting the industry overall — but not with the intent of confronting regulators.
“It’s a very new law, so we’re hoping to be able to help trailblaze … the evolving of the current laws,” Rizk said. “Especially in Las Vegas, and Nevada in general — everything is pretty nimble, everything is flexible. Everything’s changing all the time.”
Rizk, owner and CEO of Pro Hospitality Group — the hotel brokerage, investment and financing firm behind the Elevations brand — said the company purchased the Lexi in March 2022 and it has since undergone an approximately $4 million renovation.
Though the hotel differs from traditional Las Vegas resorts in both its size and lack of gaming, Rizk said it can provide guests with more intimacy and curated service.
In addition to a bar and lounge, decorated with cozy couches and with space for a DJ, the Lexi also has a European-style — “top-tional” — pool with a full bar.
The hotel will eventually have a members-only lounge, Rizk added, and overall aims to offer an array of good food and drinks for cheaper than guests may find elsewhere.
“We’re not trying to rival with the Strip for our pricing — we are for the quality, but not for the pricing,” he said. “And we want to become a local attraction … We want them to come back here and feel that they have that special oasis away from the Strip.”
The goal is that the Lexi hovers around 75% to 80% occupancy, he said.
“I’m excited, but I’m really nervous at the same time,” Rizk said. “I really want to make sure that this goes well, and I’m excited to see the first three months and how we’re going to start ramping up, and see if we’re going to meet our expectations.”
