Neon Diary: Two Resorts Open in Two Weeks in Las Vegas

Saturday, December 16, 2023

By Doug Puppel

After nearly three years since its last new resort, Las Vegas saw two properties open their doors in two weeks in the first half of December.

On Dec. 5, the $780 million Durango Casino & Resort opened with 200 hotel rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, becoming the first resort in the booming southwest Las Vegas Valley. On Dec. 13, the Fontanebleu concluded its 15-year odyssey from groundbreaking to opening with a star-studded party to celebrate completion of the $3.7 billion luxury resort at the north end of the Strip.

The two properties cater to different markets — the Fontainebleau for upscale travelers and conventioneers and the Durango for locals — and come online amid flat Las Vegas visitor volume, which is still slightly below its pre-pandemic peak. The city did, however, set a record in October for average daily room rates at $233.22, with occupancy at 87.7%, unchanged from a year earlier, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

The Durango offers a desert chic vibe, with architectural and design elements used to blur the distinction between outside and inside. The interior makes extensive use of plants, plant walls and stone-look walls, while restaurants like The George sports bar and Mijo Mexican restaurant offering sprawling patio areas. While the property is designed for locals, its price points are typically higher than other resorts that cater to Las Vegas residents.

The Fontainebleau opening attracted a long line of A-listers, including Tom Brady, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Paul Anka, Sylvester Stallone, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, Lenny Kravitz, Cher, Alice Cooper and Ivanka Trump.

They celebrated the conclusion of one of the longest development sagas in the Strip’s history, which saw the Fontainebleau project go through several owners and name changes. It was proposed before the Great Recession and construction stalled for years before resuming in fits and starts until original developers the Soffer family (of Fontainebleau Miami fame)  reacquired the property in 2021 in partnership with Fontainebleau Development and Koch Real Estate Investments​.

The resort targets an affluent clientele and is near the Wynn, Encore, and the Las Vegas Convention Center. Before December, the Fontanebleu’s north Strip neighbor Resorts World was the last Las Vegas resort to open, in June 2021.

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Veteran rockers and power ballad pioneers REO Speedwagon just announced residency dates at the Venetian in 2024. Miranda Lambert announced what the country star said would be the last dates of her “Velvet Rodeo” residency in spring 2024. Other acts with Las Vegas residencies or performances in 2024 include: Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Garth Brooks Journey, Foreigner, the Scorpions, Shania Twain, Maroon 5, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, and Carrie Underwood.

Doug Puppel is a writer and model in Las Vegas.

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