E-313: #360VV9 Fall 2019

Random Vegas 

SLS was claimed stand for “Service, Luxury, Style” by owners SBE.  However the truth is it doesn’t stand for anything.  Legend has it that the hotel got its name when SBE founder Sam Nazarian pulled up behind a Mercedes SL500 and made the “SL5” into “SLS” (@VitalVegas) 

Twitpic of the week 

It’s easy to forget that Imperial Palace wasn’t always the loveable shithole we all remember it as.  Its concept was to offer an affordable resort themed as heavily as its neighbor across the street, Caesars Palace.  Not only was the concept well received, it was so popular the place couldn’t expand fast enough to keep up with demand, showcased in the photo shared by @PixVegas777 with its first hotel tower, brought on line in 1977.  5 hotel towers later and regardless of any lax in maintenance, similar to Circus Circus, the place became a cash cow.  Despite bemoaning that the place was in need of a renovation, it didn’t seem to detour anyone from staying and playing there, so why bother.  And so it did until the property was reimagined as the Quad.  That lasted less than 2 years before deciding to abandon that name in favor of leveraging the outdoor promenade branding, known as the LINQ.  No one will argue that the property has changed for the better, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop fondly recalling whatever idealized version of the Imperial Palace we choose to remember. 

Trip Report

360 Vegas Vacation 9 

E-265: Fun Cunts

Random Vegas

Ralph Engelstad, owner of the Flamingo Capri before it became the Imperial palace, was once offered a contract to play for hockey professionally for the Chicago Blackhawks.  He turned it down to build his own construction company.

Twitpic of the week

Based on the landmarks pictured, its a little before my time. But it still captures the essence of the city as it was introduced to me in 2004.  It wasn't by design but there was magical transition that used to exist just beyond the northern curve of the Las Vegas strip.  It felt almost like traveling back in time at a leisurely pace. The Mirage kicked off the next generation of Vegas resorts on the strip to be built around and south of it, while the elder statesmen of the market continued to do their thing to the north.  However just like a mid-life crisis corvette, the desire to feel young again eventually took hold.  And just like a pick up game of basketball with people 20 years your junior, at some point you realized you can't keep up.  Best intentions to improve on a proven formula returned the majority of north strip to the desert.  What was once densely populated by the icons of yesteryear, showcased in the picture shared by @tonyIllia, are now mostly giant undeveloped parcels of land again.  Glass half full, they're prepped and ready for the next visionary to make their mark on the city. 

News

Wynn Resorts Rundown
Las Vegas Convention Center Expansion
Podcasters After Dark Tickets
Vegas Golden Knights News
Icahn Sells Tropicana

PCP - 360 Vintage Vegas: Imperial Palace

Patreon.com/360Vegas

Imperial Palace.  Never have two words meant such polar opposites to people, depending on what side of the globe they live on.  To the Japanese, it is the elegant residence of the Emperor; a sprawling park like area with Edo Castle as its centerpiece, originally build in 1457.  In the 1980s, it's value was greater than that of the entire state of California.  Also in the 1980s, the Imperial Palace came to be known as a hotel casino on the Las Vegas strip.  Unlike its namesake, while inflation would increase the monetary value of the property, time would give it the reputation as one of the worst kept properties in the market, competing for the title year over year with Circus Circus.  And just like the property it shared that dubious distinction with, Imperial Palace’s ownership didn’t care.  Why should they?  They knew exactly who their demographic was and how to cater to it and they didn't seemed to be complaining.  Seeking the approval of those that looked down at their customer base wasn’t part of the business plan.

Despite the companies well-documented investment mismanagement, LINQ is Caesars proof of concept, showcasing that a total transformation can be done without imploding and starting over.  Its success no doubt encouraged other such projects in the market, like the complete reimagining of Bill's Gambling Hall, better known as Barbary Coast, into Cromwell and Monte Carlo's transformation into Park MGM.  As much as we support the preservation of history, Vegas has shown it should never be done at the expense of progress.  Preventing an abandon, outdated building from being destroyed or replaced by something better suited for the needs of today doesn't honor its place in history, it sullies its memory (I'm looking at you Moulin Rouge).  The same way no one likes to say goodbye to a loved one, time comes for us all.  Honor their memory by allowing them to pass on with grace and remember them the way they would have wanted to be remembered, bathed in neon at 2:30 in the morning.

E-206: Rise of the Idiots

Random Vegas

Wayne McAllister, the architect behind the El Rancho, the Sands and many more as well as largely credited with giving Vegas it’s design esthetic, was a high school drop out that taught himself architecture (Architecture Las Vegas Magazine)

Twitpic of the week

Break out your Commodore 64, feather that hair and turn up Michael Jackson’s Thriller because there is all sorts of awesome going on in this week’s winner, brought to you by @theforumshops, showing center strip, circa 1982.  Even our friend Dr. Dave @unlvgaming didn’t know where to start.  So I shall attempt to undertake this gargantuan task.  First, I would argue that Caesars signage today is sad excuse for a marquee in comparison to this big, beautiful, massive sign.  Rocking the old Caesars font along with gold characters set with that lovely blue back drop, this picture shows how old school Caesars made it crystal clear that the man we know as Newton is dominating the US and currently appearing in the Circus Maximus theater.  Good god, look at that thing. I’m in awe.  It so large it even does a pretty good job of hiding the Shell gas station sign behind it.  Next up, THE IMPERIAL PALACE HAS A MARQUEE! Not a 3 -tory storage shed but an actual marquee that lights up at night, showing off the resorts theme, pagodas and all.  And representing what happened in my pants when I saw this picture is Flamingo’s iconic Plume sign complete with the neon rainbow and “pots of gold” at its base.  I’m pretty sure it’s well know in this community that I love signage and Vegas marquees are usually the best of the best so this picture was kind of like signage porn to me.  I can’t tell if this picture represents or juxtaposes the coked out reputation the 80s has but what ever it is, I like it.

NEWS

More Confirmed Events for 360 Vegas Vacation 4

Stupid Karma 

Valueless Replica Destroyed

Absinthe Relocating

More Changes at Caesars