LINQ Casino & Resort Launched on October 30 after a $223 Million Renovation
Caesars Entertainment plan on renovating the Quad Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. When the update is finished, the property will be renamed the LINQ Hotel & Casino. The name is taken from a popular shopping mall in the Las Vegas area. When completed, the LINQ Casino could become one of the attractions of the Las Vegas Strip. The complex will boast one of the tallest observation decks in the world.
The rebranding is part of a plan to build trendy new shopping and dining establishments in the Quad’s vicinity. A night life center is part of the $223 million upgrade. Much of the money will make the Linq one of the world’s most technologically advanced hotels.
Automated Check-in Process
One notable feature of the upgrade is an automated check-in process. The Linq Hotel will have a VIP lounge complete with touch-screen monitors for booking dining and entertainment activities. High-speed wireless Interent service will be provided throughout the hotel and promenade area.
World’s New Coolest Tourist Attraction
The Linq’s promenade will have 14 retail shops, 12 restaurants, 8 bars and clubs, and 2 concert venues. The complex will have a lobby bar, spa amenities, and a new pool deck. The promenade also will have the High Roller, the world’s tallest observation deck. Travel & Leisure Magazine recently said the Linq’s observation deck on the High Roller, which is the world’s largest Ferris wheel, will be the “world’s coolest new tourist attraction“.
Tariq Shauat, Caesars Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, says the newly christened resort will “pioneer the creation of a new type of space for the changing Las Vegas consumer.”
Renovations Completed by October 30
Renovations are expected to be completed by October 30, 2014. Even after the rebranding, the resort is expected to have affordable room rates (as low as $89 a night). With the technological advancement and the upgraded concierge, Caesars Entertainment hopes to lure some of the foreign high rollers who are beginning to arrive in greater numbers from Asia. In recent years, baccarat (an Asian staple) has become a much bigger revenue source, due to the demographic change.
About the Quad Hotel
The Quad Hotel and Casino was purchased by Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment) in 2005. At the time, the property was named the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace was operated by a family trust created after owner Ralph Engelstad’s death in 2002.
When the Imperial Palace was bought, many gaming analysts believed Caesars would tear down the old complex and use the space for a more modern casino. Instead, Caesars Entertainment refurbished the old hotel and changed its name to the Quad. Over the years, online reviewers tend to give the older property bad grades. Common comments say the 2,500-room hotel, which is found between between the Flamingo and Harrah’s on the Las Vegas Strip, looks “old” and “dirty”.
About the Architects
The architects on the redesign are Elkus Manfredi and Bergman, Walls & Associates. Elkus / Manfredi Architects is a Boston-based architecture firm known for projects such as the CityPlace in West Palm Beach, InterContinental Boston, Americana, and the Village at USC. The company also renovated the Paramount Theater in Boston, developed a section of the Galleria on Al Maryah Island (in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates), and is building “The Modern” building in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The firm was established in 1988 by Howard F. Elkus and David Manfredi, both graduates of the American Institute of Architects.
Bergman, Walls & Associates is a Los Angeles based architectural firm. The company was founded in 1968 under the name Stern and Associates. From 1978 to 1994, it was called Atlandia Design. Since 1994, Joel Bergman and Scott Walls joined and the company was renamed Bergman, Walls & Associates. Both Bergman and Walls worked for Steve Wynn prior to joining Atlandia Design.
Their connection to Steve Wynn means Bergman, Walls & Associates has worked on the Golden Nugget Las Vegas (and in Atlantic City and Laughlin), the Mirage, and Treasure Island. Since 1994, the firm built the Signature at MGM Grand, completed the renovation at Caesars Palace, and built the Rendezvous Tower at Resorts Atlantic City. Bergman, Walls & Associates also designed the Trump Hotel Las Vegaas, Fountainbleau Resort Las Vegas, and Paris Las Vegas.
