Why doesn’t Hard Rock let me take alcohol into the hotel room?

Question:

Why doesn’t Hard Rock let me take alcohol into the hotel room? There is a guard watching for violators.

Answer:

It took several runs at both the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and its corporate parent, Morgans Hotel Group, to produce a response.

The Hard Rock’s verbatim response to your query is: “The Hard Rock is known as one of the best party spots in Vegas, so naturally we attract a younger crowd. The security checking for alcohol being brought in is a safety measure we take to help prevent minors from having alcohol in the rooms.”

UPDATE: 06-23-2009  They’re hard at the Hard Rock:

“Why doesn’t Hard Rock let me take SOFT DRINKS into the hotel room? There is a guard watching for violators. They tried to confinscate a six-pack of Coke at the elevator. I had to leave, hide it in my suitcase, and return later. I thought they might even search my suitcase.”

My Note: The real reason is so that you buy the Hard Rock’s liquor and drink it in the casion where you will gamble away your money.

Las Vegas Condo Market

Las Vegas Condo Question:

Over the past couple of years a number of condo/condo-hotels have opened on or near the Strip: Allure (428 units), Boca Raton (756), Juhl (341), Loft 5 (168), Panorama Towers (600), Turnberry Place (636), Platinum (255), MGM Signature (1,728), Palms Place (599), Trump International (1,282). These (there may be others) total 7,293 condos. Yet to come in the next or two are some additional thousands at CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Planet Hollywood, and others. Considering the current real estate market, how have the sales gone for the projects already open? Are many in foreclosure? Were many deposits (made several years ago when prices were still escalating) forefeited?

Answer
:
First, an inventory of the existing Las Vegas condo inventory and sold units:

Allure: 427 units; 225 closed.

Boca Raton: 378 completed units (another 378 in planning stages); of those completed, “over 50%” are closed.

Juhl: 2,046 units (six towers with 341 units each); 13 closed.

Loft 5: Unknown — they use an unhelpful answering service instead of humans, it seems.

Panorama Towers: 1,010 units; 666 closed.

One Las Vegas: 359 units; 40 closed.

Turnberry Place: 632 units; unknown how many are closed.

Platinum: 255 units; unclear how many of those are sold.

MGM Signature: 1,728 units; 100% are sold, though a number are up for resale.

Palms Place: 599 units; “over 60%” of the units are closed.

Trump International: 1,282 units; 300 closed.

Streamline Towers: 275 units; 10% closed (according to SalesTraq).

In addition, 90 buyers suddenly found themselves without condos when the Harmon Hotel in CityCenter had to be halved in height, due to rampant construction defects. Those would-be Harmon residents could be dispersed to other CityCenter condos (in the Vdara, Mandarin Oriental or Veer high-rises) or they might take their refunded deposits and wind up at Turnberry or other existing condo towers.

Concerning foreclosures and forfeited deposits, Las Vegas Business Press real estate reporter Tony Illia says that’s “the type of information developers keep secret.” Larry Murphy, president of SalesTraq, which keeps tabs on condo closings, told the Las Vegas Sun: “We are seeing a substantial amount of foreclosures for [the second-wave] buyers who paid higher prices. We are seeing foreclosures in the high-rise market just like the rest of the housing market. It is not immune.”

Many of those getting burned, Murphy added, were speculators who bought condos in hopes of flipping them at a markup. That’s not happening –- quite the reverse, in fact. Condos at Palms Place, for one, have been going back on the market at a loss. (Up in Reno, condo units on the top floors of the Grand Sierra, formerly the Reno Hilton, which sold for $400,000 when they first came on the market, are reselling for around $70,000.)

In a further blow, BankUnited blacklisted 14 southern Nevada condo towers last February, saying it would no longer write purchase loans for: Sky Las Vegas, Panorama Towers, One Queensridge Place, Allure, the District at Green Valley Ranch, Manhattan Condominiums, Park Avenue Condominiums, Meridian (Hughes Center), Turnberry Place, SoHo Lofts, Newport Lofts, Turnberry Towers, and two others. An increasing number of foreclosures was one of the reasons cited for the loan freeze.

Some condo boosters, however, continue to try and jawbone the market back up, noting that there are “only” 1,306 condos on the Strip. That number will be greatly diluted if the bankrupt Cosmopolitan (1,700 units) and Fontainebleau (1,000 units) towers open as planned and are not converted into hotel rooms outright –- as is happening after the fact at Trump International.

As for those condos, such as Turnberry and Sky, which were holding the line on prices last winter, high-end realtor Bruce Hiatt told the Sun, “They are holding back because they know it is going to be several years before high rises are going to be built again, and they are not going to give them away because of the current market situation. They know once they are gone, they are gone.”

And yet, few are being bought.

From: http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com

Susan Boyle in Vegas

Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle, recently signed by her mentor, Simon Cowell, is reportedly being shopped to Planet Hollywood Resort. There was no confirmation or denial from Planet Hollywood Resort, which is owned by Brit Robert Earl, a close friend of Cowell’s. A reader of the London Evening Standard, which reported the development, commented on the newspaper’s Web site: “Of all the venues in America, why does it have to be Las Vegas. … What a tacky, tawdry showcase for someone who has brought the world together in a way no one has in decades. Before America finishes with her she’ll be a sideshow.”

From Norm: http://www.lvrj.com/news/48598772.html

Oceans 11 Script up for Auction in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood

A Las Vegas actor is ready to turn the page and sell his most prized possession — a script for “Ocean’s Eleven” — in an upcoming auction.

Rusty Meyers, one of a dozen local actors with speaking parts in the 2001 blockbuster starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, got most of the cast to sign the script during filming here.

Meyers’ script is among the inventory for a summer sale by Julien’s Auctions on June 26 and 27 at Planet Hollywood Resort. The script is valued between $800 and $1,200.

The event, one of the largest celebrity auctions held in Las Vegas, features prescription bottles issued to Elvis Presley the day before he died, hundreds of Marilyn Monroe photos (including her last sitting) and furniture from her home at the time of her death, and an intimate letter written by Michael Jackson, thanking a young man for a “magic moment in my life.”

The auction items are on display all week on the mezzanine at Planet Hollywood Resort.

Meyers, who appeared in Wendy’s hamburger commercials for a decade, played the security guard in “Ocean’s Eleven” who allowed the money cart to enter the Bellagio vault with Chinese actor Shaobo Qin (Yen) hidden inside.

It took him about a year to get the main actors. “The last one was Bernie Mack. He was hosting an awards event at the MGM Grand and I was doing some stand-in work. I drove home to get the script,” said Meyers. Mack died unexpectedly last year.

Some may recall that Meyers did all the voices for the original pirate battle at Treasure Island — except for the British captain.

“Steve Wynn did that one,” said Meyers.

The auction includes 200 Cher items, from her Bob Mackie-designed clothing to leopard-print furniture from her Malibu home.

The Elvis items come from the collection of his personal physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos, who is auctioning off dozens of mementos, including the infamous black bag that contained Elvis’ drugs. The Julien family expects the bag to fetch between $4,000 and $6,000.

Other items on the block: Bob Hope’s golf putters, studio promotional photographs signed by Ronald Reagan, personal checks signed by Clark Gable, Errol Flynn and Monroe and Bing Crosby’s 1963 California driver’s license.

Certain to pique interest from Michael Jackson collectors is the entertainer’s handwritten note to a new friend.

“Greg thanks for the magic moment in my life. I hope it was the same for you, please come to visit Neverland. Let’s hope this is the beginning of a long friendship and never lose your boyish spirit. It’s imortal. (sic) Love always, M. Jackson.”

The letter came from David Gest’s collection.

Stay free in Primm – Freecation

Primm Valley Casino Resorts offers Freecation for Nevada residents

Updated: // June 18, 2009 11:19 PM

The people down in Primm are bringing back an offer that almost sounds too good to be true. Primm Valley Casino Resorts is offering locals a freecation at its resorts in Primm.

All you have to do is prove you are a Nevada resident to get in on the deal. It runs through July 9th.

Here is the press release on the Freecation:
Back by popular demand, Primm Valley Casino Resorts again offers Nevada residents a free vacation available Thursday, June 18  – Thursday, July 9, 2009. Guests must book their FREECATION by calling 1.800.FUNSTOP (1.800.386.7867) or click here to visit their web site.

Primm Valley Casino Resorts’ FREECATION includes:

• $50 free play valid at Primm Valley, Buffalo Bill’s and Whiskey Pete’s
• Two all attraction passes, which include admission to the Adventure Canyon Log Flume, Turbo Drop and the Desperado Roller Coaster at Buffalo Bill’s
• Two free drinks at the world famous Tree Bar inside Buffalo Bill’s
• Two for one breakfast buffet at Miss Ashley’s inside Buffalo Bill’s
• Two for one lunch buffet at Miss Ashley’s inside Buffalo Bill’s
• Two for one dinner buffet at Miss Ashley’s inside Buffalo Bill’s
• Complimentary appetizer with dinner at GPs inside Primm Valley
• Two nights FREE accommodations at Buffalo Bill’s

Guests must be 21 and present a valid Nevada resident identification. Primm Valley Casino Resorts’ FREECATION is available seven days a week and subject to availability. Guests must be players’ club members and present card upon checking in or sign up for the players’ club card upon arrival. For more information or to book a FREECATION, call 1.800.FUNSTOP (1.800.386.7867) or click here to visit their web site. The FREECATION offer may be redeemed only once during the promotion period per household.  All offers are subject to availability, and may be changed or canceled at any time. Restrictions may apply.

Las Vegas Peepshow Holly Madison Discount Tickets

STARRING HOLLY MADISON
PEEPSHOW
VEGAS‘ ONLY STRIPTEASE SPECTACULAR!

PEEPSHOW’S HOLLY MADISON TAKES IT OFF JUST FOR YOU!

To celebrate her arrival in Peepshow on June 22nd, Holly Madison
is taking it off – $40 off* great seats, that is – just for you.
For a limited time, Holly has arranged for you to save $40 per
ticket on VIP or Orchestra locations to the show critics are
calling “Spectacular!,” “A frisky, flashy update on that Vegas
staple, the topless burlesque show.,” and “Young, hip, super sexy
and fun!”.  But hurry, with Holly on the runway tickets are sure
to move quickly. Use code LOCAL40 when placing your order.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS OR CALL (800) 745-3000

PEEPSHOW IS CREATED FOR ADULTS 18 AND OLDER

For more information visit LASVEGASPEEPSHOW.COM
Prices do not include applicable taxes.

*Discount offer applies to performances starring Holly Madison,
6/22/09 through 10/13/09. Offer applies to VIP tickets and front
orchestra (p2) seating locations. Not valid on previously
purchased tickets or in conjunction with any other offer. All
sales final, no refunds or exchanges.

Las Vegas Happenings June 18, 2009

Las Vegas ‘LION KING’ CAST GATHERING

JUNE18: Cast and company of “The Lion King” are gathering at Poetry nightclub (Forum Shops at Caesars). The club remains open to the public.

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MEL B’S FAREWELL

JUNE 20: Spice GIrl Mel B’s farewell party. She’s leaving “Peepshow” after Sunday.

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BACK AT THE BOOTLEGGER

Former Elvis Choir member Kelly Clinton returned to the Bootlegger Bistro on Mondays, this time with an open-mic cabaret show.

Clinton, who hosted celebrity karaoke on Mondays for three-plus years at the nightclub, hopes to turn her show into a weekly showcase for established and upcoming talent.

She was 19 when she was discovered at Frank Link’s Maxim showcase.

“There’s not a lot of places where you can do this now and there’s so many talented people out there,” she said.

Showtime is 9 p.m.

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“WORLD MAGNETIC TOUR” COMING TO MANDALAY BAY

Metallica To Bring “World Magnetic Tour” to Mandalay Bay Events Center, Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m.

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Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza 20th Anniversary

Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza is thrilled to announce its 20th Anniversary. To celebrate this achievement, and Sammy’s dedication to the community, we’re hosting four Sammy’s Nights charity events June 21-24, each benefiting a featured local organization. Anyone who brings in a Sammy’s Night flyer for one of the featured organizations on their respective date will have 20% of their check donated to the charity. The fliers will be available through the organizations and the Sammy’s website.

Check out the listing of featured organizations below for California and Nevada, and be sure to mark your calendars. We’re able to celebrate this milestone thanks to the amazing support of our guests, like all of you Tasty Byter’s!

www.sammyspizza.com

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NHL Awards

The red-carpet entry to today’s NHL Awards starts at 3 p.m. at the entrance of the Palms. Many of the nominees, including Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and members of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, are expected, along with NHL legends Tony Esposito, Stan Mikita, Mark Messier, Sergei Federov and Luc Robataille. Also making red-carpet appearances: recording artist Robin Thicke, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Chaka Khan, crooner Michael Buble and actor Kevin Connolly, star of “Entourage.” … NFL lightning rod Terrell Owens wasn’t making many new fans Sunday at the Palms pool while filming a reality show. “He was all smiles when the camera was on,” said a spy, “but he was a jerk to everybody that wanted a photo or even to say ‘hi.’ He gave people dirty looks when anybody said anything to him. He told one person in the pool, ‘Say my name right!’” Good luck with that, Buffalo. … Shawn King, who is opening for her husband, CNN talk-show host Larry King, on Friday at Encore Theater in Wynn Las Vegas, told her Twitter followers Wednesday that he met with “the people from ‘Real Housewives of LA’” on Tuesday night before flying to Las Vegas for rehearsals. “They asked a lot of questions,” she said. The show is actually called “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” Someone in the know tells me the Bravo producers who were exploring “Real Housewives of Las Vegas” have moved on to Washington, D.C., which is now in development. Sounds like Vegas is on hold.

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LOCAL LOVE ft DOC MARTIN

TONIGHT, Tuesday June 16th, Satellite Bar presents Local Love ft Special Guest DOC MARTIN! Inside Moon Nightclub, 10:30p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets.

THE DITCH DATING GAME

Friday June 19th, Ditch Fridays presents THE DITCH DATING GAME! Three bachelors and three bachelorettes will play to win a date with David Gutierrez and Emily Grimmel. The date includes dinner at NOVE Italiano plus a VIP table at Rain ft DJ Adam 12 and will be filmed for a webisode.  Event starts at Noon. Interested in being a bachelor or bachelorette contestant? Sign up form CLICK HERE.

DJ ADAM 12

Friday June 19th, Rain Nightclub presents AM Fridays ft Special Guest DJ ADAM 12, of the band She Wants Revenge, holding it down for AM’s night off.  Doors at 10p.m.  CLICK HERE to buy tickets.

PERFECTO ft ATB

Saturday June 20th, Rain Nightclub presents PERFECTO VEGAS ft ATB!  Modern, yet primitive, uninhibited, and purely electric – the international club scene has never been replicated in the United States.  Until now.  Every Saturday night, Paul Oakenfold presents PERFECTO VEGAS featuring top U.S. and International DJs that take guests on a hypnotic journey, via amped “rocket” ride to another planet – Planet Perfecto.   Doors at 10p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets.

2009 PLAYMATE OF THE YEAR

Sunday June 21st, GoodLife Sunday presents IDA LJUNGQUIST – 2009 PLAYMATE OF THE YEAR! Ladies drink complimentary champagne until Midnight inside Playboy Club.  Event begins at 10p.m.  CLICK HERE for tickets.

COSMIC GATE

Sunday June 21st, GoodLife Sunday presents COSMIC GATE! Ladies drink complimentary champagne until Midnight inside Moon Nightclub. Doors at 10:30p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets.

GET CORKED

NOVE Italiano presents GET CORKED!  Featuring amazing weekly wine specials!
NOVE Italiano is located in the Palms’ Fantasy Tower.
Every Monday Night from 6p.m. til Closing.

PARTY HARDER!

The Palms is your one stop destination for world class nightlife.  All venues are located within a short stumbling distance from one another.  Change clubs as many times as you like!  Now you can find the music, atmosphere, and party that’s right for you.
(Not available for special events or Holiday Weekends.)

N9NE GROUP  |  4321 W. FLAMINGO RD   |  LAS VEGAS, NV. 89103  |  702.942.6832

Simon Cowell is lining up Susan Boyle for Vegas act

Simon Cowell is lining up Susan Boyle for Vegas act

Singing sensation Susan Boyle is being lined up for a series of lucrative shows in Las Vegas. The Britain’s Got Talent star became a hit in the US thanks to 300 million web views on YouTube, and her mentor Simon Cowell is keen to cash in on her success.

He is close buddies with the owner of the Planet Hollywood casino and hotel, Robert Earl, and has been trying to broker a deal which would see SuBo, 48, singing on The Strip. A source said: “Simon is confident that Susan will achieve a huge amount of success in America.

“She is already a household name despite coming second on the show, and she is now being lined up to play a number of dates in Las Vegas.

“The Planet Hollywood bigwigs have been following Susan since she burst on to the scene and are keen to give her a run at the hotel.”

Meanwhile, Simon has been forced to deny claims he exploited the fragile Scottish warbler.

She spent five days in The Priory clinic after losing out to dance act Diversity in the final after suffering a meltdown.

He said: “No one ever put a gun to her head and said you’ve got to enter the show. I sat down with her and said, ‘Look, if this is getting too much for you, you don’t have to go into the final. No-one’s going to force you – you do whatever you want’.

“And she looked me in the eye and said, ‘No, I want to win this competition’.”

She may not have won but that’s not stopping her from raking in the cash. Earlier this week Simon, 49, agreed a recording contract with her.

ZOWIE BOWIE LEAVING PALMS; ‘LORD OF DANCE’ BOOKED IN WYRICK THEATRE

ZOWIE BOWIE LEAVING PALMS; ‘LORD OF DANCE’ BOOKED IN WYRICK THEATRE

The duo Zowie Bowie is leaving the Palms Lounge at the end of August and Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” is returning to Las Vegas.

Zowie Bowie publicist Steve Honig confirmed the development Monday, adding that “we are looking at making an announcement soon” on another deal, rumored to be on the Strip. Zowie Bowie opened at the Palms Lounge in early March.

It was announced Monday that “Lord of the Dance” has a June 25-August 16 engagement in the 425-seat Steve Wyrick Theatre at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.

Zowie Bowie has been interested in a venue where they could add their Vintage Vegas show to their high-energy act, Honig said.

MEL B, KELLY MONACO LEAVING ‘PEEPSHOW’ ON SAME DAY

MEL B, KELLY MONACO LEAVING ‘PEEPSHOW’ ON SAME DAY

“Peepshow” will have two new leads by the end of this month — former Spice Girl Mel B is leaving too.

She declined an extension and will end her contract June 22. Kelly Monaco made it official last month.

Scott Zeiger; Co-CEO of BASE Entertainment, confirmed the departure of Mel B and refuted British newspaper reports that she was furious that her contract wasn’t extended.

“It has always been our plan to feature rotating celebrities in ‘Peepshow’ to keep the spirit of the show fresh and new,” Zeiger said in an e-mail.

“That said, we love Mel and she is terrific in the role as ‘Peep Diva.’ We discussed with Mel the possibility of an extension and perhaps she will return to the show some day, however, we simply could not make the show and Mel’s schedules align at this time.”