Naturally, it was a pink ribbon that was cut to unveil the $6.5 million renovation of the 73,000 square feet of meeting space at the Flamingo Las Vegas. The newly completed space includes a 22,000-square-foot ballroom and has been refreshed with a bright, and modern look, along with an abundance of natural light. Each meeting room is named after a different Nevada city, with corresponding historic photos from the 1950s throughout.
The redesign includes updated walls, carpet, and lighting fixtures. With Caesars Entertainment's Code GREEN initiatives in mind, all lighting has been converted to LED technology, which is expected to result in a 70 percent energy savings each year.
"Our newly renovated meeting space gives us a competitive advantage with state-of-the-art facilities," said Eileen Moore, regional president at Caesars Entertainment. "The rest of the Las Vegas strip was built around us and we really pay tribute to our rich heritage."
Michael Massari, chief sales officer for national meetings and events at Caesars Entertainment, added that the property's convenient location "at the center of the Strip," helps to make the new meeting space "a great option for our existing and new clients."
Next is a $90 million renovation of 1,270 of its guest rooms, the first wave of which is slated to be rolled out in November with final completion of all rooms expected in the second quarter of 2018. The press got a peek at a prototype of a new room featuring a contemporary and retro-chic design paying homage to the property's past with splashes of pink. An elevator shuttles guests from these renovated guest rooms directly to the meeting space, bypassing the casino, a feature many planners like.
"The unveiling of our newly remodeled convention center is the first step of renovations at the Flamingo," said Flamingo Las Vegas and The LINQ Hotel & Casino General Manager Sherri Pucci. "The Flamingo features a rich history as the place where the Strip began, and Caesars Entertainment is committed to ensuring Flamingo Las Vegas continues to serve our guests for years to come."
The resort, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, features more than 3,500 guest rooms and suites and is home to a sprawling 15-acre pool and wildlife habitat complete with waterfalls, tropical wildlife, three distinctive pools, several outdoor event spaces, and of course magnificent live pink flamingos.
At a press event held to showcase this new space, Michael Hartman, executive director of catering and conventions services, Caesars, shared some of the Flamingo's history.
"At the cost of nearly $6 million, and billed as the world's most luxurious hotel, people thought Bugsy Siegel was crazy for building his property seven miles from downtown Las Vegas in 1946," he said. "Siegel named his resort after his girlfriend Virginia Hill who loved to gamble here in the U.S. and in Mexico. Dealers in Mexico began calling her the flamingo because she had red hair and long legs."
Seventy years later, more than the original cost of this legendary resort has been spent to refurbish meeting space -- with more renovations to come.