Anthony Curtis’ nationally syndicated weekly column.
Feb. 10, 2010
The AAA Five Diamond-rated Ritz-Carlton at Lake Las Vegas will become the latest casualty of the tough times when it closes permanently on May 2. The resort, which opened in 2003, struggled for several years, despite being one of Las Vegas’ highest-end resorts and a favorite of golf and outdoors enthusiasts. In the end, it was the Ritz’ way-out location—about 15 miles east of the Strip—that could not be overcome. Two hotels, Loews Lake Las Vegas and MonteLago Village Resort, continue to operate at the lake.
Super Bowl Take: Nevada’s sports books booked $82.7 million in legal wagers on last weekend’s Super Bowl, a modest increase of 1.5% over last year, but still the first up-tick in betting handle since 2004. The better news for the casinos was that the books won almost $6.9 million, a relatively strong 8.3% of the handle.
Celine Solution: When Bette Midler and Elton John leave, what do you do? How about bringing back an act that was bigger than both of them. That’s precisely the plan at Caesars Palace, when Celine Dion returns to the Colosseum for a new three-year engagement beginning March 15, 2011. Tickets to the first 54 performances are already on sale.
Romantic Dinner: Alizé, the French restaurant atop the Palms, has been voted the “Most Romantic Restaurant in the U.S.” by the online-reservations service, OpenTable Inc. The Eiffel Tower (Paris) and Pamplemouuse (E. Sahara) also made the list from Las Vegas.
Question: I gotta know. Did the singing of the National Anthem go under or over the betting time? .
Answer: Underwood went over. The result of one of the most talked-about props for the Super Bowl, the length of the National Anthem, was Carrie Underwood’s rendition going over the 1:42 posted time. And she did it easily—the (unofficial) run time was 1:47.
