Tag Archives: Caesars Palace

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

NCR Launches Slimline 85 Kiosk to Make Everyday Easier for Cinema-goers

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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NCR Launches Slimline 85 Kiosk to Make Everyday Easier for Cinema-goers

New interface creates a faster, more convenient experience for consumers; New revenue streams, efficiency for cinemas

DULUTH, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– NCR Corporation (NYS: NCR) today announced the NCR Slimline 85 for cinema, the latest evolution in NCR‘s innovative line of kiosks, which will be on display at booth 2603A at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, April 15-18. This kiosk provides automated ticketing, making it easier for moviegoers to purchase tickets and concessions with a tablet-like user experience. The 32-inch touch-screen can display multi-media of movie art and trailers providing an engaging way to buy tickets and pay for concessions.

“NCR remains dedicated to providing products and services that make everyday easier for both consumers and cinemas,” said Brian Whitney, managing director cinema, NCR Hospitality. “We expect that this kiosk solution will be a real differentiator for theaters that are aggressively seeking unique ways to improve both the patron experience and per-cap figures.”

Featuring an intuitive user interface, the Slimline 85 enhances the movie-going experience for guests and builds strong loyalty through convenient ticket purchases and ordering of concession items. The higher visibility, self-service capabilities, and consistent promotion of key items will help to increase concession sales, margins and overall guest satisfaction.

The Slimline 85 with cinema interface offers performance improvements over previous models, adding new features designed to both elevate the consumer experience and help operators compete in the rapidly expanding market. The improvements include:

  • Enhanced multi-media graphics on a 32-inch touch-screen
  • Redesigned user interface
  • “Crosstown” sales capability; the kiosk can be placed in central shopping locations to drive ticket sales for multiple theatres of the same brand.
  • Ability for users to view movie trailers and pay with credit cards and/or gift cards
  • An integrated QR code reader allowing for online ticket retrieval and pick up from the kiosk
  • User Interface customization enabling a theatre brand to incorporate its corporate branding within the system

The Slimline 85 Kiosk will be available in the U.S. later in …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Science & Technology

5 Stocks That Have More Than Doubled in 2013

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By Rick Aristotle Munarriz

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Ronda Churchill/Bloomberg News

The first quarter was a great one for investors. The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose by more than 8 percent, and the S&P 500 fared even better, soaring 10 percent.

Naturally, there are companies that performed better than that. In fact, a handful more than doubled over the past three months. Wondering which companies you’ll want to kick yourself for missing out on? Let’s go over a few of them.

Caesars Entertainment (CZR) — Up 129 percent

Wall Street‘s biggest winner was Caesars Entertainment, even though the casino operator isn’t exactly hitting the jackpot, financially speaking. Revenue declined in its latest quarter, and Caesars isn’t expected to turn a profit again until 2016 at the earliest.

So why are investors wagering on Caesars if it seems to be a bad bet fundamentally? Online gambling: Caesars is well positioned to cash in if revenue-hungry states free up restrictions on Internet-based gambling.

In the meantime, Caesars is investing in its properties, opening the Nobu Hotel and Restaurant at Caesars Palace in February and hoping to open the Linq entertainment district by the end of the year.

Consumer Portfolio Services (CPSS) — Up 118 percent

The market has rewarded risk-takers so far in 2013, and Consumer Portfolio Services is no stranger to risk.

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The specialty finance company buys retail installment sales contracts from auto dealerships that have a hard time lining up traditional financing for their customers. We’re talking about car buyers with crummy credit scores.

This is a risky business, but it’s paying off for the financier at a time when auto sales are booming and the economy is showing signs of life. Plus, Consumer Portfolio Services knows that the loans are secured by late-model used vehicles that can be reclaimed from deadbeat drivers.

Consumer Portfolio Services posted better-than-expected quarterly results in February. Revenue climbed by 11 percent, and adjusted earnings of $0.16 a share drove past the pros parked at $0.12 a share.

SunPower (SPWR) — Up 105 percent

There’s been a dark cloud over solar energy for investors lately, but even so, SunPower has been a shining star.

Unlike most solar firms, which are based out of China, SunPower is a sun-loving Californian. Many of its deals for solar panels and systems stem from homebuilders, schools, businesses, and utility companies in this country. SunPower is also profitable, at least on an adjusted basis. With oil and gas prices still too high for comfort, don’t be surprised if solar energy bounces back.

Netflix (NFLX) — Up 104 percent

No one’s laughing at the company behind the short-lived Qwikster fiasco these days. Netflix has been on fire since it bottomed out last summer, more than tripling in that time. A surge in streaming customers and a surprisingly …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why Kirk Kerkorian Is Important to MGM Resorts

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By Travis Hoium, The Motley Fool

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News yesterday that Kirk Kerkorian has intentions to raise his stake in MGM Resorts isn’t something investors should sweep under the rug before remembering what he has meant to the company over the years. Kerkorian isn’t as well known as Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts, or Sheldon Adelson of Las Vegas Sands, but he has played a similar visionary roll in MGM‘s history.

Kerkorian began his dealings in Las Vegas in 1962 when he bought the land that Caesars Entertainment’s flagship casino Caesars Palace sits on. When he sold the land to the company, he ended up building MGM Grand, and naming it after the MGM movie studio, which he also owned. Decades later, Kerkorian was behind the merger of MGM and Mirage, which was the company Steve Wynn built, bringing the Mirage, Bellagio, and Treasure Island into MGM.  

If Kerkorian wants to increase his 18.6% stake in the company, he must be bullish on both Las Vegas and the economy as a whole.

Bullish on economy
Kerkorian last tried to up his stake in MGM in 2006 when the economy and markets were going bonkers. After the financial collapse, he backed off MGM, but now that he’s on board, I think it’s a strong sign that one of Las Vegas‘ biggest investors is bullish on the economy as a whole and, therefore, Las Vegas.

Kerkorian also has seats on the board, meaning he has insider access to MGM‘s financials. Insider buying is often a very bullish sign for a stock, because insiders know things about a company’s operation that goes beyond what outside investors can know.

What this means for gaming stocks
Before you go out and buy a basket of gaming stocks, it’s important to understand the difference between MGM and other companies. Wynn and Las Vegas Sands are Asian-centric so, if Kerkorian is bullish on MGM, it doesn’t really mean anything for them. Caesars is in a similar position to MGM with high exposure to Las Vegas, but instead of having exposure to Macau, like MGM does, it has exposure to regional gaming in the U.S. If you’re bullish on Las Vegas, MGM is the way to go, not Caesars.

A deep dive into MGM Resorts

When MGM Resorts began constructing the CityCenter in Las Vegas, it was an audacious plan that seemed like a sure bet with its prime location in the center of The Strip. But Las Vegas hit a rough patch during the Great Recession and has yet to fully recover, so MGM has since turned its attention to a new market in Macau. This Chinese gaming enclave now holds the key to the company’s future, and a new resort on Cotai may relieve the company from crushing debt. For expert analysis on whether this former high-flying stock can regain its form on the back of a growing presence in Asia, you’re invited to check out The Motley …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

HSF Affiliates LLCSM Announces Brand Identity for New Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Br

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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HSF Affiliates LLC SM Announces Brand Identity for New Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Brand

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Today, HSF Affiliates LLCSM unveiled the new Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand logo and quality seal at the annual Prudential Real Estate Sales Convention, signaling another defining moment in residential real estate. From the stage of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Prudential real estate agents and brokers got a first-hand look at the brand’s new visual identity.

“We are excited to introduce the new brand logo, quality seal and color palette to our affiliate network and to the industry,” said Earl Lee, CEO of HSF Affiliates LLC. “The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand identity is smart, distinctive and versatile for all markets and price ranges.”

Logo treatments concentrate on the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name in a simple, clean font. The quality seal features bold, BHHS lettering encircled by “Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.” The brand’s colors of cabernet and cream create a timeless look reflecting the brand’s classic heritage. Visit www.homeservices.com/hsfaffiliates to view the complete brand identity system.

“The look and feel of the brand embodies the spirit of Berkshire Hathaway and captures our commitment to quality,” said Ron Peltier, chairman and CEO of HomeServices. “The new Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices logo exemplifies strength and elegance, and we are proud to carry it into the marketplace.”

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices will be available in late 2013.

HSF Affiliates is led by an experienced management team including Earl Lee, CEO; Stephen Phillips, chief operating officer and Brian Peterson, chief financial officer. Information about Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is available at www.homeservices.com/hsfaffiliates.

About HSF Affiliates LLC

Based in Irvine, Calif., HSF Affiliates LLC operates the Prudential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate franchise networks and the future Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. The company is a joint venture between HomeServices of America, Inc., the nation’s second-largest, full-service residential brokerage firm, and Brookfield Asset Management, a leading provider of real estate and relocation services, technology and knowledge.

Media Inquiries
Marisa Mulqueen, 212-704-8112
Marisa.mulqueen@edelman.com
or
Sales Inquiries
Kevin Ostler, 949-794-7980
kevinostler@hsfranchise.com

KEYWORDS:   United …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

Arrest of Vegas fugitive in LA surprises neighbor

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Gail Gaghagen was surprised to learn the man police and FBI agents led away in handcuffs from her luxury apartment complex was a triple murder suspect wanted after a spectacular shootout and fiery crash on the Las Vegas Strip.

Just Tuesday, Gaghagen thinks she saw Ammar Harris sitting alone in the gym at Archview Luxury Apartments in Los Angeles‘ Studio City neighborhood, dressed in shorts and a tank top.

“I just walked by and there was a glass door,” Gaghagen told The Associated Press. “I just I looked at him and he looked at me and that was it.”

Gaghagen said she told the same story to FBI agents she met in the apartment elevator after authorities say Harris, a 26-year-old self-described pimp, surrendered Thursday without incident. A woman in the apartment was being questioned but wasn’t charged with a crime.

“I’m just glad they arrested this man,” Gaghagen said.

Harris’ arrest ended a weeklong multi-state manhunt that began after a Feb. 21 shooting and spectacular, fiery crash that killed three people and injured five on the Las Vegas Strip.

“This arrest is much more (than) taking Ammar Harris into custody,” Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie told reporters Thursday in Las Vegas. “I hope anyone out there watching understands clearly if you live in this city, if you work in this city, or you visit this city and act like this person, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will send you to prison.”

Harris, a convicted felon in South Carolina who shows fists full of money on Internet posts and boasts of a high-rolling lifestyle with prostitutes in Miami and Las Vegas, was jailed in Los Angeles pending an extradition hearing Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

His arrest ended an intense multi-state search that began after the attack early on a Thursday morning had vehicles crashing like pinballs in a neon-lit intersection home to posh casino resorts such as Bellagio, Bally’s, Flamingo and Caesars Palace.

Court documents allege Harris was driving his black Range Rover SUV when he fired at least five shots into a Maserati sports car, killing Kenneth Wayne Cherry Jr., a rapper who called himself Kenny Clutch.

A passenger in the Maserati, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

In hunt for Las Vegas shooting suspect, police focus on home, work

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Investigators searching for a suspect in a Las Vegas shooting and vehicle crash that killed three people last week are focusing on places where the alleged gunman lived and worked.

Public records show that 26-year-old Ammar Harris lived in South Carolina and Georgia. He was convicted in Atlanta in 2005 of marijuana possession; he was arrested in Miami in December on a reckless driving charge and in Las Vegas last year on pandering, kidnapping, sex assault and coercion charges.

“We have him identified,” Las Vegas police Capt. Chris Jones told the Associated Press. “Now the focus is on locating and apprehending him. We’re getting help all over the place.”

Harris is accused of firing shots into a Maserati last Thursday, killing aspiring rapper Kenny Cherry, and causing a crash and explosion that killed two other people in a taxi at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. The incidents happened on the boulevard near the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Bally’s and Flamingo resorts, police told the Associated Press.

On Saturday afternoon, police found a black Range Rover SUV – believed to be connected to the shooting — at an apartment complex east of the Las Vegas Strip. A SWAT team didn’t find Harris at his home in the complex, but the vehicle has been impounded as evidence.

Cherry, 27, was driving his Maserati when police say a shooter from the black Range Rover SUV peppered his car before it sped through a red light and smashed into a taxi, killing driver Michael Boldon, of Las Vegas, and his passenger, Sandra Sutton-Wasmund of Maple Valley, Wash..

Boldon, the taxi driver, was described as a family man who hailed from Michigan. Sutton-Wasmund came from a loving Washington state family and was well regarded in her community.

Police said the shooting stemmed from an altercation between Cherry and Harris in a valet area of the upscale Aria resort a block south of the crash scene at Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road.

“What the original disagreement was is crucial to the ongoing investigation and the identification of the suspects,” said Las Vegas Police Officer Bill Cassell.

Police said a passenger in Cherry’s Maserati was wounded in the arm, but was treated at a hospital and released. He was reported to be cooperating with investigators, and his name wasn’t made public.

Besides Cherry‘s passenger, police said five other people were treated for injuries after the six-vehicle crash. No one was said to face life-threatening injuries.

Authorities have also released a photo of Harris taken following his arrest in Las Vegas last year in a prostitution case. The disposition of the case wasn’t immediately known.

The photo showed Harris with tattoos on his right cheek and words on his neck above an image that appeared to depict an owl with blackened eyes. Las Vegas Police Capt. Chris Jones said Harris should be considered armed and dangerous.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

Articles of Interest

Ammar Harris Named As Prime Suspect Sought In Las Vegas Shooting, Crash

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By The Huffington Post News Editors

LAS VEGAS — Police are seeking a 26-year-old man as the prime suspect in last week’s pre-dawn shooting and crash on the Las Vegas Strip that killed three people and injured several others

The black SUV used as a getaway car was found Saturday as police named Ammar Harris in connection with the shooting and six-vehicle chain-reaction carnage Thursday on the neon-lit boulevard near the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Bally’s and Flamingo resorts,

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More on Crime News

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post

News, Politics, Government

Police find Range Rover, ID suspect in Vegas shooting

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Police have found a black Range Rover SUV in Las Vegas and identified a suspect in a shooting that sent a Maserati into a taxi that exploded, killing three people.

Police Capt. Chris Jones tells The Associated Press the vehicle was found Saturday afternoon at an apartment complex east of the Las Vegas Strip. It has been impounded as evidence.

Jones says police are looking for 26-year-old Ammar Harris in connection with the shooting early Thursday on the Strip. His arrest history in Las Vegas includes charges of kidnapping and pandering.

Maserati driver and aspiring rapper Kenny Cherry was killed by gunfire.

Taxi driver Michael Boldon, of Las Vegas, and his passenger, Sandra Sutton-Wasmund of Maple Valley, Wash., died when the Maserati crashed into them.

Cherry, 27, was driving in his Maserati on the Vegas Strip when police say a shooter from a black Range Rover SUV peppered his car before it sped through a red light and smashed into a taxi, killing Michael Boldon, the taxi driver, and his passenger in the backseat.

The rapper would film online music videos on the Strip and post them online. In one song he raps, “One mistake change lives all in one night.”

In this case, three lives were cut shot.

Boldon, the taxi driver, was described as a family man who hailed from Michigan. His passenger, Sandra Sutton-Wasmund, came from a loving Washington state family and was well regarded in her community.

As investigators Saturday tried to find the gunman in a black Range Rover SUV who triggered the shocking chain of events, families and friends tried to grasp the blink-of-an-eye finality of it all.

“Right now my heart is breaking,” said Cherry’s great aunt, Patricia Sims, of Oakland, Calif. “This has really been a tragedy. Kenny was just a delightful kid.”

Sims, 75, said Cherry moved to Las Vegas from Northern California, though she didn’t know her nephew was a rapper using the name Kenny Clutch.

Cherry’s parents were traveling to Las Vegas on Friday to claim his body.

The taxi exploded into flames, killing Boldon and Sutton-Wasmund, as four other vehicles crashed like pinballs at an intersection overlooked by some of Las Vegas‘ most famous hotel-casinos: Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Bally’s and the Flamingo.

Police think an argument at the valet area of the upscale Aria resort-casino led to the shooting, but they haven’t shared details. The shooting happened the same night that Morocco-born rapper French Montana was playing at Aria’s signature nightclub, Haze.

“What the original disagreement was is crucial to the ongoing investigation and the identification of the suspects,” said Las Vegas police officer Bill Cassell.

Police said a passenger in the Maserati was wounded in the arm but was treated at a hospital and released. He was reported to be cooperating with investigators, and his name wasn’t made public.

Cherry’s father, Kenneth Cherry Sr., of Emeryville, Calif., said he was struggling to handle his grief.

He said his son started a music career in Oakland after attending two Catholic high schools. According to his father, Cherry was recognized by other rappers within a West Coast …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Aspiring rapper in fiery Vegas crash sang haunting lyric

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Kenny Cherry, an aspiring rapper who moved from the Bay Area to Las Vegas to pursue his music career, was killed early Thursday morning in a violent incident normally seen in movies.

Cherry, 27, was driving in his Maserati on the Vegas Strip when police say a shooter from a black Range Rover SUV peppered his car before it sped through a red light and smashed into a taxi, killing Michael Boldon, the taxi driver, and his passenger in the backseat.

The rapper would film online music videos on the Strip and post them online. In one song he raps, “One mistake change lives all in one night.”

In this case, three lives were cut shot.

Boldon, the taxi driver, was described as a family man who hailed from Michigan. His passenger, Sandra Sutton-Wasmund, came from a loving Washington state family and was well regarded in her community.

As investigators Saturday tried to find the gunman in a black Range Rover SUV who triggered the shocking chain of events, families and friends tried to grasp the blink-of-an-eye finality of it all.

“Right now my heart is breaking,” said Cherry’s great aunt, Patricia Sims, of Oakland, Calif. “This has really been a tragedy. Kenny was just a delightful kid.”

Sims, 75, said Cherry moved to Las Vegas from Northern California, though she didn’t know her nephew was a rapper using the name Kenny Clutch.

Cherry’s parents were traveling to Las Vegas on Friday to claim his body.

The taxi exploded into flames, killing Boldon and Sutton-Wasmund, as four other vehicles crashed like pinballs at an intersection overlooked by some of Las Vegas‘ most famous hotel-casinos: Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Bally’s and the Flamingo.

Police think an argument at the valet area of the upscale Aria resort-casino led to the shooting, but they haven’t shared details. The shooting happened the same night that Morocco-born rapper French Montana was playing at Aria’s signature nightclub, Haze.

“What the original disagreement was is crucial to the ongoing investigation and the identification of the suspects,” said Las Vegas police officer Bill Cassell.

He said investigators were examining surveillance video and enlisting help from federal authorities and agencies in neighboring states to look for the distinctive Range Rover. It had blackout windows and custom black rims and was last seen speeding away from the fiery scene around 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

Police said a passenger in the Maserati was wounded in the arm but was treated at a hospital and released. He was reported to be cooperating with investigators, and his name wasn’t made public.

Cherry’s father, Kenneth Cherry Sr., of Emeryville, Calif., said he was struggling to handle his grief.

He said his son started a music career in Oakland after attending two Catholic high schools. According to his father, Cherry was recognized by other rappers within a West Coast hip-hop strain called hyphy.

Cherry was not well-known in wider music circles, according to Chuck Creekmur, CEO of AllHipHop.com.

“I had never heard his name before,” Creekmur said.

Kenny Clutch‘s YouTube music video, “Stay Schemin,” shows scenes of hotels along the Strip as he sings about …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

3 dead after shooting on Vegas Strip leads to fiery car crash

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Three people were killed after a shooter in a black Range Rover Sport opened fire early Thursday morning on the Las Vegas Strip into a Maserati, striking the car’s driver and passenger, before the car lost control and caused a fiery crash at the intersection of Flamingo and Las Vegas boulevards, KVVU reported.

The driver of the Maserati, a taxi cab driver in the accident and a passenger in the cab were killed. A tourist who witnessed the aftermath of the crash told KLAS-TV the burning taxi looked like a fireball. The SUV got away.

In all, five vehicles were involved in the dramatic crash around 4:30 a.m. Thursday at an intersection surrounded by some of the most famous casinos on the Strip, including the Bellagio, Caesars Palace and the Paris.

Though by most standards, 4:30 a.m. oftentimes offers authorities only a few witnesses, witnesses did come forward to assist in the investigation.

It appears the occupants of the Range Rover Sport, which has black-tinted windows and matching rims, fired into the Maserati and hit the passenger and the driver, Jose Hernandez, the public information officer for the Las Vegas police department, told Fox News. The car’s driver lost control and drove into the intersection and struck a cab and four other vehicles, Hernandez said.

One former law enforcement witness said he heard one gunshot, followed by a series of blasts followed by a ‘very loud boom.’

Several people were taken to the hospital, including a passenger from the Maserati. Four were taken to University Medical Center. Hospital spokeswoman Danita Cohen said three were treated and released, while one person remained in the hospital. Their condition was not released.

The intersection is expected to be closed for hours as officers investigate.

It’s the latest in a series of violent actions on the tourist corridor since the beginning of the year. Two people were critically wounded in a shooting at a parking garage Feb. 6, and a tourist was stabbed in an elevator at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay Feb. 16.

A spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Jeremy Handel, said his organization didn’t immediately have a comment on the incident and deferred to the police unit that patrols the tourism district.

Click for more from Fox5Vegas.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Hotel Test Drive: First Look At Nobu Hotel Las Vegas

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By Larry Olmsted, Contributor

Earlier this year I wrote about the much-anticipated upcoming opening of the world’s first Nobu Hotel (several others are in the works, from Miami to Dubai), inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. With the possible exception of the under-construction Linq Resort, compete with an London Eye-style giant observation wheel, scheduled to open on the Strip in December, the Nobu Hotel Las Vegas is easily the biggest lodging event of the year in one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, which instantly makes it big travel news. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

News, Politics, Government

First Look At Vegas' Exclusive New Nobu Hotel

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By Hayley Bosch, Contributor Las Vegas has a new kid on the block: The world’s first Nobu Hotel opens today inside the sleek, sexy and exclusive tower at Caesars Palace. The new hotel also debuts the Strip’s first Nobu restaurant—the largest in the world. Our Startle.com team got a sneak peek at the luxurious boutique hotel-within-a-hotel.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest