In Las Vegas, there’s always an opportunity for Ira to have a quick conversation with a celebrity, entertainer, writer, or personality at a special event or spontaneous encounter. Since these conversations don’t fit the standard time format of Talk About Las Vegas, we created QuickTalk.
The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas’ original casino, is celebrating the completion of its first major expansion and renovation in 50 years. The landmark boutique property, opened its doors at One Fremont Street in 1906. Its operation spans decades, from the roaring 20s through Prohibition and the Rat Pack era, to today’s resurgent Downtown.
Take a stroll through Golden Gate history: Golden Gate History Website
(Part of that history: When Golden Gate partner Italo Ghelfi introduced shrimp cocktail to the casino scene in 1959, he started a Las Vegas tradition.)
The new expansion, marked by a press conference and a toast on Thursday, September 20 by Golden Gate President and Co-owner Mark Brandenburg, CEO and Co-owner Derek Stevens, Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Councilman Bob Coffin, was followed by a celebration on Fremont Street..
Some of the property’s new features:
*A new 35,000-square-foot, five-story luxury addition boasts 14 hotel suites designed as a tribute to notable guests like Frank, Sammy and Dean
*Two vintage-showgirl-inspired penthouses encompass the entire fifth floor;
*An expanded casino floor features a new 1920s flapper-inspired high-limit gaming room, complemented by Golden Gate’s playful dancing dealers;
*A new lobby is lit by a vintage “Hotel” sign that previously adorned Golden Gate’s Main Street exterior, and features hotel artifacts including original 1907 gaming ledgers, an authentic model of Vegas’ first telephone and Prohibition-era whiskey bottles found in the walls during construction;
*The building’s original façade has been restored with the addition of a modern digital marquee and contemporary LED lighting accents representing pinstripes from the roaring 20s.
*The new porte-cochere offers convenient parking in downtown Las Vegas.
I talked with Mark Brandenburg about the expansion just before press conference.
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