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Episode Description
#Virgin Hotels Las #Vegas opened about two years ago and has struggled to gain traction. While the hotel has reported some success, the property always seems slow and the vibe of the disjointed venues seems off. This week we learned the hotel’s CEO will be stepping down. What will happen next?
In other #news we talk about the potential boom on the North end of the Strip and how it will effect older properties down South. Will the redeveloped North Strip be as walkable and popular as the more built out areas? We also discuss St. Patrick’s Day & March Madness in Vegas, MGM’s rosy look at conventions in 2023, a review of M.Y. Asia at Horseshoe & how to get into Stadium Swim for free without staying at Circa.
Produced & Edited by: Shawn Coomer
0:00 Super “interesting” casino gift for gamblers
0:57 Boom times on the North Las Vegas Strip?
2:55 How will the older casinos compete?
4:03 Resorts World rebrands infinity pool with some clever marketing & big prices
6:01 MGM says convention bookings are rebounding in 2023
7:17 An increase in premium customers at MGM casinos
8:03 St. Patrick’s Day & March Madness descend on Vegas
9:24 The hack to get into Stadium Swim free without staying at Circa
10:11 M.Y. Asia Horseshoe review – Disappointing?
12:25 Big leadership shakeup at Virgin Hotels
13:48 Virgin Hotels breaks Hard Rock’s occupancy record, but why is it struggling?
15:37 Virgin’s franchise model & why the company isn’t hugely involved
Relevant Links:
Free casino gift –
North Strip –
Athena Infinity –
MGM Rebound Conventions –
M.Y. Asia review –
Virgin shakeup –
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Host – Shawn Coomer – @MtM_Vegas
Host – Mark Ostermann – @DetroitMark
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47 comments
Learn to travel for "free" utilizing the best credit card welcome offers. Travel to Vegas and anywhere else! Check out this free tool that we highly recommend.
Travel Freely – https://milestomemories.com/go/travel-freely-youtube/
I saw a bachelor party waiting for a shared ride from D to Stadium Swim a couple of months ago. 12 dudes in bathrobes swim shoes and trunks. Funny site to see.
F1 is what will ultimately save the Virgin Hotel because they and the F1 paddock area are next to each other.
The Indian tribe needs to realize, they are not a monopoly in Vegas, unlike Connecticut.
The Virgin pool looks horrible, next to the old Hard Rock's!
There is no question its Hilton Honors members filing the hotel up . That is a power point member group . Only mid priced hilton near strip
Hotel prices were probably up last week because CON Expo was in town as well as March Madness…That conference only comes around once every 3 years and has huge attendance.
Virgin needs help big time
Hunger games capital,
I also saw planet Hollywood installing no doz dispensers outside the Chris angel venue
😮$150 for a chair at the pool? Gee, I hope Resorts World would allow me to bring my folding lawn chair to the pool 🤔
EDIT: The ceiling of the casino (Virgin, 14:50) looks like they had a bunch of elementary school kids make them from corrugated cardboard boxes. Ugh!
6:33 and yet my casino still hasn’t raised wages. Imagine working at a business that sucks cash for dreams via slot machines and I have to work a second job to pay rent.
I visit Vegas four times a year, and I always stay at either Wynn/Encore or Venetian/Palazzo. I'll walk the Strip for exercise, but I almost never go south of the Paris. There are a lot of us who consider the north part of the strip to be the place to be.
15:32 yikes. That ceiling looks horrible. I used to work at Hard Rock and that ceiling used to look a lot better than black office ceiling ties.
North Strip needs something to fill the 3 dirt patch between Treasure Island and Resort World (you read right, Fashion Show is as good as dirt patch😄) and Wynn / Encore putting something more interesting on the street front. Circus Circus needs to pull its weight as well, it is not drawing enough people for a property of that size
Mark is right, the rich always get richer.
If somebody concocts a good plan for that dead space just north of the Fashion Show Mall, then the North Strip has a chance. It desperately needs some continuity w/ the rest of the Strip. Otherwise, the Strat, Resorts World, etc. will stay islands of sorts and slowly fade into the crapper, the same way the North Strip originally did.
I'm wearing the cap, Mark. Go Green 🏀
The northland strips need to come up with a joint comp system.
I've enjoyed Virgin Hotel on several trips. Clientele has increased progressively. Free Parking! Great nightlife and clubs. Big Chicken across the street. Pools, pools, and more pools. Groups and meetings gather at Virgin. Great place for bachelor parties with side trip to The Strip, etc. You can make it what you want without huge crowds. Finally, The Kitchen is outstanding for breakfast. White Castle coffee rocks too.
Great video guys'. I was thinkg the same thing that Mark was about rich getting richer. Right before he said that I was thinking the same thing,so funny. Thanks again for sharing.
I don’t see the North Strip bringing in more development and becoming as popular as Center or South Strip areas for at least 20 years. New construction will be hampered by high interest rates and concerns over the current banking system. Banks will be more conservative in making loans, more risk adverse. There are no viable visionaries to push advancement: Wynn is banned, Stevens already has Downtown properties and is probably maxed out financially, Caesars and MGM have already consolidated in a set area. The only positive momentum would be if the A’s baseball team were to build in that lot at Las Vegas Blvd and Sahara, which is unlikely, or the NBA announced a LV expansion. That project already announced to build an Arena is DOA, it’s so badly planned that Chris Angel must be an investor. 😁
Virgin Hotel has a few problems. The first, Branson spends more time enjoying his private island than working on his brand that he sold most of already. He’s basically retired, except maybe relating to his Cruise line. The second problem, as you noted, is decentralization at Virgin Hotel. The casino management is severely lacking, and advertising/promotions nonexistent. Finally, they need excitement in the music/entertainment area, maybe a few residencies?
Resorts World is boring to me, no personality
Why does March Madness bring people to Vegas? Just for betting on games?
Enjoying this channel, cheers.
Just a quick note to say I enjoy your episodes & actually look forward to them twice per week. Shawn’s passion shows in each discussion and it feels like hanging with like minded kin. Impressive website as well. Great job guys!
Great video guys !
New Orleans knows it's target guest age. Makes commercial sense. Over 70's – the baby boomers have more to spend. Leave us to live our retirement disgracefully please!
A plague on all Dick Branston's houses.
Surprised that with the whole March Madness in Vegas segment you guys neglected to mention that while the first weekend of the tournament is always dope, this weekend ACTUAL March Madness comes to Vegas and holy nuts the ticket prices are incredibly high.
Helps that two big west coast teams made the regional at T Mobile – UCLA and Gonzaga – the former is driving distance and the latter sells out the Orleans for WCC Tourney and has reached 8 Sweet 16s in a row so Zags fans expect to take March vacations.
Kind of a bummer that the full strips are going for get-in of $600 min, but the Elite Eight round will ironically drop in price bc UCLA-Zags play first and the winner will get Arkansas-UConn so best price will be aftersale of tickets of fans whose team loses the first night.
You guys better bring it up on Friday's show or I will be back in these comments w some vengeful remarks
Tao has the owner, chef coming to Vegas for quality control.. I worked when he came and something didn't taste right. It turns out the exact same ingredients but not in the same order of cooking. That's how you do it
You will like your Virgin cruise. The food is some of the best on any cruiseline I’ve been on outside of Crystal Cruises and I’ve been on over 65 cruises 🚢
Mark you really got to stop laughing at everything you say. It is annoying!!
Happy Belated Birthday, Shawn! Hope you had an awesome, blessed and wonderful day! 🙂
As far as Virgin goes, I just don't have a strong desire to go to Harmon and Paradise. There is just not much down there.
Eventually the North Strip will be a must visit spot but not there yet. Fill in the empty spots and then it could happen.
I really thought Resorts World was going to jumpstart the North Strip, but what we got was nothing like they promised, so it derailed all enthusiasm for that area.
The rich did get richer!!
When we visit resorts world, the use of the pools was free, but you have to leave your belongings on the floor unless you pay for the beds.
Amazing pool but not for 150 bucks
The location of the Virgin is a really big minus. The Hard Rock was unique enough to overcome that, but the Virgin is the opposite of unique. I don't think this property can ever succeed.
I'm a Hilton Diamond and use points and stayed at Virgin several times using points. Been upgraded to a suite and even one of the villas once. The rooms are spectacular. The gaming sucks there. But good for business people on points and parking.
I would love love to see some cruise videos Shawn . Maybe on another associated channel .
You guys are spot-on about Virgin. I think a lot of the reason it is dead is just animosity for replacing the beloved Hard Rock. It's also the reason why the new Hard Rock Hotel will be a huge success.
I loved hard rock ! Virgin I knew it was going to suck ! Hope the new hard rock will be awesome . But sad to see Mirage go that place is the best .
keep your age related insults to yourself. keep in mind a 21 yo sees you as an old man
Well, the rich did get richer and they're spending it Vegas.
I have a difficult time believing what Virgin and Resorts World are reporting about their occupancy rates. Those places are empty whenever I stroll in. Is there a way to find their average daily room rate that they actually get? Are they just dumping their empty rooms on the travel websites to fill them? Or are they actually getting their advertised room rates? Would be interesting to see if people actually planned weeks in advance to stay there, or if they just wait for last minute deals.