Kirk Kerkorian: CityCenter is ‘simply the most amazing’ Vegas project ever

By John Katsilometes

Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 | 5:03 p.m.

As the Taiko drummers thundered away and the costumed dragons meandered across the staging area, I had to wonder what a 92-year-old billionaire was up to.

Kirk Kerkorian was an omnipresent yet entirely unseen figure during Wow Week at CityCenter, where Vdara, Crystals and Mandarin Oriental were all opened in a dizzying three-day span. Yesterday, it was Mandarin Oriental’s turn to blow minds. The celebration featured a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony in which those Taiko drummers and dolled-up dancers shared the stage with feng shui master David Cho, the requisite assemblage of resort executives (I’m expecting Jim Murren is about tired of posing while smiling in a suit) and even Rep. Dean Heller.

Last night, it was the grand gala celebration, a fancy fete for 500 VIPs, many of whom said they’d not seen quite such a distinctive opening party ever in the city. The official report is that 400 bottles of Dom Perignon and 4,000 handmade chocolate truffles were served (and no one knows the truffles I’ve seen). The night was capped by wispy violinist Vanessa Mae and her four-piece backing band, which fired through a 30-minute symphonic/rock set capped by “The Storm” as the Strip glowed through the ballroom’s vast windows.

It was a great place to hide from the recession, even for one evening.

But how grand is CityCenter, exactly, in history-of-Las Vegas terms? It was time to ask the man who built the 4,000-room MGM Grand and helped usher in the era of mega-resort with the opening of the International in 1969. Since arriving in Las Vegas in 1962, Kerkorian has witnessed or executed the opening of every landmark resort that has shaped the city.

Famously reluctant to be interviewed, he did send a comment through a hotel spokeswoman when asked if CityCenter was the most significant project in the history of the city. His answer: ““Of all of the wonderful Las Vegas properties with which I’ve been associated, CityCenter is simply the most amazing. I’m extremely excited to see the public’s reaction and look forward to seeing how it changes Las Vegas.”

That last thought -- how it changes Las Vegas -- is what we’re all wondering, frankly. Having attended or covered all variety of “game-changing” resort openings dating to when the Stratosphere was unveiled, I believe this one is so different. Far more on the line in terms of ripple effect than when The Venetian and Bellagio swung open the doors, for example. The city is all-in now, and during conversations with several of those VIPs, the sense was to enjoy CityCenter’s parties while we can. There won’t be many like this again for a very long time.

Pass the truffles. …

About that Baldwin/Wynn tour

Crystals was a-murmur Thursday as word seeped around the retail center that CityCenter President Bobby Baldwin was leading his one-time boss Steve Wynn and Wynn’s girlfriend, Andrea Hissom, around the project.

“Steve came over to be part of the Crystals opening, and I happened to stumble into him and show him around a little bit,” Baldwin said during the daytime unveiling of the Mandarin Oriental Sky Lobby, the 23rd-floor registration area and home to the elegant Twist restaurant operated by hotshot Parisian chef Pierre Gagnaire and the chic Mandarin Bar. “It was a lot of fun, actually, a lot of fun. I hadn’t seen Steven in a long time. There’s a lot of work to be done, still, at Aria, but I think he enjoyed it. We had a good afternoon, taking about design and development, which is what he loves more than anything.”

But Wynn was not too forthcoming in his specific thoughts about that design and development.

“Steve likes to keep his powder dry,” Baldwin said. “He’s the only one who can describe what it is that he thinks. But I think overall he had a favorable impression. I think he enjoyed it. It was a real treat for both of us.”

Baldwin said Wynn is looking forward to coming to the opening of Aria on Dec. 16. “He’ll be here,” Baldwin said. “He’s even delaying his annual ski trip to Sun Valley to be part of it.” That decision should have a significant impact on the Sun Valley/Ketchum economy.

And yet more from Mandarin

Mandarin Oriental GM Rajesh Jhingon, had visited Las Vegas one time before moving his family to Las Vegas. He was in town for a quick visit to overlook the project on Dec. 5, 2007 -- two years ago to the day, by my calendar -- before moving here from Singapore for the resort opening. He and his wife, Monique, have two sons; Aryaan, 10, and Rahul, 7. … From Heller, taking the stage at the ribbon-cutting ceremony: “This is a stimulus package I can support!” Give that man a couple of showgirls, eh? … Perks from valet: Why leave one cold bottle of water in your car when you can provide two? And when it is cold, have a cup of thick, rich hot chocolate. … The coasters at Mandarin Bar come in four designs. Put them together, and they form the image of a dragon. … Something about hotel presidents visiting new resorts: They always look at stuff I’m not looking at. I’m checking out that big ovular bathtub, he’s got his face two inches from the door trimming. I should've asked our tour guide, "What sort of caulk is used in here?" … Smith Center for the Performing Arts exec Myron Martin said the concept of PAC serving as the permanent home to Las Vegas Art Museum would not be out of the question, when LVAM is again financially viable. … The entrance to Mandarin Oriental has confused some guests, or at least two, including this one: It’s on CityCenter Drive, just south of the entrance to Vdara and Aria. Don’t drive into Aria and expect to be entering directly to Mandarin Oriental. … Parting shot from Larry Ruvo, giving a sort of Knute Rockne pep talk to a few friends at Mandarin Bar: “You won’t find anything like this anywhere in the world but Las Vegas” is how I heard it. We’ll tip a soda to that.

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