AAA ranks Las Vegas No. 1 in Four Diamond hotel rooms

Robert Macy

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2000 | 2:25 a.m.

LAS VEGAS - Casino chief Steve Wynn has seen a world of changes as a major player here the past 33 years. But he says it's nothing compared to what's ahead.

"The things that would have drawn a 'wow' here 15 or 20 years ago can't get a yawn today," Wynn said Tuesday.

The Mirage Resorts Inc. chairman said the resorts, fine dining and entertainment that are bringing a new wave of visitors to Las Vegas would have defied the imagination just a couple of decades ago.

"The best is yet to come," Wynn said. "The next five years will see a renaissance of entertainment here.

"Where else could you find a pyramid next to Camelot, next to the Statue of Liberty and Monte Carlo, an Italian lake next to the Roman Empire," Wynn said, referring to the city's themed resorts. "Here this madness is okay. Any place else they'd lock you up."

His comments came at a news conference to announce that a fourth Mirage property - Treasure Island hotel-casino - had been awarded the AAA Four Diamond Award.

Rick Ernst, AAA district manager, was on hand to present the award. He said adding Treasure Island to the prestigious lodging list gives Las Vegas 17,205 rooms with the Four Diamond designation. The figure places Las Vegas first in the nation, surpassing Chicago with 15,738 Four Diamond rooms, San Francisco with 14,084, Orlando 11,416, Los Angeles 7,189 and New York with 6,731.

To be recognized as a AAA Four Diamond resort, properties are evaluated on more than 30 criteria, from landscaping to public areas and private rooms.

"It's a red letter day for us," said Manny Cortez, president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. "Anytime you can surpass the likes of New York, Chicago and Orlando as a destination, it's a red letter day."

Las Vegas has seven hotels with the Four Diamond ranking, according to AAA. They include The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio and Golden Nugget - all Mirage Resorts properties - plus the Desert Inn, Caesars Palace and Las Vegas Hilton.

The 2,665-room Treasure Island, which opened in October 1993, recently completed $65 million in upgrading to achieve the AAA goal, according to Bill McBeath, resort president.