Treasure Island joins Four Diamond elite

Gary Thompson

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2000 | 11:03 a.m.

Mirage Resorts Inc.'s Treasure Island hotel-casino became Southern Nevada's seventh Four Diamond resort Tuesday, giving Southern Nevada more highly rated hotel rooms than any other city in the country.

Mirage Chairman and Chief Executive Steve Wynn and Treasure Island President Bill McBeath both praised the property's employees for achieving the distinction. The American Automobile Association award gives Las Vegas 17,205 Four Diamond rooms, more than Chicago's 15,738 similarly rated rooms, which are spread over 27 hotels.

Four Mirage properties -- Bellagio, Mirage, the Golden Nugget and Treasure Island -- are joined by the Las Vegas Hilton, Caesars Palace and the Desert Inn in being designated Four Diamond resorts by Triple A.

In addition, the Four Seasons at Mandalay Bay is the city's only Five Diamond property.

"This is a very powerful motivation for people seeking a good place to stay," Wynn said. "It also translates into higher occupancy and room rates for the property."

Praising not only his own company but competitors who've opened several new resorts over the past year, Wynn said the Treasure Island rating reflects the increased luxury and service travelers have come to expect from Las Vegas vacations.

"Things that would have drawn a 'Wow!' 15 or 20 years ago ... can't get a yawn today," he said. "Those with agility who can deal with change seem to have captured the moment.

"This past year's resort openings have locked in Las Vegas as the world's greatest resort destination, by far," Wynn said. "Considering the strengths of the companies that are operating here, I'm not surprised there are seven Four Diamond properties in Las Vegas.

"What I love the most about this town is the terrific opportunity it presents" to those with the imagination and daring to build new must-see properties," he said.

Wynn said he foresees a boom in entertainment, predicting that "the next five years will see the greatest renaissance of the performing arts in the history of Las Vegas."

Mirage spent more than $65 million over the past two years to upgrade 2,885 rooms, suites and public areas and to improve service at Treasure Island. But McBeath said money alone wasn't enough.

"Our 4,600 employees and how they stepped up were what made the difference," he said.

Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority President Manny Cortez said the designation "speaks volumes about the commitment to excellence" of resort developers such as Mirage.

"This is very important to those of us who market Las Vegas," he said, as it gives the LVCVA another tool to lure more visitors to the area. "This epitomizes the changes that are taking place in Las Vegas."

Triple A District Manager Rick Ernst said the association has been rating hotels and motels since 1937 to give its more than 40 million members data they can use to measure the quality of resorts around the country. He said fewer than 3 percent of the nation's hotels have Four Diamond ratings.

To be recognized as a Four Diamond resort, properties are evaluated on more than 30 criteria both inside and outside the property. Four Diamond resorts must have amenities such as professionally planned and manicured landscaping, public areas highlighted by marble or hardwood floors and a comfortable conversational area within private rooms.