LV threatens motel with loss of its license

Dan Kulin

Thursday, April 7, 2005 | 9:42 a.m.

With its hourly rates and inexpensive rooms, and allegedly popular with prostitutes, the Del Mar motel in Las Vegas is in jeopardy of losing its license.

The City Council on Wednesday voted 7-0 to schedule a hearing on Del Mar's license for May 4. The city Department of Finance and Business Services requested the hearing and wants the council to suspend or revoke the Del Mar's license based on allegations that motel staff members know prostitutes use the motel and sometimes help them.

However, there's a chance the motel won't have a license after May 1. The motel's current license expires then, and license renewal is an administrative decision that is up to the manager of Business Services, Jim DiFiore.

DiFiore said he did not know whether he would renew the hotel's license. If he decides against renewing the license, the Del Mar could appeal that decision to the City Council.

Del Mar attorney Gregory Mills said that while there's a chance the motel will lose its license before the hearing, "we're going to prevent that from happening."

The Del Mar Motel, at 1411 Las Vegas Blvd. South, has been owned by Edgar Wrenn and his late wife since 1971.

The motel offers rooms for $35 for two hours, complimentary condoms and free pornographic movies in the rooms.

In documents supplied by the city, the Department of Finance and Business Services alleges that between at least Sept. 26, 2004, and Jan. 22, "the Del Mar Resort Motel was operated in a manner to facilitate the continuing criminal enterprise of prostitution."

They say Metro Police interviewed multiple prostitutes and their customers exiting the Del Mar, and were told that they went to the motel to engage in acts of prostitution.

"Prostitutes told police officers that the motel is known among their peers as a business that was friendly to prostitution," the documents said.

Also, undercover officers posing as prostitutes were, on different occasions, offered condoms by a desk clerk, weren't asked for identification when they signed in, and warned not to openly talk about prostituting.

"When you come here, don't tell the people behind the counter that 'cha got tricks on your dates, just come in, get your room, be very discreet and go there," a desk clerk was quoted as saying to an undercover officer posing as a prostitute.

Calls to Wrenn were directed to Del Mar Manager Ed Kammer, who said he's confident the council will make the right decision.

Kammer, who is also a math teacher at Valley High School, said the Del Mar is a victim of misconceptions and an employee who wasn't following the rules.

"I don't know why he said what he did," Kammer said of the desk clerk police apparently spoke with. Kammer said that employee has since been reassigned to housekeeping, and other employees have been reminded that they need to see identification from customers signing in.

Kammer said the Del Mar is not popular with prostitutes because it is more expensive to pay $35 for two hours there, than $65 at another motel to get a room for a whole night.

He also said that the city has not cited the Del Mar for any prostitution-related offenses.

"There are just allegations against us," he said. "All we are is an adult motel providing a safe and clean place for adults."