Search begins for 125 workers at former Lake Las Vegas Ritz-Carlton

By Amanda Finnegan

Published Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010 | 10:35 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010 | 12:38 p.m.

Dolce Hotels and Resorts has begun the process of filling 125 positions at the former Ritz-Carlton site at Lake Las Vegas.

Job opportunities are available across several departments at the resort, including food and beverage, finance, sales, housekeeping, spa and guest services. All jobs will be posted on Dolce’s website by Dec. 6.

Former employees of the Ritz-Carlton will be given some preferential treatment in the hiring effort, but still will need to go through the application process. About 350 employees were left out of work when the resort closed in May.

“Hiring 125 people is a big step in the right direction. We look forward to building a team of passionate, service-oriented professionals,” said Barry Goldstein, Dolce’s chief revenue officer.

Stephen Bello, Dolce's corporate director of operations and the acting general manager of the property, said the company has hired back some of the former Ritz-Carlton employees. The hotel has also hired some of its senior leaders, he said.

“As we start bringing people back into the building, it starts to give it life again, as opposed to just being brick-and-mortar. We are starting to get the heart and soul back in the building,” Bello said.

Those looking to apply for positions at the hotel are being asked to fill out an application online. Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule interviews during the week of Dec. 13.

Start dates will begin in January, ramping up through 2011 for the hotel’s opening, which is expected sometime during the first quarter of next year.

Between now and the hotel’s reopening, Bello said the company will be training the hotel staff, testing new restaurant menus and doing small renovations. He said Dolce will begin a hotel lobby renovation that will add more color and music, as well as a technology center for guests.

“We are lucky that the Ritz-Carlton left us with a beautiful building,” Bello said. "In listening to the community, we would like to give it a little bit of a lighter and fun feel.”

Dolce announced in September that it would be taking over and rebranding the shuttered Ritz-Carlton at Lake Las Vegas. The hotel announced its closure in February, citing a lack of funding from the hotel’s owners, Village Hospitality LLC, which is an arm of Deutsche Bank.

The 15-acre, 349-room luxury hotel opened Feb. 11, 2003. The hotel received two AAA Five Diamond awards while operating as the Ritz-Carlton.

A few weeks after the Ritz-Carlton announced it would be closing, Lake Las Vegas’ only casino, Casino MonteLago, closed its doors. The casino, which is attached to the hotel through a covered walkway, remains closed.

Bello wouldn’t comment on what’s happening with the casino, but said an announcement regarding the space would be coming soon.