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StumbleBoutique hotel opens in shadow of Strip megaresorts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.
Rumor Las Vegas
Sun coverage
In the shadows of monstrous Strip hotels, the Siegel Group is harboring its latest shot at a boutique hotel on the former site of the boarded-up St. Tropez hotel.
The exterior has been given a sleek white coat, and the interior has adopted a look that resonates with Las Vegas’ increasingly younger customer. A new hotel called Rumor Las Vegas is the end product of the Siegel Group’s revamping.
The hotel opened last week to invited guests and will celebrate its grand opening in mid-September.
The real estate developer purchased the St. Tropez at the bargain-basement price of $10.5 million from a California businessman in September 2009 and spent about $4 million to revamp the property and achieve the boutique hotel-feel Siegel Group founder Stephen Siegel and Director of Business Affairs Michael Crandall envisioned.
“We want you to be able to be from your cab, up to your room and in your bed in under five minutes. That’s not something that could happen in the large Strip hotels,” Crandall said.
The hotel’s two-story, 150-room layout lends itself to that concept. Guests will find the front desk as soon as they enter the hotel’s front doors, the bar a few feet away and the hotel’s three-meal restaurant just steps beyond that. Rumor’s 85 employees, compared to the thousands some Strip resort employ, add to the personalized feel of the hotel.
“In Vegas, you either have the huge casino or you have the cookie-cutter chain hotel. It’s strange because this is the hotel capital of the world, but you don’t have boutique hotels. You go anywhere else in the world and boutique hotels are it,” Siegel said.
The Siegel Group has filled the hotel with quirks. The maids pull their supplies in purple Radio Flyer wagons. There’s a dog run in the courtyard and a grassy area where guests can order picnic blanket lunches.
Upstairs, every room is a suite, each with a living room, bedroom and balcony overlooking the street or the new pool area. While there were no structural changes to the rooms, each room has new carpeting, wall coverings, bedding, furnishings and flat screen TVs. Room rates start at $79 on weekdays and $159 on weekends.
“It was tore up,” Siegel said of the St. Tropez. “There was no restaurant. There was no bar. The front lobby was a mess. The rooms were a wreck. There was no hot water or air conditioning. There were nothing but complaints from guests.”
If it weren’t for Harmon Avenue dividing the two properties, you’d almost think that Rumor Las Vegas was an extension of the über hip Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
The charcoal and deep purple color palate, white marble lobby, chrome accents and textured walls all resemble the Hard Rock’s new HRH Tower.
The design similarities are just a coincidence, both Siegel and Crandall said, but the hotel is guilty of taking some pages out of the Hard Rock playbook. The Siegel Group recruited local designer Mark Tracy to design its four largest suites, just as Hard Rock did, and swept away two of its neighbor’s top executives.
Both Yale Rowe, former general manager of Hard Rock, and former Hard Rock director of special events Rob Cornelius moved across the street to Rumor.
Cornelius came onboard with Rumor after 15 years with the Hard Rock brand.
“Hard Rock’s original concept was customer service, small, boutique, cool, but it got to the point where we outgrew it just like every other hotel in this town,” Cornelius said. “What we couldn’t do over there, we are doing over here.”
The Siegel Group has become the master of flipping broken down Las Vegas hotels. The company revamped the Gold Spike and Oasis downtown, The Resort on Mount Charleston and took over the foreclosed Artisan Hotel in January. The Siegel Group will be branding Rumor as its flagship property.
“Rumor is going to become like a way of life as far as boutique hotels go, as far as the type of services we offer and the way we treat our guests. It’s a whole brand we are creating,” Crandall said.
If the brand works, Siegel and Crandall said we may start seeing Rumors popping up in cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago.
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This is a good start to return Las Vegas to it's original hospitality oriented offering. People don't want the mega resorts anymore.
Hey, folks,
this place looks like a nice little joint to me. Suppose, Boris would have liked it tambien, if they had some decent video poker machines, at least at the bar.
I could have also imagined Boris opening that place as a little "Boris'"-casino.
Regards
Banana_Joe
@ep:
He, ep, guess what: I still like these mega resorts tambien, and as far as I am informed, the Boris likes the mega resorts tambien, just to gamble from time to time and to blow the family nest egg.
Regards
Banana_Joe
Congrats. This guy is doing a great job of buying a run down property and putting in some real money, cleaning them up and offering a respectable product. he should be getting some stimulus money for his efforts as some of the properties he has renovated i thought should have been scraped.
The dripping chandelier is pretty cool. Not sure about the 'day beds' at the pool. You might get a lil charred .
This is a very uplifting story.
A shrewd business group with deep pockets is able to make a fantastic improvement to smaller individual hotels. Renovating one property helps other establishments in that neighborhood look much better.
The similar upgrading of the Gold Spike and Ogden House downtown have greatly improved that area.
Congratulations Siegel Group. Keep up the good work.
This is a refreshing artical. With so many closed and deteriorating properties in Las Vegas, I congratulate the Siegel Group for their accomplishments. Many of my friends and relatives who frequent Las Vegas prefer to stay at smaller, non-gaming establishments. I shall certainly recommend Rumor.
Las Vegas Sun: please do a followup to this story in a year. It will be interesting to see how Rumor takes off.
I'm curious as to where Siegel gets his financing. He has bought and renovated a lot of properties over the last few years. Financing is tough these days but the funds have to come from somewhere.
Siegel has done a great job; quality boutique hotels were an unfulfilled niche long overdue in Las Vegas. It often takes vision and risk to take advantage of times like these ... And vision and risk is what built (and will help to rebuild) Las Vegas.
And, guess what? You can provide a resort feel, customer service and those things that clients really want WITHOUT ROBOTIC SLOTS!!!
What a concept? It worked throughout the rest of the country, maybe Las Vegas should think about that!
Kudos to these guys. Assuming that their debt load is either non-existent or at least reasonable in terms of amount and rate, they'll be able to offer value to customers.
Over time, the myopic, debt-laden corporate behemoths on the Strip will lose market share to guys like the Siegels and, one day, when MGM and Harrah's are broken up and sold off piecemeal, we may see the return of individual owner-operators on LV Blvd.as well (like Phil Ruffin).
I get it, and not to be picky, but those bar stools look cheesy.
denro...
It depends on who's sittin' in em'.
Could be fantASStic!!!
we had the same idea, take one of the motels across from Mandalay Bay\The Hotel. Totally swank it out but keep the structure and theme. Call it The Motel. Turn 48 motel rooms into 20 full swank suites and sell out every night.
Comment removed by moderator. Comment contained unprovable allegations.
wow, no negative comments... amazing. I hope the hotel does well too and I am surprised there isn't more of them. Seems like a great concept.
Okay - sounds like a place I would definitely stay at but (here's the first negative comment) - do not like the decor in that bar area. Too bright and too antiseptic looking. I guess I'm old fashioned - like my bar/lounges dark and intimate looking and not bright like a doctor's office.
Is that hotel with the glass 'holes' in the side (i think it was used in Casino) still around? That would be a cool re-vamp . There are some scary ones across from Mandalay Bay and on the back side of MGM ,though.
Why was my comment deleted? As a hotel management graduate at UNLV, I applaud any innovation in the marget place and certainly a Boutique hotel is a great way to restore a previously run down property. I was just pointing out that any in depth reporting of the Siegel Group would uncover the fact that they are slumlords, who profited off the poor to get to this point. Is the message we want to send to our kids, that it is ok to do what it takes to get to the top, as long as you give back once you get there.
The Glass Pool Inn. It was torn down in 2006.
The single room concept with the king size bed is designed with the most intimate taste in mind. The entire hotel has a coolness offering the guests a respite from the desert heat.
I used to work at the former St. Tropez and its transformation into this boutique hotel turned out nice. Yes, the pool area is beautiful and in the center of it all. This boutique hotel will do better than the former St. Tropez. Everything has been improved.
I drive by that hotel almost every day and it looks very nice. I wish them luck. You could literally walk out the airport and 15 minuets be in your room. Also, u have the Hard Rock right there for gaming clubs etc. Also Club Paradise is right there too. Subway is opening up right next door and there is a liquor/convience store, and cvs pharmacy. I think it was a smart idea. Hope it works for Vegas.
Ps. The Glass Pool was my first hotel I stayed at. Still got the picture from pool. Ah old Vegas. Bring back the holiday inn boardwalk and 29 cent chicken dinners!!!
Same Siegel Group! Where is the money coming from? My tax money from one country in the middle east?
Slumlord on Boulder Highway, evictions everyday, police protection at $179 a week for the last resort before out in the streets with kids sleeping in cars on the parking lot"
Bedbugs eating you alive"
Will they use the same matresses tainted with the blood of the American free world at this location? I believe the health department should be involved"
At 29 cents you sure that was chicken?
Looks very pretentious and unwelcoming, but I guess the hip 20-something crowd likes that kind of stuff.... or so every hotel owner in Vegas seems to think.
I hate to be a downer, but I don't think this hotel is going to survive. Who's going to pay $79 on a weeknight to say in a non-gaming property off the Strip when you can stay on the Strip for less and have everything under one roof? This might have worked during the book years but right now we have a glut of empty rooms in this town and there is no demand for this kind of property.
I would love to be proven wrong but I don't think I will be.
"Looks very pretentious and unwelcoming"
This is a matter of taste, not pretension. The taste for boutique hotels reaches across ages and demographics; Las Vegas has been behind not just the US in this regard, but the entire world.
This could be very thing that reinvents Las Vegas for the future.
This article and the hotel's website don't say anything about gaming, but I swear I see video poker machines on top of the bar in the photo here. Anybody been there yet?
Helvetico :
Absolutely right The glass Pool Inn, however it goes way back to the late fifties when it was built (along with the Glass windowed pool) and named The Mirage Motel.
i think $79 is a great price for a nice newly remodeled place 2 blocks off strip, won't find prices like that at any DECENT place on the strip, good luck guys!
"i think $79 is a great price for a nice newly remodeled place 2 blocks off strip, won't find prices like that at any DECENT place on the strip, good luck guys!"
Really? My family just booked $39/night at the Monte Carlo next week.
Anyone who would rather pay $39 for the Monte Carlo than a boutique property isn't in the target market.
It should appeal to those who want something different than the large resort. The best thing they have going for them, They only have to appeal to 150 customers to keep it full. The megaresorts have to appeal to 4,000 people a night and compete with their neighbors also looking for 4,000 customers. If it truly is special, the location issues can be overcome. We used to stay at the old Travelodge at Sahara and I-15 which became the Artisan. Nothing really special about it then, other than the corporate room rate. What have they done with that property?
If they put in an old style Vegas Lounge and promoted it, it would be a great relief from all of the "trendy" crowded clubs on the strip. There was a good lounge at the Debbie Reynolds back in the 1990's.
Enviro-- that is correct and I believe Steve Wynn bought the name "The Mirage" motel for 1 million dollars from the owners... At the time it was alot of cash...
I dont know about the Rumors deal.. Anymore its a shot in the bottom if it will make it or not... Besides this guy is known as a cheap jackass anyways... Time will tell...........lol
Maybe this outfit is on to something. Perhaps there's a segment of tourists who are just sick of the cattle call mentality of the Strip hotels. They are willing to pay more for a room and be away from the main action -- if they get better service. Plus they would not get run over by strollers as is the norm in the big Strip hotels.
I would also suspect that this hotel will be "gay popular" given it's location near the "Fruit Loop." Perhaps that's really their target market???
If these guys can the make the Gold Spike work --which in my opinion was the most disgusting and retched hotel/casino in LV, then props to this company. They are willing to take chances and go against the typical LV norm. Hopefully Harrah's will not swallow them up...
As always, check out my LV blog:
http://jimmyhoofa-lv.blogspot.com/
Fruit Loop??
As long as there are no surprise "mandatory" resort fees, it could be on my 'staycation' list.
I would bet it'll draw business from the Hard Rock istself. Savvy move.
Wishing it great success.
I see those video poker machines too - all 4 of them! Guess that bar will do a brisk business! I'm happy to see anybody go up against "big' Vegas and win!! Good luck to them-show me the big locals discount and I'll be even happier!
@VegasObserver - 1st of all, Monte Carlo is booking for $55+ weekdays, I checked. 2nd, Monte Carlo rooms are a dump. The nicest, newest, cheapest rooms on the strip right now are Vdara at $100+, maybe Mirage if you can get into the newly remodeled rooms for $85. So yeah, "i think $79 is a great price for a nice newly remodeled place 2 blocks off strip, won't find prices like that at any DECENT place on the strip..."
If you think the rooms at Monte Carlo are a "dump" then clearly you and I are not on the same level. I think there are plenty of DECENT rooms on the Strip that are less than $79/night. I consider Excalibur decent. Luxor is decent. Tropicana is decent. I know this offends your highly sophisticated tastes, but not everybody requires the same level of luxury as yourself.
looks good lets hope it works
@ Bakersfield- I totally agree. Loving being in the mega resorts, but hate staying there. The terrible parking, the long check in lines, the long walk to the elevators and the even longer walk to the room. Once you get to the room and drop off your stuff you don't want to double back and go have fun. This is a plus for this hotel.
@ VegasObserver- The Fruit Loop is the "gay" part of town. It's not the Castro district in San Francisco, but at least we have one.
Las Vegas is totally behind on the boutique hotel trend;probably because there isn't a lot of money to be made, but you also don't have as much overhead as a mega resort. It's a simpler business if you will. The Rumor, which I wouldn't consider a boutique hotel in any other city, may just be the start of diversifying the upscale hotel segment in Las Vegas.
Rumored to be a good place!
I loved the St. Tropez. There were a couple of wonderful suites there where I scheduled several meetings & board retreats. I have high hopes for this property and hope they do well.
@ VegasObserver - Another point to consider when booking hotel rooms - especially a places like the Monte Carlo, is that most Strip hotels today charge a RESORT FEE of $30 to $55 dollars. This includes CityCenter and other big brands.
So, if this small RUMOR hotel can operate at the $79 level - and maybe give discounts along the way - I would stay there if for no other reason than there does not seem to be an hidden (resort fee) charges, and the PLACE LOOKS CLEAN.
As for no casino - that requires a (hard to get) gaming license which may come later - perhaps in September when they open. In any case, at times I have had to stay at an off-Strip hotel because everything else was booked, THIS HOTEL would have been a welcome sight. And, as most people WALK to different hotels, so you could doe the same from RUMOR - or take a short, cab ride.
I think the DESIGN of this hotel will appeal to a large tourist segment, and that will be enough to keep it full. After all, there are over 30 MILLION people visiting Las Vegas every year - about 200,000 are here every day (down from 2 or 3 years ago).
Strip hotel room PRICES have already begun to climb - closer to #100+ in some cases - which is probably in a "premptive greed-reaction" from the success they experienced when they lowered room rates.
But Strip hotels have also ADDED "RESORT FEES" to the room rate - but quote them seperately. (The IP has been said herein to NOT have "resort fees.) As for the Monte Carlo and their $39 room rate, it is limited rate (consider a special deal) - and a RESORT FEE is added to the room rate.
In my experience, they don't tell you about the resort fee when you call for a room rate - unless you ask more questions. So you will find out about it either when you book the room, or check in. THAT is deception, and unnecessary, in my opinion. And it certainly is NOT Customer Service.
Good luck, RUMOR Las Vegas.
I still think the bar stools are completely cheesy.
denro, I'm not sure why you think so but the barstools are not cheesy at all. I've been to the property and the stools actually look fabulous and they are really comforatable...the chairs on the other hand are a fairly cheap knock-off of the Kartell Ghost chair, not impressive. But all in all, the hotel is a great jewel for the city, I wish them well.
I, personally, think it looks pretty refreshing. I was looking at the pictures and thought it'd be a nice place to escape to for a few nights with my husband for a "staycation". I actually love the color theme. It's different but not crazy. The article mentioned there was a dog run so I am assuming it is pet friendly as well. Are any of the mega resorts pet friendly? I honestly don't know.
Oh and united_727:
Although it's already been pointed out, it was the Glass Pool and it was in Casino. It also used to host some punk shows later on (during my high school years, about 16 yrs ago). It is torn down and that makes me extremely sad. Vegas can't wait to tear down land marks... I really hope the Huntridge doesn't go on the chopping block next.
I think it is GREAT what they are doing. I think that at the same time they should take the Siegel Suites brand and clean them up, get rid of the child molesters and the violent criminals. I understand that people break the law we all do it (from speeding to bouncing a check the day before payday or such) don't exclude all people just those on violent charges and sex crimes...they do a background check why allow those pieces of trash in...I don't care if there is a identity thief or shoplifter bad check writer or other white collar tye crime...but seriously those people with BAD crimes should all go live in Cali they take in anyone. Siegel Group needs to take a look at the cockroach ridden, child molestor lurking weekly hotels. Perhaps if they made them nicer and safer (because generally the security guard is who people buy drugs from) then I would applaud them. Palms has residences....why not make the Siegel Suites a higher end weekly residence or alternative apartment living experience for those that can afford a little more a week/month than the welfare and SS check, probation and parole housing they currently keep.
Yes I have lived there while waiting for my place to close and it is scary and I have a child....I didn't leave the apartment unless it was to go to the store or work..the lady above me had four kids and her "man" in a one bedroom unit beating her kids all day and night until I called the police and DFS on her.
So Rumor and GoldSpike are great...why not clean up all the other siegels and kick out the molestors and violent criminals??
It's people like this who take chances, go against the perceived wisdom, that can end up making a fortune. Or go totally bust, of course. Good luck to them. 85 more jobs is a good thing.