The recent reopening of the revamped Golden Gate hotel located in Fremont Street marks the growing resurgence of downtown Las Vegas as a gaming market.
The 111-year-old property underwent an exhaustive renovation under which the size of its gaming floor was doubled and the property’s façade was redesigned with elements from the Jazz Age.
The property also now features one of the longest bars in Las Vegas.
A ceremony was held to celebrate the opening which saw city officials and top executives from the gaming property in attendance. Golden Gate CEO and owner Derek Stevens said that given its memorable past the renovation sought to retain the historical aspects of the property while adding modern amenities.
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Golden Gate is the oldest operating casino in Las Vegas and has a glamorous history of having hosted celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in the past. The iconic property is also said to have been the first facility to have installed a telephone and used an electric sign in Vegas.
The renovation of Golden Gate is one of the several property upgradations ongoing at Fremont Street that is driving its revitalization.Stevens is also developing a new hotel-casino project across the street from the Golden Gate, at a site which previously featured the Las Vegas Club and Mermaids casino.
The Fremont Street Experience which is a dedicated entertainment zone is also expected to get an upgrade with a popular light show that will dazzle visitors daily. The Fremont Street Experience was developed as a way to compete with the Strip and attract visitors.
Patrick Hughes, president of the Fremont Street Experience stated that downtown Las Vegas was preferred by visitors for being pedestrian friendly and offers ease of access to various hotel casinos in the area. He also pointed out that the area also had a number of non-gaming attractions such as the Neon Museum and the Mob Museum.
In a statement, Hughes said
We only have 5 percent of the city’s hotel rooms, which means a trip downtown is a major part of their trip to Las Vegas. They come to Las Vegas because downtown is part of that experience, not competing with the Strip, but we are a destination within a destination
He also pointed out that as per a recent tourism report 53 percent of visitors to Las Vegas in 2016 made a trip to the downtown area during their stay. Downtown Las Vegas casinos have seen the largest gains in gaming revenue during 2016. Revenues were up by 11 percent during the last fiscal year, outperforming the other gaming markets in Nevada, which overall grew by 2.9 percent.
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