Park MGM Officially Takes Its Place On The Las Vegas Strip

Tower Signage and New Exterior Marquee Mark Major Milestone as Sydell Group and MGM Resorts Continue Property-Wide Transformation

LAS VEGAS  – With the lighting of its new marquee and hotel tower signs, Monte Carlo officially sheds its name this week for a new identity – Park MGM – making way for the resort set for completion later this year. Following a transformation that will touch every element of the central Strip property, Park MGM is a welcoming social hub that evokes the residential spirit, intimacy and individuality of a boutique experience on a resort scale.

A partnership between Sydell Group and MGM Resorts International, Park MGM was born from the collaborative vision of the New York-based lifestyle hotelier and one of the world’s preeminent destination resort developers. When complete, the project will comprise two new distinct experiences: Park MGM, and a Las Vegas version of the renowned NoMad, a standalone 292-room hotel encompassing the tower’s top four floors.

"It’s a very special moment seeing this ambitious idea begin to come to life,” said Andrew Zobler, founder and CEO of Sydell Group. "Together with MGM, we were able to rethink every element of the guest experience and create something personal on a grand scale."

Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, said, “The opening of Park MGM, and soon NoMad, will tie together the entire neighborhood we’ve created with The Park, T-Mobile Arena and CityCenter. We are grateful to Andrew and the team at Sydell Group for sharing our vision to deliver a destination that embraces its surroundings and speaks to a new generation of travelers.”

Beginning with the opening of the 5,200-seat Park Theater in December 2016, the resort has unveiled several new amenities including completely reimagined guestrooms and suites, food and beverage offerings, lounges, pools, meeting spaces and more. The evolution of the Park MGM experience will continue throughout 2018 with the addition of nightlife; a new dining concept from Roy Choi embracing the energy of Los Angeles’ Koreatown; an Eataly marketplace designed specifically for Las Vegas; and the launch of Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated special engagement, among other elements.

NoMad Las Vegas will open within Park MGM in Fall 2018 with 292 guestrooms and suites; a dedicated entrance and lobby; high-limit gaming; a private pool environment; and the Las Vegas debut of Chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara, the visionaries behind the world’s best restaurant, Eleven Madison Park.

Additional details about the experiences still to come will be shared in the months ahead as the resort continues to take shape. Guests seeking a taste of Park MGM now can experience these resort features:

• Immersive Lobby: Filled with natural light and punctuated by nature-inspired décor and art, Park MGM’s lobby is a nod to urban gardens and parks, including the adjacent Park neighborhood, bringing the outdoors inside. A dramatic arboreal sculpture by Brazilian woodworker Henrique Oliveira is the focal point of the lobby. The remarkable tree sculpture extends from above with its roots stretching across the ceiling. Throughout the lobby, guests are invited to explore intriguing works by the likes of David Hockney, Shahram Karimi and Shoja Azari, and many others.
• Residential Guestrooms: Park MGM’s rooms evoke the essence of a private apartment with a mix of thoughtful touches, antique-inspired pieces, ‘found’ objects and original artwork by artists and photographers from around the world commissioned for each room by France’s be-pôles studio.
• Primrose Restaurant: Located within the lobby, Primrose is inspired by the South of France and features an all-day menu with an emphasis on open-fire cooking. The restaurant celebrates the spirit of dining in a private Provençal garden with wood-fired grilling and an herb-centric cocktail program. For guests looking to dine al fresco, Primrose offers a spacious outdoor terrace overlooking the pool, beautiful both by day and night. 

• Bavette’s Steakhouse & Bar: The heralded Chicago-based Hogsalt Hospitality serves up steakhouse fare with a dash of French flair including seafood towers, flavorful bone-in dry-aged ribeye, sumptuous side dishes and house-made desserts. Classic cocktails and a well-curated international wine list embody Bavette’s timeless vibe. For those in the know, Bavette’s features a hidden speakeasy-style lounge at the back of the restaurant offering a full menu and bar, and the ultimate in intimacy and seclusion.
• Juniper Cocktail Lounge: This stylish lounge challenges the status quo of mainstay drinks while staying true to the foundation of what makes a great cocktail. Whimsical elements like fortune-telling Gin & Tonics come to life through house-made juices and syrups, a premium selection of spirits and an intense dedication to the craft. An eclectic soundtrack creates a sophisticated atmosphere that evolves throughout the evening.

• Moneyline Sports Book & Bar: Moneyline brings a new twist to the Las Vegas sports book with intertwining spaces that playfully transport guests to their favorite neighborhood hangout. Among the duckpin bowling lanes and billiards games, Moneyline features a menu conceptualized by Hogsalt Hospitality with griddled cheeseburgers as well as self-service, weigh-and-pay food selections for guests wanting to personalize their game day feast.
• Pools: Channeling the sundrenched South of France, this vibrant outdoor escape features three pools, an oversized heated spa, 12 cabanas, lounge areas and multiple bars serving up delicious bites and beverages. Guests can mingle among friends at one of three pools – the South Pool, the East Pool or the North Pool – while lively music evokes a cool, laid-back vibe. Each pool boasts Baja shelf seating and submerged wet decks; a VIP area by the East Pool also features deluxe cushioned chaises. 
• Meetings & Conventions: Phase one of Park MGM’s 77,000-square-foot conference center combines non-traditional spaces and flexible design to fill an unmet need for small groups visiting Las Vegas. With bookings now available, meeting planners can take advantage of the city’s first Executive Meeting Center and a comprehensive installation of Stay Well rooms and meeting space.
• Casino Floor: Park MGM’s remodeled casino floor reflects the resort’s outdoor inspiration. In keeping with Sydell Group’s vision for maintaining key elements of the former space, the casino’s design contains subtle nods to its Monte Carlo roots, including the refined sparkling chandeliers, intricate crown moulding and stained-glass ceiling, all of which have been refurbished to their original beauty.
• Park Theater: Park Theater invites guests to an intimate space for one-of-a-kind productions from renowned artists. The theater is home to extended engagements with Bruno Mars, Cher, Ricky Martin – and soon – Lady Gaga.

With its unrivaled central location, Park MGM offers guests direct access to what is quickly becoming the city’s premier entertainment district, featuring T-Mobile Arena, The Park and Park Theater. 

ABOUT MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 28 unique hotel offerings including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. Expanding throughout the U.S. and around the world, the company in 2018 opened MGM COTAI in Macau and the first Bellagio-branded hotel in Shanghai. It also is developing MGM Springfield in Massachusetts. The 78,000 global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies®. For more information visit us at www.mgmresorts.com.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Las Vegas

 Not many cities evoke as many instant associations as Las Vegas.

Maybe you think of the Rat Pack, showgirls and mobsters sipping martinis. Or perhaps it's bachelorettes and bros on a bender that everyone hopes won't end up on Facebook.

It's a town whose story has been told thousands of times, in books such as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," movies such as "Casino" and televisions shows from "Vega$" to "Vegas."

But there's much more to the city than just sin.

Photos: The Vegas you didn't know

There's a lot about Vegas you might not know -- and we don't just mean magic tricks, personal secrets or those holes in the desert you see in gangster movies:More than half a million people live here -- about 800,000 if you include the adjacent suburb of Henderson. Plenty of slots and cocktails still abound, but the arts and cultural scene is blossoming and a tech boom is building.

1. Down with the old, up with the new

No town turns over real estate like Las Vegas. The Wynn inhabits the site of the storied Desert Inn; the Bellagio has totally obliterated the Dunes. Planet Hollywood still has some of the Aladdin buried inside, while the Sahara is being gutted and repurposed as the SLS.

There's still a Flamingo, but Bugsy Siegel didn't run rampant there -- the final remnant of the original hotel was torn down in 1993.

A small plaque in the garden indicates the location of Siegel's personal suite, which had bulletproof glass, earthquake-proof walls and a trapdoor in the closet leading to escape tunnels.

2. City of culture

Las Vegas is a big museum town -- in its own way.

We have the Neon Museum, a dazzling pile of obsolete signage, from vast casinos such as the Stardust and Moulin Rouge to roadside motel dice or the smiling shirt advertising a dry cleaner.

At the Mob Museum, you can see Kefauver's courtroom, where mafiosos testified before senators, as well as the bullet-riddled brick wall from the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

The National Atomic Testing Museum has history, science and bombs. At the Pinball Hall of Fame, you can admire (and play) hundreds of games.

Dream of driving the 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II at the Auto Collections or check out Gypsy Rose Lee's g-string at the Burlesque Hall of Fame or visit the brand new Polaroid Museum, which is set to open Thursday.

3. Downtown

When people think of Vegas, they think of the Strip, but recently, the older Downtown area has been pulling focus.

Online retailer Zappos moved in, and CEO Tony Hsieh started theDowntown Project, aimed at revitalizing the neighborhood through investing in real estate and small businesses (and a huge music festival).

A number of the older casinos are getting facelifts, while new bars and restaurants open at an ever-accelerating rate.

For entertainment, the Smith Center has high-end offerings -- ballet, Broadway shows, the recent world premiere of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," redone by Teller (of Penn & Teller) and Tom Waits.

Conversely, the Fremont Street Experience offers classic rock-themed light shows, concerts of cover bands (or the occasional original artist) and plenty of frozen drinks in souvenir cups.

Somewhere in between is the Inspire Theater's edgy variety shows and bar-with-a-view, as well as touring band venues like Beauty Barand Backstage Bar & Billiards.

4. Conventioneers!

There are thousands of conventions in Vegas every year, from 150 people for the Nevada Court Reporters Association to almost 150,000 for the Auto Expo.

There are the well-known ones such as CES (premiering the newest technology, from smartphones to spoons that post your calorie count on the Internet) and the AVN (the porn convention).

We welcome the movie stars of Cinemacon and the messengers of Interbike, the Bar & Nightclub Expo and the National Hardware Show, the Renfaire fans and the Trekkies.

Even if you're not here on business, be aware that a major gathering can affect hotel availability, restaurant reservations and the security line at the airport.

5. Skeletons in our midst

The Las Vegas Strip runs glitter and overkill all the way through town, but at its center stand two enormous, unfinished structures, incongruous in rust and darkness.

There's the Fontainebleau, kin to the famous Miami hotel: 68 stories high, 70% completed, $3 billion spent, five years vacant and rotting in the sun.

Across the street was the legendary Stardust, busy until the day it was closed in 2006. Local casino corporation Boyd Gaming bought it up and tore it down, intending to build an ultraluxurious megaresort with Mondrian and Delano hotels, shopping, convention space, multiple theaters ...

They got as far as the girders before the recession hit in 2008. Eventually another gaming group purchased the property and plans to finally turn it into a megaresort.

6. The famous casino that isn't

The Tangiers was the setting of "Casino," perhaps the best movie made about Las Vegas; the Tangiers is also a recurring plot point/location on "CSI."

However, the Tangiers doesn't exist.

"Casino" was inspired by events at the Stardust but, for legal reasons, the name was changed in the film, a name that was then picked up for the TV show. Some folks assume it was torn down, when actually it never existed to begin with.

7. Everyone plays Vegas now

The Vegas headliner is no longer a crooner in a toupee and pinky ring, as an increasing number of more contemporary artists give Sin City the long run.

The pediment of Caesars Palace is adorned not with the visages of Jupiter, Apollo and Venus but Elton John, Rod Stewart and Celine Dion.

The Hard Rock works a similar format within its own theme, with intermittent extended stays by hair-metal lords Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Guns n' Roses.

Britney Spears bumps and grinds at Planet Hollywood, while Boyz II Men brings harmony to the Mirage. Even hipper venues such as the Brooklyn Bowl do extended runs, in this case funk/jam bands such as Galactic, Primus and String Cheese Incident.

8. More than slots and dice

Gambling is no longer the main motivator of a trip to Vegas.

The nightclub is one of the new draws, as lavish megaclubs seem to open every month with over-the-top decor, four-figure bottle service and a roster of superstar DJs. (Of course, dropping the price of a used car on a night out can make the rest of the trip a five-to-a-room event with Budweiser and Hot Pockets.)

A more mature crowd is lured by the city's status as a foodie destination.

The classic steakhouse and coffee shop offerings have expanded into a dazzling array of restaurants, from exquisitely prepared tasting menus with meticulously paired wines surrounded by museum-quality art to comfort food of all cultures, served under bright lights to finger-licking crowds.

Celebrity chefs from Thomas Keller to Gordon Ramsay have resort-property eateries (Wolfgang Puck has six and Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali each have four).

Even if big names above the door don't mean much to you, they have given many a local chef a career boost. Beloved local restaurants such as Honey Salt, Fat Choy, Eat and the soon-to-reopen Rosemary's were all created by chefs who got their training on the Strip.

9. Halloween every day

There are many people in Las Vegas who make their living pretending to be someone else, meaning you might see "Michael Jackson" in hat, glove and shades waiting at the bus stop.

Elvis impersonators work big showrooms, casino lounges and wedding chapels, so it is not uncommon to see a man in white jumpsuit and full sideburns buying kitty litter or pumping gas into his Honda.

Other fake famous folks do tribute shows, parties or just stand around hoping someone will tip for a photo with "Marilyn." Or "Tupac." Or Barney.

10. Where Vegas is still "Vegas"

There are still some spots that retain the mojo of when Dino was at the Sands and Dietrich was at the Sahara.

The Golden Steer Steakhouse has been velvet wallpaper and sirloin since 1958, and you can still sit in Elvis' booth, sipping a martini while the veteran waiter creates your tableside Caesar salad or cherries jubilee.

The Huntridge Tavern and the Hard Hat Lounge are both Kennedy-era dive bars, the first with an attached drugstore and lunch counter, the latter with glorious pulp-art murals.

Frankie's Tiki Room has a new interior, but the retro-Polynesian style is pure throwback.

A few casinos still retain their original style.

The El Cortez is in the original 1941 building, with vintage neon on the roof and an Elvis impersonator in the lounge; the Riviera may have go-go dancing dealers and a British pub, but it's still got the smoked mirrors and brass trim of its '70s prime.

Contributed By Lissa Townsend Rodgers, CNN.