The Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton ... ends today.

After a ten year run and some three million visitors, the attraction at the Las Vegas Hilton is closing. Rather than a lack of popularity, it appears the closure is the result of contractual term challenges between the Las Vegas Hilton and Cedar Point which owned the show.

The Star Trek Experience offered interactive rides simulating space travel and adventure, the themed restaurant Quark's, and more. The Hilton has not announced what will replace this attraction, one of the most notable themed attractions in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Hilton is a major off strip hotel that is adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center (though don't think you are right next door in the usual sense because walking from the Hilton rooms to the Convention Center via the skyway or below via sidewalks is a walk of about 10 minutes even at a fairly brisk pace. The Las Vegas Convention Center is one of the world's largest facilities and even getting from one end to the other is quite a hike.

Here's the Star Trek Experience Press Release, closing the show effective today:
---------------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Monday, June 30, 2008
CONTACT: CHAD BOUTTE 702-697-8717 chad.boutte@paramountparks.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STAR TREK: THE EXPERIENCE TO CONCLUDE SUCCESSFUL 11 YEAR
RUN AT LAS VEGAS HILTON
Las Vegas - Star Trek: The Experience, Las Vegas’ premier interactive attraction will
conclude its historic 11 year run at the Las Vegas Hilton on September 1, 2008.
Since 1998, millions of guests have gone boldly into the 24th century to battle Klingons,
Borg, and other hostile aliens. The original complex featured the Klingon Encounter, an
interactive adventure and ride. In 2004 Borg Invasion 4-D was introduced and the Secrets
Unveiled Backstage Tour was unveiled in 2005, making Star Trek: the Experience the
stomping grounds for fans around the galaxy.
Asked if there is any final transmission he’d like to convey from the Enterprise bridge,
Chad Boutte, Operations Manager and Director of Marketing said “Hailing frequencies
open. We’d like to thank all the fans and friends of Star Trek, whose constant and
amazing support we’ve enjoyed throughout our tenure at the Las Vegas Hilton. As we
boldly go into the futures that await, know that we take your love of Star Trek: The
Experience with us. We share the memories of time spent in the most unique place in the
Galaxy, and we carry those memories into our futures with us. Live long, and prosper.
Hailing frequencies closed.”
A digital media kit is available upon request.
###

M Resort, opening March, will cater mostly to locals

The new M Resort is a 700 million dollar project at the far south of Las Vegas Boulevard - some ten miles south of Mandalay Bay.

Unlike other resorts on the strip, the M will cater to locals and expects 80 percent of its business to be from local visits.

M Resort will feature an outdoor amphitheater, buffets, and high quality service. It appears the goal is not so much to out wow the competition, rather to offer locals a comfortable resort environment they can call their home away from home.

Las Vegas Sun reports

Chris Angel / Cirque Show Pushed back to September 12th

Chris Angel of Mindfreak fame is opening a special show with Cirque du Soleil called "Believe". Originally scheduled for Sept 1 the show has had technical problems and will begin September 12th with the big gala grand opening later in October.

The Luxor 100 million dollar venue promises one of the most spectacular Las Vegas shows of all time, but we'll all have to wait a big longer to see how great this show will be.

Luxor.com

CES 2009 Las Vegas

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

The Computer Electronics Show is one of Las Vegas' biggest conferences and is the most influential electronics show in the world. Spanning two huge venues - the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sands Convention Center at the Venetian Hotel Complex, CES 2009 will be held in January. A new fee structure is making it even easier to get into the exhibitions at this amazing event, though you will find the strip hotels at very high rates for most of the week AND mostly sold out. Consider staying downtown for a cost break. Fremont Street hotels are not as extravagant as the big places on the strip but most offer comfortable, quality rooms in the 50-100 range. Expect to pay 3-5 times that amount on the strip during CES.

CES 2008 Intl Panel. Meyer on leveraging existing cell infrastructure for health.

The Nugget's New 30 Million Dollar Swimming Complex

Who says all the amazing stuff, aside from the Fremont Street Experience, is on the Las Vegas strip? The Golden Nugget now has a spectacular new swimming complex complete with shark tank and waterslides right through the sharks. For pools that will impress everybody also consider the Mandalay Bay swimming complex.

The Palms and Hard Rock - Celebrity Hangouts

In Las Vegas you'll probably have a harder time finding celebrities than in Hollywood, partly because there are so many luxury hotels and clubs on the strip. However the Travel Channel suggests that the Palms and Hard Rock are among your best celebrity sighting bets in Las Vegas.

Palms Hotel | Hard Rock Hotel

Banks Leaving Las Vegas

Las Vegas Construction loans are among the largest in the industry, and have put a strain on some banks with high exposure. Although the commercial real estate industry seems surprisingly healthy given the current residential meltdown, some banks are still suffering under the pressure.

This Bloomberg story notes how building continues as banks joust for control of a major Las Vegas project:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a1YI9rQC09sw&refer=home