Caesars spent much of last year flirting with the idea of selling one of its Las Vegas Strip properties. Rumors had the company considering a sale of Planet Hollywood or Paris Las Vegas, but ultimately the company confirmed over the summer that it was actually considering offers for its Flamingo resort casino.
That both made sense and was curious. The move was logical because Flamingo was (and is) a dated property that needs a total remodel. It was curious, however, simply because Flamingo sits in a line of Caesars Entertainment (CZR) properties that starts with Harrah's, then The Linq, with Flamingo bordering the Linq Promenade, a key outdoor space for the company.
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On its other side, Flamingo sits next to Caesars Cromwell which borders the company's Paris Las Vegas, which is next to its newly-rebranded Horseshoe property. Selling Flamingo would have been the company allowing a rival a key beachhead in the middle of a long run of its properties.
That deal, of course, fell through and Caesars has decided to pull the property from the market. Now, the company has been focusing on improving its existing properties having just completed a remodel of the entrance to its flagship Caesars Palace while also revamping the former Bally's and renaming it Horseshoe.
Caesars now has a plan to continue its work at Horseshoe while also connecting it both visually and literally with its neighboring Paris Las Vegas resort casino.
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Caesars Plans to Link Horseshoe and Paris
Caesars has completed an initial $125 million remodel of the former Bally's to turn it into Horseshoe, a legendary casino name with Las Vegas ties which has never been used on the Strip. The remodel included a renovated exterior, new entertainment and food and beverage options, and a reimagined casino floor and public areas.
The new property now has an all-ages arcade and a reimagined sports book built around a Guy Fieri restaurant.
"At Horseshoe, it's all about the gambler. Since 1951 Horseshoe Casinos have been home to the best odds, highest limits, and biggest jackpots. So, it's fitting that we bring Horseshoe back to Las Vegas, and right on the Las Vegas Strip," said Horseshoe General Manager Jason Gregorec. "Holding to the Horseshoe tradition of providing impeccable service, our guests will see the property transform over time, ensuring we aren't disrupting the excitement while we make the transition."
Those efforts were just the first step for Horseshoe and are part of a broader refresh of all Caesars properties on the Strip. Now, the company has filed plans with Clark County for the next step in the process which includes tying Horseshoe and the neighboring Paris Las Vegas together both literally and figuratively.
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Caesars filed paperwork with the county and received approval to "update the exterior of a Horseshoe Las Vegas tower, transforming its facade to match the neighboring Paris Las Vegas and connect the two properties via an enclosed pedestrian bridge," the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
The resort casino operator has received approval to make one of Horseshoe's towers, the Jubilee Tower, roughly 17 feet taller to "accommodate a new Parisian-style roof, add balconies to existing guestrooms on the west facade and construct a skybridge to the adjacent Paris hotel tower."
Caesars has not commented on the changes and the plans don't officially mention the tower being incorporated into Paris Las Vegas. In some of the filings, however, the tower is referred to as "the Versailles Tower,” according to the paper.
The Jubilee Tower accounts for about one-third of the just over 2,000 rooms that are part of Horseshoe.
