UPDATED: Caesars Entertainment has temporarily suspended operations of all of its Nevada hotel-casinos in Nevada, including nine in Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas properties include Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, The Linq Hotel & Casino, Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino, Bally’s Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood and The Cromwell.
In addition, the company has shuttered Harrah’s Lake Tahoe and Harveys Lake Tahoe; Harrah’s Laughlin; and Harrah’s Reno.
The company said in a statement: “For the well-being of our valued guests and team members, all Caesars Entertainment properties in the state of Nevada will be closing temporarily. Earlier today, the Governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak, ordered all Nevada casinos to suspend gambling and hotel operations through April 16th, 2020, as a precautionary measure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Caesars Entertainment will monitor the evolving situation and work with our local officials on a confirmed reopening date.”
The Venetian Resort, which includes The Venetian, The Palazzo, and The Venezia towers, will also temporarily suspend hotel operations effective at noon local time on March 19.
The resort said in a statement: “The health and safety of our guests and members continues to be our top priority. The governor has ordered a 30-day statewide closure of all nonessential services including casinos, restaurants, bars and retail stores. Our thoughts are with all affected during this difficult time. Our team members look forward to welcoming you back in the near future. At this time, we are taking new reservations for arrivals beginning April 20, 2020. This is subject to change.
“In times like this, it is our community that lifts us up,” the statement continued. “Our parent company, Las Vegas Sands Corp., has announced it is donating a total of $250,000 to Three Square, Communities In Schools, Share Village Las Vegas and other local nonprofits to help these organizations better serve the community during this time of need. In addition, the company plans to bolster that financial support with donations of meals and needed equipment. In these unprecedented times, we encourage everyone to support their communities and fellow neighbors.”
UPDATED: The Cosmopolitan will temporarily close on Wednesday in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The property, in a statement, said: “At The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the health and safety of our guests and employees is always our primary focus. As a result, we have determined to temporarily cease all operations as of March 18, 2020, at 6 p.m. through March 31, 2020. This action is in line with recommendations by local and federal health authorities encouraging limited social gatherings and travel, and Governor Sisolak’s recommendation that casinos consider closing to the public. Starting immediately, we will initiate an orderly departure for our in-house guests over the next 48 hours. Our employees have always been our priority, and we will continue to offer pay and benefits to full-time employees through March 31, 2020. We will continue to provide additional benefits and compensation for all eligible employees in the immediate future. The resort will provide further updates as the situation evolves.”
Additionally, a spokesperson from Caesars Entertainment told Hotel Business that all Caesars properties in Las Vegas—Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, The Linq Hotel & Casino, Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino, Bally’s Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas and The Cromwell—will remain open until further notice.
The Caesars Entertainment statement said: “Due to the impacted business levels, Caesars Entertainment will be temporarily closing several outlets through at least April 9, 2020, as well as adjusting hours of operations. Casino floors are still active and select restaurants, bars, pools and shopping remain open. For those open outlets, we are following the recommendations from public health officials by limiting capacity and providing social distancing of guests in restaurants, bars and gaming floors.”
The spokesperson also noted that all buffets company-wide will suspend operation, and Caesars Entertainment Vegas attractions, including the High Roller observation wheel and Eiffel Tower Experience, will remain open with adjusted hours of operation.
LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts have temporarily suspended operations at their resorts here in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
MGM Resorts International
MGM’s Las Vegas properties—Bellagio, Aria, Vdara at Aria, MGM Grand, The Signature at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Delano Las Vegas, Park MGM, NoMad Las Vegas, The Mirage, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur—will be shut down until further notice, effective as of March 17. Casino operations will close today, followed by hotel operations.
Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, said in a statement: “As the coronavirus pandemic has intensified in the United States over the past week, the people of MGM Resorts have worked to try to find a way to continue delivering high-quality hospitality and entertainment experiences for our guests while keeping our employees doing the jobs they love in a safe environment. Welcoming people from around the world is what we do, and our employees have tremendous pride in their work.
“Despite our commitment to dedicating additional resources for cleaning and promoting good health, while making difficult decisions to close certain aspects of our operations, it is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression,” he continued. “Accordingly, we will close all of our Las Vegas properties as of Tuesday, March 17th, for the good of our employees, guests and communities. This is a time of uncertainty across our country and the globe and we must all do our part to curtail the spread of this virus. We will plan to reopen our resorts as soon as it is safe to do so, and we will continue to support our employees, guests and communities in every way that we can during this period of closure.”
MGM Resorts will not be taking reservations for arrivals prior to May 1.
In addition, MGM has temporarily closed the following resort-casinos: MGM Grand Detroit; MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD; and MGM Springfield in Springfield, MA.
Wynn Resorts
Wynn Resorts has decided to temporarily close Wynn Las Vegas and Encore as part of its continuing effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The company has committed to pay all full-time Wynn and Encore employees during the closure.
The closure will be effective Tuesday, March 17, at 6 p.m. local time and is expected to be in effect for two weeks, after which time the company will evaluate the situation. A limited number of employees and management will remain at the resort to secure and maintain the facility.
Wynn Resorts has also temporarily closed Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, MA, for two weeks.
