A major expansion of the Tropicana Las Vegas' Trinidad Pavilion finished in June. The 26,000-square-foot addition offers 11 breakout rooms with 16-foot ceilings, along with new private restrooms, escalators, and faster Wi-Fi. The pavilion now offers 55,000 square feet of space that can accommodate as many as 4,800 attendees for large corporate meetings and events, large-scale food and beverage functions, and sporting events. Overall, the entire complex now has 100,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and seats 1,400 banquet-style or 2,700 theater-style.
One of the Strip’s largest new nightclubs, Omnia debuted in March at Caesars Palace. The Hakkasan Group venue, which took over the former Pure space, spans multiple levels and includes a main room, mezzanine, and rooftop garden as well as a separate V.I.P. space known as Heart of Omnia operated in partnership with the H.wood Group. The massive space holds 4,000 guests for receptions.
Located five minutes from McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip, freestanding event facility International Peace Education Center—known as IPEC—opened in August. With more than 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, the venue is suitable for corporate meetings, conferences, training seminars, weddings, or reunions. Features include a 10,000-square-foot ballroom, a 5,000-square-foot reception foyer, a 1,300-square-foot multipurpose room, and five other conference rooms. The venue, owned by the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, also offers overnight accommodations for as many as 200 people.
Inspired by its South Beach cousin, Delano Beach Club debuted in May at the Delano Las Vegas. The pool oasis includes chaise lounges and 16 private cabanas equipped with 46-inch HD TVs. The cabanas hold 50 guests for daytime events; evening receptions are available for groups of as many as 500 people. The club’s drink menu includes cocktails and craft beer as well as nonalcoholic options such as mango-infused sparkling water and watermelon and orange juice shooters. Catering includes sharable platters of fruits, guacamole and hummus, sandwiches, and heartier fare such as coconut shrimp and chicken quesadillas.
Carbone, a 1950s-inspired Italian-American restaurant from New York-based Major Food Group, opened on the promenade level of Aria in October. The restaurant pays homage to Las Vegas' Rat Pack era, with "captains" serving food and offering table-side presentations in burgundy tuxedos designed by Zac Posen. The menu features standard Italian fare served on hand-painted plates on tables with checkered tablecloths. The 9,590-square-foot space seats 265 and has a private dining room that seats 40.
Chef Alain Ducasse debuted Rivea and Skyfall Lounge on the top floor of the Delano Las Vegas in October. Inspired by the French and Italian rivieras, Rivea offers traditional cold-cut boards, pasta and pizza with Mediterranean accents, and more than 300 wines from California, France, and Italy. The main dining room seats 200, and a private dining room seats 50. The theater-style Skyfall, located adjacent to Rivea, features a central dance floor, a patio, and seating islands. Together, the space amounts to 14,624 square feet.
Chef Julian Serrano's Italian small-plates concept Lago debuted at the Bellagio in April. With design inspired by the Italian Futurismo movement of Milan, the venue features a colorful mosaic that depicts an aerial map of Milan, while the interior has a glass-and-chrome bar and arched windows that overlook the Fountains of Bellagio. The 6,650-square-foot space seats 270 and has a private dining room adjacent to the main dining room.
The first indoor skydiving facility in the country, Vegas Indoor Skydiving debuted a new event space in October. The venue's simulated skydiving experience involves a 12- by 22-foot wind tunnel powered by a 1,000 horsepower electric motor attached to a DC-3 airplane propeller. The new 1,500-square-foot event space is located downstairs from the wind tunnel and can be booked for private events of as many as 120 guests.
Chef Michael Mina opened Bardot Brasserie at Aria Resort & Casino in January. The French concept serves decadent items such as a foie gras parfait, a croque-madame, fruits de mer seafood towers, and an oversize chocolate macaron. The space, with more than 5,400 square feet in the front-of-house areas, seats 206 and has a private dining room that seats 45 guests.
Therapy Las Vegas opened in June in Fremont East. The restaurant offers an American gastro-style menu by executive chef Daniel Ontiveros, as well as a full bar with more than 40 craft beers and signature drinks. The space is 4,100 square feet and seats nearly 140 guests. A 600-square-foot loft is available for semiprivate events, and the entire restaurant can be booked for private dining or special events.
