Judy Thorburn and Debbie Hall

Orange, White and BOOM with the Opening of Hooters Casino Hotel
By Judy Thorburn and Debbie Hall
With a flurry of orange shirts, ties, feathers and shorts, Hooters Casino Hotel welcomed invited guests including prop comic Carrot Top and TV personality/ hot selling calendar girl, Brooke Burke to celebrate their grand opening on Thursday, February 2. Carrot Top arrived with his special Hooters’ pillow, a well endowed head cushion that has breasts overflowing an orange bikini top so men can sleep with “hooters.” Brooke Burke welcomed the special guests as she walked the “orange carpet” and stopped for photographers who were anxiously waiting for her to show up. Inside the casino were the Hooters’ Calendar girls, seated at tables throughout the casino, who were eager to autograph their picture and page from the 2006 Official Hooters calendar, which was given as a gift this opening night for VIP invited guests. Right before 9 pm, Richard Langlois, Senior Vice President of Marketing, christened Hooters with the breaking of a bottle of beer to signal the beginning of an explosion of colorful fireworks to the massive crowd anxiously waiting to be allowed in Las Vegas’ newest hotel and casino. Langlois then screamed to the multitude, “Let open Hooters and party!” With that proclamation, people swarmed to the door and poured in, ready to eat, gamble, and drink the night away.

Hooters Casino Hotel is the former San Remo property before four of the six original founders of the Hooters Restaurant chain LLC (also the former owner and operator of the San Remo) and a Hooters’ franchise group from Florida decided to open their first casino. While the basic structure remained, the casino interior was literally gutted to remodel the property with a Hooters ambiance. In fact, the entire wall to the pool area was removed and replaced with glass doors so that the back of the resort can be opened for outdoor parties and concerts. The décor for the 30,000 square foot casino can be described as Florida casual with an industrial feel incorporating tin ceilings and cedar wood throughout the property. The hotel rooms were remodeled and the 696 guest rooms features cedar headboards, armoires and a high top cocktail table with four bar stools per room to maintain that Hooters’ feel.

The environment created is one of laid back fun and value. When one walks into the main entrance, there is The Lobby Bar to encourage the party atmosphere. The beach-themed Hooters Restaurant is the first Hooters’ to offer a full bar along with their famous chicken wings and Hooters’ servers.

The most important goal is giving everyone a good time. According to Langlois, “Our goal is making our customers happy. From the moment guests enter the Lobby Bar, till they’re partied out and heading to their fully Hooterized hotel rooms, we know they’ll have an unforgettable experience. We’ve packed this casino with incredible dining and entertainment venues, unique promotional offerings, 24/7 party action, more than 200 of the world’s most beautiful Hooters’ Girls and most importantly, a lot of nostalgia….with our exceptional, friendly service and unbeatable value, we know we’ll have people coming back here again and again.”

The most important aspect is the Hooters’ Girls, who are pampered with their own spa and workout room and according to Langlois, “treated like queens.” With calendars, memorabilia, and their presence in the resort, they are a big draw. Even if you are not a Hooters’ Girl, guests can still indulge in S.A.S.S. (Salon and Spa Services) and a fully equipped health club.
Hooters’ upscale eatery is Dan Marino’s Fine Food and Spirits, the fifth in the Dan Marino chain and the first one located in Las Vegas. The outdoor patio connected with the restaurant will be open about six months out of the year. The menu includes fresh seafood, hand-cut steaks, and a wine cellar to be enjoyed in comfortable booths of porch leather seats with the average cost about $45 per person.

The Dam Restaurant is the 24 hour dining café and mealtime buffet with a 50s theme. There is a buffet service line offering great fare. The Bail Shoppe is not for fishing but for enjoying sushi, sandwiches and sundries and opens into the pool area.

What would Hooters be without a sports bar? Pete & Shorty’s Book and Bar allows the fans to watch their favorite game on a 125 foot wide screen with plasma screens throughout the bar so not one moment is missed. Burgers and other bar fare are offered to go with the sports theme.

The night club, “13” Martini Bar, is designed as a retro lounge with fun genres of music such as R&B, Funk, Jazz Fusion, the classics and Top 40. Casino Center Stage provides live music in the casino during the evening hours with cover tunes from all eras of music. Porch Dogs is the “Dueling Guitars and Pianos Show” both indoors and outdoors with audience participation. Speaking of outdoors, Nippers Pool Bar will open in March featuring acoustical reggae music, steel pan drums, reggae grooves and sing-along.

Hooters offers approximately 670 of the latest in slot machines with ticket in, ticket out. The favorites are MegabucksTM, Wheel of FortuneTM and MonopolyTM, along with the new Exclusively Hooters, Blazing Hooters and Calendar of Cash. There are 32 table games of Blackjack, Craps, Caribbean Stud Poker, Roulette, Pai-Gow Poker, Let It Ride, Keno and the Hooters’ Calendar Girl Party Pit. The saying, “The Only Juice You’ll Need” applies to ClubOrange player’s club.

On display is the Hooters’ car driving by the late NASCAR driver, Alan Kulwicki complete with an interactive kiosk. It tells of relative obscurity for the un-sponsored driver to heights of fame and recognition until his tragic death (along with two Hooters’ executives) in a plane crash. The car is meant as a symbol of success and history for the Hooters’ chain.

Las Vegas’ own Wayne Allen Root, producer of the television program “King of Vegas,” will emcee many events including Celebrity Blackjack Tournaments and Sports parties. Pool parties with pig roasts will also add to the parties and events planned for this resort. All big sporting events will be celebrated with a party, and concerts are being planned as well.

Hooters’ is looking to fill a niche in Las Vegas as laid back, unpretentious fun for a average working man and woman who wants to be entertained. Their website is www.hooterscasinohotel.com.


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