El Cortez Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas is transitioning to a 21-and-older-only property, starting with hotel reservations made April 1 and beyond, plus identification checks implemented at the doors at a future date.
El Cortez General Manager Adam Wiesberg, who made the announcement Wednesday, called it a two-phase rollout as the family-owned-and-operated property completes a $25 million property remodel.
All hotel guests booked April 1 and beyond must be 21 or older with valid state-issued identification.
“It’s one of the easier decisions we made here,” Wiesberg said. “The last thing we want to do is limit anybody from coming to the property, but El Cortez is like a gambling mecca within a gambling mecca that has built its entire business off liberal slots and liberal table games—a great gamble.” It serves beer on ice out of beer tubs in the pits and has great drink prices and generous cocktail service.
That contrasts with the fact that El Cortez attracts a lot of families, thanks to room prices that average $50 midweek and $150 on weekends, a great value considering rooms were renovated in the tower, Wiesberg said.
“Everything here is catered to and designed around gambling and adult activities, so there are no services here for kids,” Wiesberg said. “We’ve just managed around it up until now, but as we complete our $25 million-plus renovations and are talking about improving and streamlining all aspects of operations, it just seems like a natural to go 21 and over. There’s so many things for kids and families to do now in Las Vegas. It’s become a real hot spot for families. For us, the more families with kids that come here, the harder it is to keep track of the kids and make sure they’re not in a gaming area or not too close to a bar. Nowhere on the property, except in the hotel rooms, you’re not in the front line of gambling and drinking.”
The second phase of this new policy will include identification checks at every entrance, making the entire property, including all food and beverage outlets, limited to guests 21 years and older.
“It creates a bit of a challenge for us, because we have 12 exterior doors on four sides of a building,” Wiesberg said. “It will take some time and planning, and so we don’t have a date yet.”
The move by El Cortez follows the 777-room Circa Resort & Casino, which opened its doors in late 2020 with a 21-and-older policy, with the exception of its premium steakhouse in the lower level.
Circa owner Derek Stevens said the only negative effect from the policy is on booking weddings, since kids aren’t allowed in the hotel.
Wiesberg said while it will remove a segment of business, El Cortez can overcome that loss.
“The other side of that is when adults are coming to Vegas to drink, gamble, party, and let loose, kids in strollers in the elevator aren’t what they’re looking for,” Wiesberg said. “I think it will appeal to the true Vegas connoisseur and appeal to the groups coming here to have a great time—a traditional Vegas trip. The net effect will be positive for the bottom line.”
El Cortez has 364 rooms and is located in the Fremont East Entertainment District, an area known for its resurgence and influx of unique restaurants, bars, and nightlife. The property offers 700 slot machines and 25 table games, but doesn’t have a pool.
Josh Swissman, a casino consultant and founder of The Strategy Organization, said that’s “a good way to go” for El Cortez. “Running a casino is not one size fits all,” he noted. Circa had the 21-and-older policy in place at the beginning, and “it’s clearly working for them; they’re doing great and have no shortage of demand.”
Swissman said the policy increases security inside the property, which is favored by guests.
“In El Cortez or Circa, people over 21 are much more likely to be higher-spending and profitable customers than those under 21,” Swissman said. “You’re controlling against that factor as well. And ultimately it allows you to understand who’s coming into your property, which from an intelligence perspective is a good thing. I get why El Cortez is wanting to go the same route, given the location and high foot traffic outside their doors. Some people come to Vegas to do adult things like gamble and when they do that they don’t necessarily want to be surrounded by children. That’s another reason Stevens did that. He wanted to provide that adult playground environment (with its Circa Stadium Swim dayclub).”
Swissman said he wouldn’t be surprised if more properties in the industry go to a 21-and-older policy, but it won’t be “a categorical shift in every property.” Resort-casinos on the Strip with thousands of hotel rooms need more reasons for people to stay there, and sometimes that reason is to bring families.
South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa on Las Vegas Boulevard south of the Strip is known for hosting high-school and college-age students at sporting events and tournaments throughout the city and equestrian events on the property. It has more than 2,000 rooms.
A visitor profile for 2021 published this month by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority showed that parents bringing their children with them increased sharply during the pandemic.
“The bigger the property and the more the hotel rooms, that’s a decision that is that much harder to make,” Swissman said. “They don’t want to cut off a portion of their room-occupying customers.”
Swissman added, however, that Strip properties have taken steps toward adult offerings, including pool areas. “They’ve addressed the same sort of issues in their own way, without cutting off the ability of under 21 folks to stay in the properties.”
The El Cortez remodel includes revamping the 200-room Premium Tower and a redesigned casino floor and high-limit room. What remains is a renovation of the original 47 vintage rooms built in 1941 when the gambling house opened its doors, Wiesberg said.
“While Las Vegas has grown and adapted to cater to all demographics, El Cortez remains a traditional gambling house with an indescribable feeling of stepping back in time,” Wiesberg said. “El Cortez is the spot where adults have gathered to enjoy a cocktail or two and try their luck in the casino for over 80 years.”
