Las Vegas is gearing up for its first regular-season NFL game with fans in the stands, and the general manager of the Flamingo Las Vegas said it’s perfect timing for what he expects will be a strong fall in the resort corridor.
Robert Walsh, appearing before the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Wednesday for licensure as a key employee, said visitation at the property “softened” a little in August midweek after a strong July, but weekends remained robust. Walsh told the board, however, he expects conventions to pick up in the fall and that will bolster midweek visitation, while growing entertainment options, including the start of the regular season for the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Monday, is already paying dividends.
“It’s encouraging for the fall with some of the conventions we have coming back,” Walsh said. “The football season starting with Raider games also helps. We’re seeing some nice room rates.”
The Flamingo, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in December, has 3,500 rooms, one of the largest in the Caesars Entertainment portfolio.
Walsh described the Flamingo’s roller coaster since it reopened in June 2020 after the shutdown. It went from “rough sledding,” then picking up over the summer and fall, to dipping down again last winter when the pandemic saw a spike incases.
“When we lifted some of our (capacity) restrictions in April and May, business took off,” Walsh said. “As people were getting vaccinated around the country, they were traveling more and visitation was up. July was a phenomenal month, but in August, we started to see a little softness as COVID cases started to spike around the country. It was predominantly midweek that dipped, but overall, it was still relatively strong.”
Walsh said he’s excited about the return of entertainment in Las Vegas, such as the Garth Brooks concert in July that filled Allegiant Stadium. The Colosseum at Caesars Palace across the Strip has brought back entertainment and Donnie Osmond started his new show at the Flamingo a couple of weeks ago.
“We are getting back to bigger shows and bigger names,” Walsh said.
