Resorts World Las Vegas gambles on a post-pandemic recovery

Like many places that depend on tourism for their economy, Las Vegas has been absolutely brutalized by the pandemic. Sin City thrives on out of towners dropping by to spend money and they have not been around. The Asian-themed Resorts World Las Vegas hopes to change that.

It has been more than a decade since a new resort opened on The Strip. And Resorts World is opening just in time to take advantage of the returning crowds. But people are creatures of habit who will go to the same spots again and again. Does Resorts World have what it takes to woo them away?

Building Resorts World Las Vegas

The history of Las Vegas is short but it moves quickly, particularly on The Strip. That’s kind of the name of the game in a city where millions upon millions of dollars flow freely on a daily basis. It’s honestly a shock that more new casino resorts don’t pop up on a regular basis.

As is often the case, the piece of real estate that Resorts World occupies was not empty prior to its development. For decades, the Stardust Resort and Casino called it home. When it was demolished in 2007, another piece of old Vegas was lost.

Rough economic conditions in the late 2000s caused the property to change hands before the development of Resorts World Las Vegas started in 2014. Redesigns slowed the project down, with construction finally beginning in 2017.

After that, the process of building such a massive resort experience is not a short one. The grand opening finally went down on June 24, 2021, almost four years after construction began in earnest. But from all accounts, the wait was worth it.

Setting a new standard

Naturally, a big part of any resort experience in Vegas is the accommodations. And Resorts World has plenty to choose from. It features three different hotels, each one of them offering its own unique range of rooms and amenities catering to how big different guests want to spend.

At the top end of this range is the Crockfords Las Vegas, which has by far the highest luxury experience in the resort. Don’t worry, though. Each hotel has its own lobby so each group won’t have to mix with each other until they start gambling.

Of course, this is Las Vegas, and gambling is king. Not to be left out, Resorts World has a massive casino floor. With well over a hundred gaming tables and 1,400 slot machines, it will keep you busy. If you’re looking for something a bit different, there’s also a poker room and a sportsbook.

It would also be a shock to see a resort built on The Strip without a shopping area. In the case of Resorts World, that means The District. This is 70 thousand shopping area features several major shops, including Kardashian Kloset where you can apparently buy the famous family’s clothes.

Why you should roll the dice on it

This is set up to be an all-encompassing resort experience, one that has been nearly a decade in the making. If you’re not interested in gambling or spending the money you hopefully won on a dress picked out by Kim, Resorts World has other options.

It has a massive pool complex, a huge spa, and numerous entertainment opportunities. Current planned musical residencies include Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry, and the iconic Celine Dion. That’s almost certainly just the beginning.

The food here is poised to be off the charts. It has more than 40 restaurants and bars, including all the options of Famous Food Street Eats. Some of the eateries are still pending but both Steve Aoki and Marcus Samuelsson are said to bringing their own flavors to the resort. On top of that, Grubhub is taking care of the room service, a first-of-its-kind partnership.

Resorts World is the first new resort to be completed on The Strip since The Cosmopolitan opened its doors in 2010. This is a big deal for Vegas as a whole and an all-new experience for regular visitors to Sin City to take in. Give it a shot when you head back to town.