VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/34897
RIGHT NOW Pick ’Em Get smart Power tweets Overheard Done Deal Power Lunch The Numbers .com Buy high Sell low VEGASINCmag Executive class Sin City Media Chatter We hear EXECUTIVE CLASS MAGIC’S IN THE DETAILS YOUR AD HERE Read this! The Pitch is back NOW SERVING LAS VEGAS 95 Vegas then VEGASinc2021 Gate keeper American dream ? ? ? ? ? ! The innovator FortuneCookie $ Grilled Moonlighting MEET ANTHONY MARNELL: M RESORT HONCHO SPEAKS The Survivor Anthony Marnell, president of M Resort, has had his share of business challenges since his resort opened in 2009, but that hasn’t gotten him down. Marnell has qualities that set him apart from the rest: A constant striving for perfection and an everyman’s mentality toward hard work. —Erin Dostal photography by Leila Navidi WEEEEEE! Hold onto your hats! The Desperado roller coaster at Buffalo Bill’s in Primm pulls riders 209 feet above ground before plummeting them back to earth. The ride, which lasts a little less than three minutes, is one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the country. Pictured here are Daryl Terry, left, and Brian Cordova of Las Vegas, who, clearly, are thrill seekers. Let’s do it again! THE SHOT What was your first job? I was a laborer picking up trash on the Desert Inn construction site when I was eight. I was paid 50 cents an hour, and I even paid into Social Security (laughing). What was your worst job? I’m going to go with picking up trash on the Desert Inn construction site. Do you have a business philosophy you follow? I try to be fair, honest and consistent. I try to create a family-like environment, and I have a very open-door policy with my employees. It’s worked well for me and for teamwork at the M Resort. You want the group to feel as though they’re working as a team. What’s your favorite part of the M Resort? I just like being out in the general casino. I think our patrons really like it. Opening during the recession must have been difficult. Does the M Resort have new marketing strategies up its sleeve? I think we’ve got some things we can try. We’ve definitely carved out a niche for ourselves, people who want quality and value, but there’s no “Holy Grail” promotion that will solve everything. I think it’s just promoting consistency in what you do. What two CDs would you bring with you on a desert island? I would fill both CDs with the top 25 major league baseball games of all time. I’m a Yankees fan. I was born that way. 8 What movie could you watch over and over again? I like the movie Seven, it’s such a mind thriller. I’m scared every time I watch it. What’s the best advice your mother gave you? Don’t forget where you came from. Have you followed that advice? I try to—I really do. I think about that every day. What kind of car do you drive? A Ford F250. It’s a dark-gray pickup truck. It’s perfect for going hunting and carrying baseball and football equipment. What’s your favorite pair of shoes? I really love my olive green Crocs. They’re the best. You’re very outdoorsy, aren’t you? Any hunting and fishing, I love to do. Montana is my favorite vacation spot. I like to be in the outdoors with my family. What’s the biggest fish you’ve ever caught? I caught a 500-pound marlin in Panama. Do you have a personal motto? I don’t think perfection is possible, but I try to be as perfect as I can every day. Do you ever think about leaving Las Vegas? Not right now. Maybe when I get older and my kids are in school. I love Las Vegas. I was born and raised here. Pick ’Em Get smart Power tweets Overheard Done Deal Power Lunch The Numbers .com YOUR AD HERE Buy high Sell low VEGASINCmag Executive class Read this! The Pitch is back Sin City Media Chatter We hear NOW SERVING LAS VEGAS 95 Vegas then VEGASinc2021 Gate keeper American dream ? ? ? ? ? ! The innovator FortuneCookie $ Grilled Moonlighting FORTUNE COOKIE WORDS TO LIVE BY The Survivor “IF ALL ECONOMISTS WERE LAID END TO END, THEY WOULD NOT REACH A CONCLUSION.” —GEORGE BERNARD SHAW | 27 JU N E 2011 | JUSTIN M. BOWEN