VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
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IN BUSINESS NO TIMELINE YET FOR REBRANDING NIKKI, FROM PAGE 7 Recine did not say specifically why the decision was made or speak to its timing, though it was evident Nikki Beach and Club Nikki had trouble sustaining momentum. Recine did say he was going to be busy building a new team to work for nightclub, cafe and beach club venues that are unaffiliated with the Nikki Beach brand. "I will recruit talented nightclub professionals throughout the industry," he said. "This is all about exceeding expectations, running airtight operations, streamlining and being competitive in the Las Vegas market." The Nikki brand will be retained for the near- term, and the venues will remain in operation as the hotel enters its next phase of nightlife and beach club entertainment. Recine said he did not know when the venues would be rebranded, and the hotel has a "cushion" to continue to use the Nikki Beach brand and signage in the hotel. "Our planning details are not yet complete," the Trop VP said. What is certain is that, after just one summer and a brief set of celebrity-hosted parties, the Club Nikki and Nikki Beach era in Las Vegas is going dark. AIRPORT-TO-STRIP TRIP IS ABOUT $14 TAXICAB RATES, FROM PAGE 7 Authority staff opposed an increase. The Industrial Technical Professional Employee Union asked the board to make permanent a temporary 20-cents-a-mile fuel surcharge, while the United Steelworkers union asked for a 20-cents-a-mile increase on the meters of the 3,000 cabs in operation in Southern Nevada. Cab customers currently pay $3.30 to hire a cab, $2.60 per mile and $30 an hour for wait times. A pickup at McCarran International Airport adds a $1.80 fee. Charges are assessed as a $3.30 "drop," and the meter adding 20 cents for every thirteenth of a mile traveled. If the car travels slower than 8-12 mph, such as in heavy traffic or long traffic lights, the wait times kick in at 25 cents for every 30 seconds. With existing rates, a trip from McCarran International Airport to the MGM Grand would cost about $14 while a trip from the airport to downtown Las Vegas would run about $24.50. A 20-cents-a-mile increase in fares would have boosted Las Vegas rates to a tie for the highest among metropolitan areas in the country. CRYSTALS STANDS BEHIND LONGORIA BESO, FROM PAGE 7 a disgruntled Beso investor opposed to the deal said there was no need for Landry's to step in on an emergency basis. That's because Beso has shown it had the financial resources to continue operating despite earlier claims it was planning to shut down before Landry's stepped in with a rescue package, attorney Gregory Garman said. Garman said sales of distressed assets like the one proposed for Beso, under the Bankruptcy Code, are "to protect a melting iceberg." And Beso is no melting iceberg, Garman said. That prompted Judge Mike Nakagawa to say: "It's really Crystals that has the blowtorch." Throughout the nine-month bankruptcy process, Crystals has stood behind Longoria and Beso and chosen not to evict Beso even after it fell behind on rent by $1.3 million since January alone. Crystals is banking on Longoria's celebrity to drive business to the mall, and has insisted that anyone buying the business and seeking a new lease include Longoria in their plans. It's hoped that under the new ownership the business will reopen its closed Eve nightclub, a Beso attorney said. | 3 OCTOBER 2011 | 11