It's hard to stand out on the Las Vegas Strip.
When you compete with massive resort casinos that are architectural masterpieces, it's hard to get people's attention. The Las Vegas Strip looks like a theme park built on a scale that makes Disney World look like a small-town fair.
Caesars Entertainment (CZR) has turned its massive Caesars Palace into a celebration of Rome while its Paris Las Vegas has a replica of the Eiffel Tower and it uses a huge Ferris wheel to get attention for the Linq, Harrah's, and the Flamingo. Rival MGM Resorts International (MGM) has a faux Statue of Liberty at New York, New York, a resort casino built like an Egyptian pyramid (Luxor), and another that looks like a medieval castle (Excalibur).
Inside those eye-catching buildings, both casino companies use celebrity chefs to stand out. Guy Fieri has multiple Las Vegas Strip restaurants as does Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck, and many more. That's partly about food, but it's mostly a way to stand out in a city where tourists have an endless array of choices.
This celebrity trend has spread outside of restaurants. Music star Bruno Mars has his Pinky Ring lounge at Bellagio while reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump has her signature bar inside both Caesars Palace and Caesars Paris Las Vegas. Add in the comedy clubs owned by Jimmy Kimmel and Brad Garrett and you can see how Sin City has become Celebrity City.
Now, a country music star who has also become a television star has his sites set on the Las Vegas Strip.
Image source: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Big Names Are Part of Caesar's Horseshoe
Caesars has been working to rebrand its former Bally's Resort Casino under its Horseshoe brand. That's not just a name change, it's a major revamp of the brand to put the focus squarely on gamblers.
"Expect a renovated exterior, tastebud-worthy dining, lounges in which to count your winnings, and a reimagined casino floor built for the gambler. Horseshoe’s classic sophistication is infused into the updated designs featuring tooled leather, dramatic colors, and the brand’s signature gold horseshoe iconography," Caesars shared on the Horseshoe website.
The revamped resort casino will also have a major celebrity presence. Guy Fieri, who has eateries at multiple Caesars locations, will be running the restaurant at the Horseshoe sportsbook. In addition, a new name to the Las Vegas Strip, country music superstar Blake Shelton will also bring his brand to the newly-revamped Caesars property.
Shelton, who also stars on NBC's "The Voice" and USA Network's "Barmageddon" will bring the Ole Red Las Vegas country-music club to the Horseshoe's Strip-facing Grand Bazaar Shops, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Blake Shelton Brings Venue to Horseshoe
Shelton owns an Ole Red in Nashville, and is bringing the venue to Las Vegas because he believes the city has not focused on country music enough.
“I’ve never felt like there was enough of a country music presence,” Shelton said, according to the Review-Journal. “Obviously, there’s concerts that roll through, people play a venue here and there. But as far as just a home base of presence … I’m not saying it’s not there, (but) we’re gonna have this place and it’s right in the heart of everything.”
Ole Red Las Vegas will open in the fall with no specific date set. The four-story venue on the Las Vegas Strip will have a rooftop bar looking out on that famous road. The 27,000-square-foot bar and eatery will also have a 685-seat performance venue.
Shelton has no specific plans to play at Ole Red, but he told the Review-Journal that it will happen.
“Oh hell, yeah. I have no clue how, but I’ll tell you right now, I’ll be there on that stage,” he said.
Ole Red has locations in Nashville; Orlando, Fla; Gatlinburg, Tenn.; and Tishomingo, Okla. Shelton has popped up as a performer in the other locations and expects to do surprise shows at the Las Vegas venue.
