The Caesars-Fertitta deal won’t change anything below. I think I’ll have some fun with it next week.
Vanderpump Hotel has taken over the property formerly known as The Cromwell. It had other names before that, but I never visited those casinos and have little interest in Bill’s or Barbary Coast.
I do, however, have an attachment to The Cromwell. It’s not as strong as my love for the original Hard Rock Las Vegas or The Mirage, but it’s more than most Las Vegas casinos.
My feelings are similar to The Mirage in one way: I’m ready for what’s next.
Over the weekend, I started sharing memories of The Cromwell from the rooms to the Pai Gow tables.
I fell in love with The Cromwell shortly after it opened, after being renovated from Bill’s Gambling Hall. It was a cozy and comfortable casino that wasn’t always busy with gamblers.
The staff was great from top to bottom. The Pai Gow dealers and pit boss at those tables remembered a friend and me every year we visited and gambled together.
We had such a great time at those tables that there were epic hours-long sessions every visit. It’s one of the reasons I switched most of my table game play to Pai Gow.
I like to have fun.
While the rooms were, and still are, tiny, they were well-designed and different from every other Las Vegas casino. The dark faux wood floors and purple accents were unique and gave the rooms a cozy feeling.
I normally wouldn’t spend time in a room that size, but the rooms were so comfortable and pretty that I didn’t mind hanging out for a while, drinking vodka or coffee or both.
Giada, its only full-service restaurant, was hit or miss for many, but the sangria is one of my favorites in Las Vegas. After a couple of visits, I found the perfect order that started with sangria and included the arugula salad and bucatini, and never strayed. I always celebrated someone’s birthday there, so dinner always ended with a mediocre sweet treat and coffee.
Caesars treated the property differently from others. It had one of the higher price points in Las Vegas, usually similar to Paris Las Vegas, but it was affordable and often complimentary to mid-rollers.
They experimented with different ideas at The Cromwell, including mobile room keys, slippers in the rooms, complimentary coffee stations for hotel guests, and even good blackjack and craps rules and odds.
The best thing I can say is that it was unlike any other Caesars casino in Las Vegas. It quickly became my go-to Caesars property and stayed that way for years.
Unfortunately, the property may have been a bit too nice. Between the crowds for Drai’s and the volume of regular Caesars customers the property became run-down pretty quickly.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never felt the same. Similar to the Rio, Caesars didn’t spend much time keeping it up to the standards from when it first opened in 2014.
I haven’t spent much time at The Cromwell since. That’s more than five years now.
Even though I was predominantly a Pai Gow player, the fair gaming rules and odds were removed. The 100x odds on craps and 3:2 double deck blackjack didn’t last too long. The video poker pay tables were so bad that Bonus Poker didn’t pay differently for a four of a kind with 2s, 3s, or 4s.
My favorite dealers and bartenders left. The replacements were fine, but something felt off, and it hasn’t felt the same for the past few years.
Looking Forward To Vanderpump
The transformation from The Cromwell to Vanderpump Hotel is almost done. The Grand opening is on June 11, just a couple of weeks away.
I’m not a fan of being inside casinos undergoing renovations, so I’ve avoided stopping by to see what’s happening. I look forward to seeing the finished property at the Grand Opening.
Yeah, I’m shocked I received an invite for the Vanderpump grand opening, too, but that’s another story.
The Cromwell design was inspired by Paris. Some of Lisa Vanderpump’s designs share a similar inspiration, although it may not always look that way.
From what I’ve seen, the design of the casino is typical of Vanderpump. However, it makes me think of modern medieval home design.
I have an appreciation for gargoyle architecture, and it makes me think of that with a modern twist. It’s definitely not for everyone, and early response from the olds (my age) has been mostly negative.
The hotel rooms have a lighter color palette, which should make them feel larger but less cozy than The Cromwell.
It seems unlikely that gambling odds and rules will be improved. The property will likely attract guests who aren’t familiar with or sensitive to what makes for a good gamble. Caesars won’t be under pressure to improve gambling conditions.
Without knowing much about Vanderpump fans and viewers, I stereotype them as people who would play 000 roulette because there are more zeros!
So why am I looking forward to the Vanderpump Hotel? I’ve never seen more than a few clips of the shows and have no particular affinity for Lisa Vanderpump.
I just don’t think there was anything Caesars could do to save The Cromwell as it was. Maybe the Vanderpump influence will breathe new life into a casino I used to enjoy.
I really like the room design and don’t think I’ll mind the casino design. If the staff is reinvigorated with the new branding and guests, Vanderpump Hotel could become a fun place to visit in the area again.
I’m going into this open-minded and look forward to seeing if Tha V can replace Tha C in my heart.
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Marc grew up on the mean streets of the South Bronx. He's the rare combination of Yankees and Jets fan which explains his often contrarian point of view. He learned about gambling at a young age working down the street from a bookie who took action on anything from the mainstream sports to the last three digits of the purse for certain horse races. Yeah, that's a thing. Today Marc is a freelance writer and social media consultant which allows him to work anywhere there's a wifi signal. This allows him to work from the sportsbook at Red Rock Resort or the food court at The Venetian where you’ll find fast and free wifi. Writing about steak, booze, gambling and Las Vegas is a tough job but somebody has to do it.