San Remo to get Hooters’ lift

"In a move that could be viewed as the ultimate triumph of in-your-face flesh on the Strip, Hotel San Remo is on its way to becoming the Hooters Casino Hotel.

Hooters is the national restaurant chain that is more renown for the barely-there outfits of its waitresses than its food. Hotel San Remo has been known mostly for being unknown.

Michael Hessling, the hotel’s executive vice president, said the transformation is expected to be completed by the fall of 2005. He said there are not many obstacles standing in the way of the makeover and that the new ownership group, of which he is a member, are "working on final blueprints."

The new ownership group will also reportedly consist of two members of the current ownership group and nine of the original Hooters partners. The current ownership is led by the Izumi family of Japan. Hessling said he is "absolutely confident" that state gaming regulators will approve the change in ownership but he expects the process to take six to 12 months.

He said the goal of the new owners is "to take us into the big time" so that the property would no longer be thought of as the "sleepy little casino" next to the Tropicana.

The remade hotel will feature four new dining options, including a Hooters restaurant and two other eateries, one of which will have ties to Dan Marino, the star quarterback for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins in the 1980s and 1990s.

There are also plans for a major expansion of the pool area with the intention of appealing to a demographic that is now being attracted to the Hard Rock Hotel. The hotel’s rooms and public areas will be renovated and the property will feature Hooters’ owl logo facing Tropicana Avenue.

The hotel, which will remain open during the renovations, is planning to add about 400 employees to the 600 it already has on its staff as the conversion is completed. There are no plans to replace any of the current employees with Hooters girls, who are known for their comely appearances, short shorts and tight tops."

By Lou Filardo, verbatim from www.gamingtoday.com

Updates for Cynthia Hasson's supporters

Cynthia Hasson is still among frequent searches on our site. Strangely, there are no searches for other finalists name for the Palms Girl competition! She must have several supporters among our readers, good for her and for you.

So, here we go with some updates about this competition.

"The Palms Casino Resort announced new finalists in its search for the Palms Girl. After two qualifying events in June and July, the top nine finalists will move onto the final events on Sept. 11-12.

The new finalists are Amber Miller, Mary Scott and Roberta Larkin of Las Vegas and Audra Lynn of Santa Monica, Calif. They join Ryan Wahrenbrock, Stephanie Whitman and Ruth Quinn of Las Vegas, Heather Conrad of Los Angeles, and Cynthia Hasson of North Hollywood, Calif.

The search is open to women ages 21 to 35. Women wishing to be the first Palms Girl are encouraged to strut their stuff on Aug. 22 at Palm Beach Sundays at the Skin Pool Lounge. Throughout the day, the women will be evaluated on their interview skills and camera presence.

"Hosting the selection process in this party atmosphere really represents what the Palms is all about and allows the potential winner to experience our environment," said hotel owner George Maloof.

The winner will receive a one-year, $100,000-plus contract with the Palms which includes a salary and Palms benefit package, wardrobe allowance, spa and beauty allowance, one-year car lease, possible film and television work, and a housing allowance. The four finalists from each day’s competition will appear in a calendar for 2005 produced by the Palms Casino Resort."

Verbatim from http://www.gamingtoday.com

Aladdin Sale Back on Track

LAS VEGAS -- The sale of the $1.4 billion Aladdin hotel-casino is back on track since Nevada investigators were given access to audit documents dealing with some of the buyers' investments, Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander said Wednesday.

Licenses for a Planet Hollywood-led investment group are expected to be approved by the Gaming Commission at a hearing in Carson City today and the deal is expected to close Sept. 1, with the hotel-casino reopening the same day or shortly after that.

The investor group, led Planet Hollywood Chairman Robert Earl and Bay Harbour managing principal Douglas Teitelbaum, plans to turn the bankrupt Aladdin into the first Planet Hollywood hotel-casino.

The group won preliminary license approval early this month from the state Gaming Control Board.

However, control board members expressed concern that the Deloitte & Touche accounting firm refused to give Nevada investigators "work papers" used in auditing Bay Harbour's investments.

Deloitte & Touche told the Planet Hollywood group it would not release the material without the signed approval of every Bay Harbour investor.

Earl's Las Vegas attorney, Frank Schreck, said if there was "anything nefarious" in the work papers, then it would have been included in the company's audit reports.

However, the board made it clear two weeks ago that the Gaming Commission would not be able to proceed today without access to the "work papers."

Neilander said that although copies of the "work papers" have not been sent to the board, investigators he sent to New York were given complete access to the Planet Hollywood group's documents.

"It shouldn't be a stumbling block (to consideration)," although the specific findings of the investigators had not been reviewed as of Wednesday afternoon, he said.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor and casino industry expert Bill Thompson said it is important to Las Vegas for regulators to move forward on the Planet Hollywood license applications because of the business the new property should be able to attract to Las Vegas under its new brand name.

"The Aladdin is a well-situated property and it should have a strong identity with the new identity, owners and operators," he said.

Planet Hollywood, Bay Harbour Management and Starwood Hotels & Resorts will operate the Strip resort. They bought the troubled hotel last year in bankruptcy court, pending licensing approval.

"The Aladdin is a name that never caught on. Planet Hollywood is a world-known brand, and the owners, despite previous bankruptcies, have deep pockets. It has a tremendous potential and should get off to a strong start," Thompson said.

Earl's group plans to spend $100 million next year renovating gaming and shopping areas in the 2,567 room hotel-casino. The Planet Hollywood facade probably will not be completed before early in 2006.

Neither Earl nor Teitelbaum will have a role in day-to-day operations. The hotel will be run by Starwood, which operates more than 700 hotels, as a Sheraton hotel.

OpBiz, the name the Planet Hollywood group used to front its offer to buy Aladdin, won the right at auction last June to buy the property for $635 million.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Clive Jones in August confirmed the Aladdin's reorganization plan, clearing the way for the group to take over the property in August or September.

Aladdin bosses filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors in September 2001, after opening in August 2000. Executives blamed its misfortunes on slow initial business that was compounded by the dramatic tourism slowdown that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Meanwhile, documents filed with the bankruptcy court showed the Aladdin turned a profit of $3 million in July, although it has lost $96.3 million since filing for bankruptcy protection three years ago.

Earlier this month, Earl told the Control Board he expects $276 million in revenue in the first year under the new ownership group, with cash flow of $43.1 million.

He said revenues should increase to $434 million and cash flow to $121.4 million by 2009.



By Rod Smith, verbatim from http://www.casinocitytimes.com

Olympics – Mens Basketball

Final Sat Aug 28 – 15:30 pm EST (NBC)/Aug 28 – 20:30 GMTThe 'Dream Team' seem to be having a nightmare in their Olympic bid so far,but having made it through to the Quarter Final stages, perhaps now theywill start to show why they were strong favourites to carry off the goldmedal. They may not have it there own way, however as Lithuania have provedto be a strong contender, and having already beaten the NBA stars 94-90 ina preliminary game, perhaps they have the physicological advantage.

NASCAR Nextel Cup Series – Sharpie 500

Sat Aug 28 – 7:30 pm EST (TNT)

This week’s race is the second to be held at the track this season. BristolMotor Speedway's unique half mile track with its high bankings are readymade for the specialist drivers.Kurt Busch is currently on a run at thistrack, sweeping the 2003 races and winning yet again this spring. This racecalls for a cool head, as of all the tracks on the schedule, this is theone where we see plenty of fireworks. So we are looking for one of Nascarsbad boys to do well. Kurt Busch (7/2) is a deserved favourite as he has made plenty of enemieswith his react first think of the consequences later attitude. Tony Stewart(12/1) who is on the mat with the Nascar officials more times then anOlympic wrestler, is on a pretty good run at the moment, and could figureon a track he has done well on in the past. Kevin Harvick (10/1) grew up onshort track racing, and has a good record of winning on Saturday nights.Expect him to go close. Jeff Gordon (11/2) has 17 top 10 finishes thisseason, and as a 5 times Bristol winner, he knows what it takes to winhere. Finally old boy Rusty Wallace (7/1), still has enough of the bad boyimage to mix it with the young guns on his favourite track.

NFC West

The usual strong looking teams of St Louis and San Francisco lookvulnerable this year, especially the men from the 'Bay'. The 49ers will belooking at a rebuilding year this year, as they let their stars go in theoff season. With the injury to their proposed starting QB, Tim Rattaylooking like he will miss the opening few games, the team will look towards2nd season QB Ken Dorsey to lead the team. Marc Bulger is now the man in StLouis after the Rams traded Kurt Warner to the Giants. He struggled attimes last season, as the teams Offensive line started to show signs ofageing. The signs dont look much better this season, and the oppositionhave finally got to grips with this much vaunted offence. However thatbeing said an easy schedule could see the Rams making through to thePlayoffs. Seattle look the team to beat in this division. With no majorlosses in the Off season, this team are deep in most areas, and could bethe team to beat from the NFC. Perenial patsys the Arizona Cardinals have anew HC in Dennis Green who will bring about a professionalism to this team,that is has lacked. However he has had a torrid Pre season as one by onehis few star players have been lost for most of the season. The best theycan hope for is to finish above the 49ers this season.

NFC South

This could prove the closest of all the divisions, with all 4 teams havingthe personnel to perform well. Tampa Bay had a poor season last year, whentheir much vaunted 'D' finally went AWOL. With Warren 'the mouth' Sapp nowgone, expect this unit to show their true colours this season. Carolinawere the surprise team of last year and performed excellently in the SuperBowl. The team remains generally intact, and it would not be to far fetchedto see them at the 'big dance' again. Atlanta had a season to forget, withthe loss of star QB Michael Vick before the season started. With a fit andhealthy Vick, expect Atlanta to prove a hard team to beat this comingseason. New Orleans make up the division, and have a solid all round teamthat can beat anyone on their day.

NFC North

Green Bay and Minnesota look the class of this Division. Minnesota implodedon the final play of last season, which saw their playoffs vanish in theArizona desert. The improbable last second play saw the Vikings snatchdefeat from the jaws of victory, and allowed the Packers to advance to thePlayoffs. Expect much the same again this year as both teams have plenty ofoffensive fire power, and a close finish is the call. Detroit and Chicagolook like they can improve this season, but not enough to upset the bigtwo.

NCAAF

This weekend sees the start of the new College Football season with the BCAClassic. Last seasons champions USC take on Virginia Tech in this annualstart to the season, and will be hoping to start as they finished off.

NFC East

This could be an interesting season in this Division, with the return ofJoe Gibbs at Washington, taking on the 'Big Tuna', in the battle of the alltime great Head Coaches. Gibbs will have to undertake a massive return toform for the under performing Redskins, but if anyone can, he can. Hisintentions were known immediately as he brought in RB Clinton Portis fromDenver. Joe Gibbs, 1 back in the backfield and the 'Hogs', we have seenthis somewhere before. Dallas have had Off-season problems, and with theshock exit of QB Quincy Carter, it is up to 'old' man Vinny Testeverde torun the offence. It looks like Dallas will need all of Bill Parcells guileto guide them to the Playoffs. NY Giants made there statement in the draft,getting there man in Peyton Mannings younger brother Eli. This could be atransition period for the Giants, as they look to Kurt Warner to guideyoung Eli through his first season. Philadelphia remain the strongestlooking team in the Division and will be hoping the addition of WR TerrellOwens, will finally give Donovan McNabb the target he has been missing. Theloss however of starting RB Buckhalter in pre-season to injury, coulddamage there Superbowl aspirations.

NFL - NFL - NFL - NFL

With the preseason games well under way, now would seem a good idea to takea look at how the teams are shaping up for the new season, and theirposition in the betting. Last week we looked at the AFC, so this week it isthe turn of the NFC.

PGA Tour Golf, Buick Championship

Th Aug 26 – 4:00 pm EST (USA)
Fr Aug 27 – 4:00 pm EST (USA)
Sa Aug 28 – 3:00 pm EST (CBS)
Su Aug 29 – 3:00 pm EST (CBS)

This week’s event, is played on the par-70 River Highlands course inHartford, and is the final event of the summer before the Fall Finish. Withthe big guns keeping their powder dry for this week, some of the PGA Toursbit players will be licking their lips at the chance of picking up thewinners cheque of $720,000. Kirk Triplett looks the man to be on this week,as long as he can forget last weeks poor effort at the NEC. With a strokeave of 67.38, he has every chance of bouncing back. Arron Oberholser hasbeen playing well of late and could spring a surprise in a very low keylooking event. Nigel’s Two Off The Tee … Kirk Triplett @ 33/1, Arron Oberholser @ 40/1,Each way ¼ odds, 1.2.3.4.5. Bet this tournament In-Running throughout.

Nigel Ridgway's tips

Sportsbettors, Friday is approaching, so we go with Nigel's tips!

Nigel explores the NFC, with NFL preseason underway, and regular seasonjust a couple of short weeks off. Watch for the start of College basketball this week.With the Olympics on TV channels all over the world, eyes are on who willtake the Men’s basketball gold. Heavy favorites, USA have had sometrouble, but can they still fight to hold onto their quest for gold?Nascar this week is the Sharpie 500 – Can Rusty Wallace take the checkeredflag?