Las Vegas is a city of change, always evolving, reinventing and innovating itself so it does not become stale and stays relevant. It is no secret that oftentimes these changes revolve around the mega hotels and resorts throughout the city. While some may come and go, some hotels often get rebranded and reconfigured into a whole new experience instead of meeting the wrecking ball.
Rebrands in Vegas are pretty common these days. We have seen the Monte Carlo become Park MGM, Bally’s become Horseshoe, and most recently, Mirage transforming into Hard Rock Las Vegas. (If you are interested in the Hard Rock conversion, check out our blog post on that). And there is yet another change coming to Las Vegas and no we are not talking about the As or Bally’s here. Instead, we are going to be focusing on the most recent news of the Delano being converted into the W Las Vegas.
Join us in today’s blog as we take a deep dive into the history of this property and all the changes that are coming within the next few years. So without further ado, let’s get to it!
History:
Thehotel as pictured in 2003 shortly after opening.
Before we dive into and discuss all the changes coming, let’s first take a look at a brief history of the Delano. The hotel originally opened as the THEhotel at Mandalay Bay and was built as an all suite hotel tower meant to complement the Mandalay Bay Resort. It was designed to stand out with bold stylish design and high end finishes. TheHotel opened to much fanfare on December 17, 2003.
In August of 2012, MGM Resorts International announced the rebranding of THEhotel into Delano Las Vegas as part of a partnership with Morgans Hotel Group. Through the deal, MGM would manage the hotel under a licensing agreement with Morgans Hotel Group, which owned the Delano brand. All of the suites at the hotel were to be redesigned, along with new bars, lounges, restaurants and nightclubs.
Although THEhotel had been financially successful, the decision to renovate and rename it was part of a transformation at the Mandalay Bay. In addition, there had already been plans to renovate the nine-year-old hotel tower prior to forming a partnership with Morgans Hotel Group, which had been expanding the Delano brand.
Delano Las Vegas officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 2, 2014. Flash forward to 2024, The Delano Las Vegas is getting a complete transformation and will officially be rebranded as W Las Vegas as part of the new MGM and Marriott partnership.
This collaboration between two trusted hospitality brands means more than 200 million Marriott Bonvoy members can enjoy unique benefits and redeem points at MGM Resorts’ destinations while MGM Rewards members can status match and receive member benefits at Marriott’s global portfolio of approximately 9,000 properties.
Ironically enough, this is not the first time the W brand is going to be in Vegas as there was previously a W Hotel in Las Vegas from 2006 to 2009 and 2009 to 2017.
W Hotel Las Vegas (2006 – 2009)
The W Hotel Las Vegas in its earlier incarnation actually opened in 2006, but it wasn’t a standalone hotel at that time. Instead, it was part of the Las Vegas Sahara Hotel and Casino property, which was undergoing a significant renovation.
The W Hotel was essentially a brand overlay within the Sahara’s renovation efforts. This was not a complete transformation but rather an infusion of W’s style and luxury into the existing Sahara property.
W Hotel Las Vegas (2009 – 2017)
Crews remove the W branding and signage outside of the SLS, soon to be renamed to the present day Sahara Las Vegas.
The W Hotel was located within the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip. It opened in 2009 as a full-scale, standalone hotel with its own identity, separate from the Sahara property. By 2016, it was operating under the same brand and offering the trendy, upscale experience the W brand is known for.
This version lasted until 2017, when it rebranded as part of the larger Sahara Las Vegas operation, ultimately ending W’s presence in Vegas.
What’s Changing?
Rendering the new W Hotel Las Vegas expected to begin renovations in early 2025.
While there is little details known about the exact timeline or details of the project publicly available at this time, we can definitely say the hotel is going to go through a renovation and conversion process to meet the W brand standards. The W brand is known for its bold, trendy, and youthful vibe, so expect a lot of style, art, and an Instagram-worthy atmosphere throughout the property. It’s a bit of a shift from Delano’s more subdued luxury, so it’ll be interesting to see how the two compare once the dust settles.
It’s worth noting, as with Delano, W Las Vegas will not have a casino but will still have access to the Mandalay Bay Resort and its casino floor.
Final Thoughts:
I think it is going to be interesting to see the W brand finally return to Vegas after a lengthy absence. It is interesting to think about why Marriott, another company or a developer did not try to bring a W hotel back to Vegas sooner. I think it is sad the original W Hotel had a relatively short lifespan before being rebranded. I truly think if the original W was still there today, it would have done very well all these years and would have become a Vegas landmark for luxury and lifestyle.
With that being said, I can not wait to see what the new W Hotel has in store for Vegas and I think it is going to fit right in. W is known for appealing to luxury travelers, and a younger, trendier crowd. I think with the well throughout high end design, experiences and amenities, it would have no problem appealing to that type of crowd.
I personally can not wait to see all the renderings and announcements about what the property is going to look like post conversion and am very excited by this news. I have no doubt that the W will bring fresh energy that is sure to turn heads on the Strip. I think this is going to be the first of many new hotels and or branding deals we will see from MGM and Marriott. I can see this being a trend going forward with other casino operators, not just in Vegas, bringing in luxury hotel brands to supplement their offerings they already have.
We’ll keep you posted with any new details as the renovation gets underway, but in the meantime, it’s time to start thinking about what’s next for this exciting new chapter in Vegas history!
Ever since its creation McDonald’s has always been an innovator in the industry from the first walk up counter, to the creation of new foods like Chicken Nuggets and more. To this very day, McDonald’s is very well known for fast, convenient, affordable and consistent food. While they do serve breakfast and coffee, have you ever thought about McDonald’s as solely a coffee shop? Well now you officially can!
In 2023, McDonald’s began teasing it was creating a new restaurant concept centered around nostalgic mascots and beverages. Flash forward to late 2023, McDonald’s made a huge announcement that shook the entire internet and decade fans of the chain. It was actually opening its new concept and naming it CosMc’s.
So what exactly is CosMc’s and what is all the buzz about? CosMc’s is a new small-format, beverage-led concept whose menu is built around bold, refreshing beverages and tasty treats that are “truly out of this world”.
In a press release, McDonald’s described its new concept by saying it “seamlessly blends brand-new, otherworldly beverage creations with a small lineup of food, including a select few McDonald’s favorites – all designed to boost your mood into the stratosphere, if only for a few moments”.
As we can clearly see from several press releases, it is clear McDonald’s is getting creative with a space/universe theme and branding the new restaurant as part of the McDonald’s Universe. I think this is a very clever way to brand the restaurant and is highly creative. It reminds me how superhero shows are now when the shows and story lines are in the same “universe”.
Taking a look at the menu, we can see the menu is heavily centered around beverages, coffees, specialty drinks and smaller pick me up food items. Examples include Sour Cherry Energy Slush, Tropical Spiceade and S’mores Cold Brew. Much like Dunkin or Starbucks, the chain also offers addons for drinks like popping boba, flavor syrups, energy or Vitamin C shots, and so much more.
Food wise, we can see the menu is very streamlined and only features two sandwiches, lots of baked goods, ice cream (hopefully the machines actually work…). The menu also offers a few classic McDonald’s classics such as the Egg McMuffin sandwiches and the M&Ms McFluffy.
Considering this is supposed to be competition to Starbucks, I have to say I was expecting to see more new sandwich options or possibly some wraps. Seems as though many of the items are recycled from McDonald’s and there are not as many new offerings. Perhaps since this is a test run, the menu will grow in the future once the concept takes off. I can not see this chain even trying to compete with Starbucks with the limited food menu it does have. Hopefully we’ll see a few more options added or at least some seasonal menu items introduced before the concept expands further.
CosMc’s is starting small with its first and only location as of now in Bolingbrook, Illinois. By the end of 2024, 10 additional locations are planned for the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio metro areas. The company hopes to grow this number if all is successful with the test pilot locations.
I am very glad that they did not decide to go full on boring and go with McCafe which is their current in house coffee concept some locations have. I am glad they are branching out and trying something new. It’ll definitely be interesting to see what happens with the McCafe concept if CosMc’s really takes off. Could we maybe see co-branded CosMc’s and McDonald’s locations soon? Only time will tell!
A few months ago, we looked at and discussed the rocky future Six Flags had with new leadership coming in and stirring up turmoil company-wide. Since then, there have been massive rumors circulating regarding the future of Six Flags. There was, at one point, talk about Six Flags selling off all their real estate to a real estate trust company while they kept operating the parks. Ultimately, this was pure speculation and rumors that never occurred.
However, massive news just dropped in the theme park community regarding Six Flags and its competitor Cedar Fair. Under a new massive $8B deal, the two companies will merge to become one massive joint company. The combined company, which will operate under the name Six Flags, will boast 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and nine resort properties in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
As the deal was announced early morning on Thursday, November 2nd, Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman gave the following remarks:
“Our merger with Six Flags will bring together two of North America’s iconic amusement park companies to establish a highly diversified footprint and a more robust operating model to enhance park offerings and performance”.
Under the new leadership structure, Zimmerman will be president and CEO of the combined company. Meanwhile, Selim Bassoul, President and CEO of Six Flags, will become executive chairman.
While I am personally very skeptical about Selim Bassoul and the Six Flags leadership, I am very glad that Cedar Fair is taking control of the leadership while Six Flags is the brand and providing support to Cedar Fair.
When you compare the two companies, Cedar Fair is the better and stronger company out of the two. Cedar Fair focuses a lot more on quality compared to Six Flags where the emphasis is on quantity. I think Cedar Fair could definitely improve the Six Flags parks by a lot, with their higher standards, attention to detail, heavy theming and minimalist in park advertising approach.
One major benefit that would come with this merger, is both operators will have access to each other’s intellectual property brands such as DC Comics, Looney Tunes and Peanuts. One thing Cedar Fair lacks is themed attractions centered around a character or movie. By having access to the DC brand, it would allow Cedar Fair to step up and compete on a themed attraction level with the Marvel superhero rides at Disneyland and Universal Studios Orlando.
On the flip side, Six Flags struggles (in my opinion at least) with theming and creating attractions for children and a younger audience. Cedar Fair has the Peanuts brand and with it, they do a very good job creating some unique and well organized kids areas. I feel like Six Flags often overlooks or forgets about these kinds of areas/lands so with Cedar Fair bringing this to the table, it would be a huge win for Six Flags.
There is a huge push and hope from the theme park fan community that the newly formed company will create a new season pass program that would allow pass holders to access all 27 parks across the portfolio. I think this would be a smart idea since it would allow guests to experience the best that both operators have to offer. For example one could enjoy Cedar Fair’s top parks in Southern California (Knott’s), Ohio (Cedar Point and Kings Island) and also enjoy Six Flags’ top parks in Los Angeles (Magic Mountain), Chicago (Great America) and New Jersey (Great Adventure).
As it stands now, Cedar Fair-Six Flags will only have two overlapping areas in both combined portfolios in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area. This overlap will not remain for long however, as Cedar Fair has sold California’s Great America and the park will cease operating within a few years. After this, it would only have Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in the Bay Area market.
When asked about if there would be any potential closures or sales to any of the joint parks, Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman said on a call with investors that there are no plans to close any of the parks following the merger.
“These are irreplaceable assets. How do you grow if you shrink your portfolio?”
There are still so many questions and details to work out with this merger. I think only time will tell how well this merger goes for both operators and what will become of it. Keep in mind this was only announced on Thursday, November 2nd so there is not much additional information available. It is definitely going to be interesting to watch this merger further progress and unfold.
So, what do you think of this insane merger? Let us know in the comments below and be on the lookout for more YouTube videos and blog content coming your way soon!
Very interesting news has been unfolding in Las Vegas these past few months as Hard Rock International purchased The Mirage from MGM Resorts International for a whopping $1.08 Billion! While it is sad to see such an iconic and revolutionary Vegas resort go, the Hard Rock plans are just stunning. Join us today as we venture into the history of this once beloved resort and what Hard Rock has in store for Vegas.
History of The Mirage:
The Mirage was the vision of Steve Wynn who was a visionary that forever changed the landscape of Las Vegas and Atlantic City, NJ. Wynn early in his career oversaw the construction and operation of several notable Las Vegas and Atlantic City hotels, including the Golden Nugget, the Golden Nugget Atlantic City, The Mirage, Treasure Island, the Bellagio, and Beau Rivage in Mississippi, and he played a pivotal role in the resurgence and expansion of the Las Vegas Strip in the 1990s.
The site where The Mirage site was previously home to a motel during the 1950s then the motel was torn down to become the Polynesian-themed Castaways Hotel and Casino. Wynn acquired the property 1987 from its owner Howard Hughes. After the purchase, Wynn was quick to demolish Castaways and begin construction on the Mirage.
At first, the resort was announced under the name Golden Nugget after the existing Golden Nugget property he owned on Downtown Fremont Street at the time. After careful consideration, he later changed the name from Golden Nugget to “The Mirage” and purchased the name from the La Mirage Hotel and Casino and the Mirage Motel, which was renamed to the Glass Pool Inn and Key Largo after the purchase for $250,000.
The Mirage officially opened its doors on November 22, 1989. The Mirage remained under Wynn’s ownership until 2000, when his company was acquired by MGM Grand.
Mirage’s Legacy:
The Mirage, being one of the first heavily themed hotel and casinos in the Las Vegas Valley since Caesars Palace in 1979, began a period in Las Vegas’s history known as the “family-friendly era” where previously mob-run hotels and casinos were replaced by heavily themed resorts that catered mostly to families and children. This included the Excalibur in 1990, Treasure Island, MGM Grand, and Luxor in 1993, New York-New York in 1997, the Bellagio, and the Mandalay Bay, Venetian, and Paris in 1999.
Original Hard Rock Hotel & Casino:
Prior to Hard Rock International purchasing The Mirage, the company had another resort on the strip where the current Virgin Hotels Las Vegas sits today. The original Hard Rock Hotel & Casino was the first ever Hard Rock hotel ever to be built in the country. As of today, there are about 24 hotels not including 17 hotels under development and construction.
The Las Vegas location was a trend setter and was known for its party scene, vast nightlife, entertainment and famous performances. LV opened its doors in March of 1995 and over the years expanded the property to include multiple hotel towers and additional expansions to accommodate the vast nightlife scene.
However in 2018, this all changed as in early January of that year, rumors floated around that Sir Richard Branson was going to be buying the Hard Rock hotel-casino and sure enough on March 30 an official announcement was made. This ended Hard Rock’s Las Vegas Hotel presence until 2022 when Hard Rock purchased The Mirage from MGM Resorts International for a whopping $1.08 Billion!
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Planned Return:
So what exactly does Hard Rock have planned for their big Las Vegas return? Hard Rock is planning on demolishing the iconic Mirage Volcano to make way for a massive 800 – 1,000 room guitar shaped hotel tower. The guitar-shaped hotel will also include a casino with 200 slots and 12 table games.
Specific details have been very sparace and difficult to come by. As of now, there is no definitive decision as to whether the property is going to be closed during construction, partially open, etc.
However, according to several sources, Hard Rock is planning a renovation and expansion of event and meeting space at the Mirage, a renovation of villas and the private gaming room, plus an “enhanced pool experience.” The planned renovations will also add 80,000 square feet of casino space and 83,000 square feet of convention space to the former Mirage. That’s accompanied by an addition of 1,164 slot machines and 161 table games. Renovations are expected to add nearly 3,000 theater seats, plus 596 hotel rooms and three food and beverage outlets to the property.
No additional news, details or information have been shared at this time nor is there a specific timeline for the project. Currently as Hard Rock finalizes plans, seeks approvals and prepares for construction, The Mirage name will remain. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, according to the Dec. 2021 release, MGM Resorts will retain The Mirage name and brand, licensing it to Hard Rock royalty-free for a maximum period of three years while it finalizes its plans to rebrand the property.
There are also no plans or details announced regarding The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil show that has been a Mirage staple for many years. It is highly likely this show could remain as it fits perfectly within the Hard Rock theming.
Overall, this is definitely a wise business decision and investment as there are no guitar shaped buildings on the strip which will help make the property stand out. Many of the resorts on the strip look nearly identical with the exception of the heavily themed resorts, or well established resorts. Additionally, there is no other existing guitar shaped hotel except for Hard Rock’s Hollywood, Florida casino resort. While it will definitely be sad to see some classic strip icons go, in the long run it will definitely be worth it as new icons are being created.
One Last Look Inside The Mirage:
Before we say farewell to The Mirage, let’s take one last look inside the famous property.
Genius Business Decision?
Wow! What a gorgeous and well kept property. When MGM Resorts was asked for the reasoning behind the sale they stated it was to shift focus on their existing properties in Las Vegas and build on those experiences. Additionally, shortly after the sale, we saw MGM Resorts buy the famous and most popular strip resort Cosmopolitan for $1.6 billion. MGM is also allocating capital in preparation for the billion dollar investment for a new casino resort located in Osaka, Japan.
Overall I think this was a smart business decision by MGM Resorts since it allowed them to purchase the Cosmopolitan while allowing them to allocate funds for future projects, expansions and new construction. I personally can not wait to see the new Hard Rock property and the guitar hotel tower rise above the Vegas strip.
What are your thoughts on The Mirage and upcoming changes to the resort? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
If you have been following Disney lately in the news, there has been a lot of uproar and public outlash. Besides all the chaos, there also has been some interesting moves and progress Disney has been making as well. Join us today as we recap all the latest Disney news and give our thoughts on each topic.
Chapek Out, Iger In Again:
Bob Iger (left) takes over again for former CEO Bob Chapek (right) after only two years.
Under Chapek, The Walt Disney Company faced a number of public controversies and poor decisions. The CEO faced criticism for the company’s stance on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law following reports that the company had funded anti-LGBTQ+ legislators behind the bill, casting doubt on Disney’s pro-LGBTQ+ image. Disney’s position was called out by audiences, several creative talents who’d worked with Disney, charities, and advocacy groups, who further critiqued Chapek’s initial refusal to address the legislation.
Chapek also back when the parks were shutting down for Covid, wanted to lay off a large percentage of staff prior to employment acts and the CARES act being passed which would have helped those laid off with the financial pressures of temporarily losing their jobs. This just goes to show the true colors of Chapek and how all he cared about was money and cutting costs.
Chapek also proved all he cared about was money when he spiked ticket prices so high while skimping back on products and services offered in the parks. Prices were so high, it made families not be able to afford a Disney vacation. It makes no sense why you would purposely turn away your target market and force them to either not visit Disney or go to you competitors.
In addition to the various public relations missteps, political controversies, and unpopular business decisions, Chapek contributed to very poor earnings causing Disney shares to drop 41.4% overall for the year.
I seriously hope Disney can get their acts together and can get back on track. It’s a real shame they have fallen so far out of touch from their roots and loyal fans these past few years.
Disney Being Sold To Apple?
There’s been many rumors going around that Disney was going to be sold to Apple then Apple would license the Disney brand to Disney. If you ask me, it doesn’t make much sense to sell a major theme park operator that has a stranglehold on the market to a technology company with parks experience. While Disney leadership keeps denying these rumors, we keep seeing more and more evidence mounting that this could be true. Only time will tell how the company recovers.
Disney Acquires World’s Largest Cruise Ship:
Finally some good news! Recently, Disney purchased the world’s largest cruise ship weighing in at a whopping 208,000-gross-tons! Not only is it the largest, it is also the first cruise in the entire cruise ship industry to be fueled by green methanol, one of the lowest emission fuels available. According to early estimates, Disney Cruise Line expects the passenger capacity to be approximately 6,000 with around 2,300 crew members.
With the acquisition of this new ship, it will allow DCL to tap into newer markets and destinations it has never sailed to before. Disney will take over construction and finish the project after the ship’s former owner and operator filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection just weeks before.
Splash Mountain To Permanently Close:
Yet another Disney classic is set shutter on Jan. 23, 2023 to make way for a newly rethemed ride. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be taking Splash Mountains place at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The ride is heavily inspired by the culture of New Orleans and the Walt Disney Animation Studios film, “The Princess and the Frog.”
Disney’s “Government” Is No More?
Back when the Walt Disney World resort was being constructed, the land it sat on was nothing more than swamps. Disney had to build all the infrastructure and necessary projects to make the land habitable for theme park and hotel use. In order to do this, Reedy Creek was established in 1967. Reedy Creek is the name for the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special purpose district that gives The Walt Disney Company governmental control over the land in and around its central Florida theme parks. The district sits southwest of Orlando. Today, the Reedy Creek special district encompasses about 25,000 acres in Orange and Osceola counties, including four theme parks, two water parks, one sports complex, 175 lane miles of roadway, 67 miles of waterway, and the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista.
With recent leadership turmoil at Disney and controversial political practices in Florida, Disney’s special governing body may soon be dissolved. The proposed bill declares that any special district created before November 1968 will be dissolved on June 1, 2023. The dissolution of the special district would mean that Orange and Osceola counties take on the assets and liabilities of Reedy Creek. That could lead to higher taxes for those residents to pay off Reedy Creek’s debts and take over the care of roads, policing, fire protection, waste management and more.
Overall, I can honestly understand both sides to the idea of removing Disney’s governing body. If Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, Sea World and countless other Florida based parks don’t have any special governing bodies then why should Disney? After all, does it just give Disney more power and cause there to be an unfair advantage given to Disney?
However, on the flip side, we can clearly see why this special body is needed and why it would be a bad idea to abolish it. Obviously, there needs to be an authority to oversee all the infrastructure, safety and responsibilities of the area. If this body is totally abolished all the costs and debt will need to be taken over. One possible fair solution would be if the state of Florida took over the body and made it a state run agency this way everything is looked over and it takes away any special advantages Disney is given over the other parks in the area.
Could Six Flags be heading for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection once again? If you’re a theme park enthusiast or frequent Six Flags goer, you may have noticed Six Flags all over the media lately but for all the wrong reasons. We’ve been seeing more and more reactions to the latest updates from SF and as someone that’s into theme parks, I couldn’t help notice either. If you aren’t familiar with the latest, allow me to summarize.
All Rise! The New CEO Is Here
As Six Flags was heading into the end of its 2019 season and gearing up for 2020, the world was thrown into chaos as Covid-19 hit. Like its competitors, it was forced to close its parks for the foreseeable future. What looked like a slam dunk operating season where it appeared the company was bouncing back after struggling again, turned into a brutal nightmare.
Mike Spanos
Selim Bassoul
It was around this time that the company named Mike Spanos as CEO. Now here’s where it gets interesting. Mike only served as CEO during the pandemic and afterwards, it was announced the company was naming a new CEO, Selim Bassoul. While I understand there may have been many circumstances and factors behind the decision, I’ve seen many other content creators discuss him and say that he honestly wasn’t given a shot and allowed to shine since he had his hands pretty much tied during the pandemic. I honestly agree with the community here. I think the company should have given Mike a chance since most of the time he was in charge all the parks were closed.
In order for you to understand the snowball effect that is happening, let’s discuss Selim a little more here.
Selim Bassoul – The Very Blunt Cheapskate
One beef I have always had with Six Flags was the quality and consistency across the brand. The chain has always had a budget or a store brand feel to it. Unlike Cedar Fair, Busch Gardens and other top chains, Six Flags has always lagged behind in my mind. These other chain parks are always well kept (for the most part) and are always making improvements to existing areas. Six Flags on the other hand has always felt like it was hanging on by a thread. For example, if you were to enter Cedar Point and compare your experience to say Six Flags Great Adventure, the differences are night and day.
You would think with the company still struggling with its debt, it would try to take the time to make improvements and keep trying to evolve to better itself. However, this is sadly not the case which is very disappointing. Rather than this CEO making brand wide improvements and park specific fixes, he instead decides to cut membership perks, raise prices, cut thousands of jobs, take away promotions/discounts, and flat out states the company will not build any new rides!
“Raising prices is no easy task for a company that has trained customers to expect discounts, and in 2022, we have shocked the system with a significant increase in ticket prices.”
Selim Bassoul
It boggles my mind how a theme park brand can just raise prices sharply and not increase offerings and value. What the heck is wrong with this guy?!?! I get that the economy is out of whack and inflation, supply chains and labor shortages are all problems. So I get there is a need to cut costs and restructure a bit. But honestly how can you just keep cutting and cutting, raise prices, not offer anything new (ride wise) then expect a miracle.
“We are continuing to execute our premiumization strategy by focusing on guests who are willing to pay more for a premium experience”
Selim Bassoul
Is this guy friends with Bob Iger and Bob Chapek from Disney? Maybe they are related somehow because their methods are very very similar!
On The Flip Side
Now to be fair, there are a few things this CEO did which I feel are steps in the right direction but at the same time are very bare bones. One of my biggest complaints I had when visiting the parks was the food options and the quality for the food. Previously, all the food options were all fried foods that were greasy and over priced. Recently however, one of the first major things SF retooled was their food options brand wise. They introduced more healthy options, added dietary options and took existing food options and reworked them for better taste, flavor and quality. Additionally, they also added a lot of events and festivals in the parks throughout the year. I do really like some of these events being that beforehand the parks didn’t have many festivals or events. Personally, I think it adds more flare and excitement to the parks when you visit instead of the same old thing every time.
#StepdownSelim
When you have an entire Reddit thread titled after you with the words “#Fire” or “#Stepdown” in front of it, chances are you are either doing a very poor job and are disliked. Boy is that the case with this CEO. The original post is too long to take an image of, I will quote it below:
Step Down Selim: Another Open Letter
I’m obviously posting this anonymously because Selim has the tendency to fire anyone and everyone, going as far as to fire a 16 year old at a park simply because he asked them how they were and the 16 y/o responded “Well, I’m alive.”
When Selim first took over the company, I was nervous, but hopeful that Mike Spanos’ rehabilitation of the parks would be continued. It has become increasingly evident that this is not the case. Throughout my tenure here at Six Flags, I’ve seen our operations generally neglected, ESPECIALLY food service, which is shambles. It has only gotten worse.
Selim is new to the theme park business. I don’t even think he visited theme parks prior to taking the helm of our company, due to his fear of roller coasters. What made the Board so excited to have him become our CEO, I don’t know, because there’s nothing worse for a company than installing a CEO who genuinely doesn’t understand a company and it’s product, which I’ve said before many times.
I wouldn’t share these sentiments if it wasn’t for the way he came in swinging, swiping, cutting, all while blind. Selim’s goal has been to increase our prices to be on par with Universal Studios and Disney and generate their numbers in revenue
We are not those parks, we never have been.
And the guests know that.
You’ve essentially gone and cut spending and budgets so that the parks rehab projects aren’t being completed, causing many parts of the park to follow into disrepair and generally look unmaintained, and then you raise ticket prices, take out our successful membership program, raise food prices, and take out our very successful dining pass program.
For what?!
We are the park that middle class families go to when they have a good report card.
We are the park that you drop your kids off to go spend time at while you run errands.
We are the park that you visit to hang out with your friends and have a good time without breaking the bank.
We are the park that families chose because of our value.
They could get past the way the park looked because they knew that we weren’t the best parks in the world. We were just a reliable park that they could make memories at because our rides and the ambiance.
Now our customers are turning away to Cedar Fair and other theme parks.
Post-pandemic and we’re suffering with incredibly low staffing, causing rides/food service locations to be closed AND even more neglect to the park, so we have less to offer than before and the park in general looks shitty and you’re charging Disneyland and Universal Studios prices… for this??? It’s embarrassing.
The guests pay to enter, then they pay to sit (specifically at Harbor), they stand in 1hr+ lines and pay outrageous prices for food that’s on par with McDonalds, and then they stand in lines for rides that take just as long because other rides are closed.
Food service locations that are overrun by rodents with no A/C, 15 y/o+ equipment, minimal staffing, terrible wages, and it all looks disgusting. Guests can see it.
These guests are getting their pockets ravaged. They’re getting nickeled and dimed. And they know that, and they’re not coming back. They haven’t been coming back.
And Selim pretends to be delusional because he projects that the park is doing better than before.
This isn’t better Selim. It’s not.
Otherwise we wouldn’t have had to lay off 24 tenured, experienced Full-times at Magic Mountain.
You know that just as well as every person in these parks do, whether they’re a Team Member, Lead, Supervisor, Assistant Manager, Full-time, even guests.
He boasted that we’re overspending as soon as he took over while in the same breath stating that he doesn’t read reports that detail our spending. Does he know what we’re spending on? No.
On every level, management included, us employees feel that he’s running this company into the ground to bankrupt it and sell off portions of it and run away back to his mansion with a check to retire on.
We’re just scared to call this to attention because he continues to cut jobs of the outspoken and introduce his own staff from Middleby, the company who oversaw prior to us, including his daughter. Talk about Nepotism at it’s best.
The timing couldn’t be better though, because I’ve called the UFCW to get information on unionizing. Hope they’re prepared for that.
Investors, you have the power to demand his removal. I know we’re capable of providing incredible earnings and delivering on your investments. I know we can. Sell every last share and demand that the board remove this embarrassment of a CEO before it’s too late.
He’s a virus to this company and he needs to be eradicated.
#StepdownSelim
The following is yet another open letter by an anonymous employee/shareholder also using the same two hashtags. This was the other viral Reddit post that many content creators are taking note on and commenting on:
Step Down Selim
An Open Letter to the Six Flags Board of Directors and Investors
The sentiments shared in this letter are shared by most if not all of the Six Flags Team Members and many of our guests.
You ousted Mike Spanos and named Selim Bassoul CEO of our company in November 2021 after we had a great year. Selim addressed all of us in a virtual Town Hall shortly after and told us why he felt the change was necessary. He stated that spending was out of control. We know he didn’t take the time to learn why and where the money was being spent. He complained about a 300+ page report that was submitted to the board and told us he doesn’t read reports. Did any of you read the report? While we don’t know, specifically, what was in the report, we can tell you where the money was being spent. It was being spent on rehab and repair of our infrastructure that has been neglected for many, MANY years! Would any of you allow your homes to fall into such disrepair? I doubt it.
Selim had a lot to say in a later virtual town hall with all the parks. He made some good points which all of us agreed with, but much of what he went on about was absolutely ridiculous and laughable. He would have heard everyone at every park laughing AT him had the parks not been muted. He went on at length about guests wanting 2-ply toilet paper. He spent a great deal of time complaining about guests dumping ice from their cups in the bushes. He rambled a lot about wanting various things that aren’t going to generate revenue, only decrease it.
There was plenty to like about the ideas and thoughts Selim shared with us, including his past successes as a business person. Who wouldn’t like the bonus program he implemented at a previous company that increased the bonus potential for every employee every year until the bonus reached $10,000? All of us could certainly get on board with that. There’s only one problem. We’ll never achieve the goals necessary to qualify for the bonus due to Selim’s leadership or lack thereof.
Selim made it clear that he realizes he has a lot to learn and would rely on those of us who have lots of experience in the business to teach him, but he’s only done the opposite. He eliminated layers of team members, including Bonnie Weber who is one of the best in the business, and now has all the Park Presidents reporting directly to him. It didn’t take long for the Park Presidents to realize they’re better off not offering ideas or thoughts to him. Why? He fires them, yet he can’t seem to understand why nobody offers suggestions anymore.
We had a great 2021 season yet Selim felt it was necessary to freeze wages in 2022 after we went for 2 years without wage increases due to COVID. Nobody complained about the 2-year freeze because it was understandable. It’s not acceptable, however, to freeze wages after we had a great return and then expect everyone to rely on a generous bonus every year. While a large bonus every year would be great, our next CEO might not like that method of compensation and eliminate it. Will our salaries be adjusted at that point or will our compensation remain several years behind? We all know the answer to that. Thankfully, he backed down and gave most hourly employees a 75 cent/hour increase after quite a bit of pushback. He still left salaried employees without.
Morale is at an all-time low at Six Flags. We’ve lost a lot of great people to reductions in workforce and other great, skilled team members are preparing to leave because they aren’t happy working for Six Flags anymore and they can’t afford to continue working for Six Flags. They have families to support, but it’s become increasingly difficult to do so given the current state of the economy.
The performance of Six Flags will continue to plummet, as will the stock price, as we continue to lose such skilled, experienced labor. We can’t hire enough people to run all of our attractions and retail locations. It’s become increasingly difficult to hire skilled labor to maintain our infrastructure and rides. We’re just hiring bodies at this point to fill the positions, and that’s not good. A high percentage of the people we’re hiring aren’t able to perform well, but we don’t have a choice. It’s severely impacting the service we offer our guests.
What is the #1 thing people come to Six Flags for? They come for our rides in case you didn’t know. We can’t hire enough people to run all our rides, let alone maintain and inspect them. We’re losing valuable labor there, too. More are preparing to leave. Some of the people inspecting the rides are certainly trained and qualified, but don’t necessarily have enough experience to adequately perform a thorough inspection. That’s scary. Safety is going to suffer and there’s nothing worse for an amusement park than an accident. We hope it doesn’t happen, but it probably will.
Selim expressed that he wants Six Flags to be considered a premium product like Disney and Universal. That simply isn’t going to happen under Selim’s leadership. We’re charging our guests more and offering far less. Our attendance has been abysmal and many of our guests won’t be returning. The proof is on social media. People aren’t happy with the product and service we’re offering and our attendance proves it. Cedar Fair is doing quite well this year, so you can’t blame the economy.
Selim released a rather dumb video to us with him saying, “Have no fear!” numerous times throughout. Unfortunately, we have plenty to fear as long as he remains in charge. He wants us to do more with less as he said in the virtual town hall. He also expects guests to pay more and get less. We all want Six Flags to succeed, but it won’t while Selim is CEO unless he changes his ways.
Selim is the laughing stock of the entire company. None of us have an ounce of respect for him, but we certainly fear him. He reminds us a lot of Mark Shapiro in both his energetic style of speaking and his leadership style. It makes us wonder if we’re heading down the same road.
It is up to you, the board, to fix this. There will be consequences if you fail to do so. Our stock price is already 40% lower than it was a year ago. Stay on course if the goal is to drive us into the ground.
Investors, we ask you to hold the board accountable and demand a change in leadership. Cut your losses and sell every share in Six Flags if they fail to do so. We are capable of providing you with an excellent ROI, but not while Selim is in charge.
#StepDownSelim
The Future of Six Flags
What does the future like for Six Flags? Honestly, only time will tell. One thing to keep in mind is the numbers and reports don’t lie. Anyone can clearly see because of the poor decisions being made, attendance, revenue, guest satisfaction and staffing are all taking a hit.
What do you think about Six Flags and its CEO? Let us know in the comments down below.
Very big news just came out of the hotel industry recently and I have to admit the news came as a bit of a surprise. Join us today as we discover the headlines, break down the news and give our thoughts on it.
The Big News:
In this very shocking news, Choice Hotels announced it was acquiring Radisson Hotel Group Americas for a sum of $675M. Currently, Choice Hotels has the following brands in its current portfolio prior to this transaction:
The deal, once closed, includes nine brands, 624 hotels and over 68,000 rooms!
For those unfamiliar with the Radisson brand or Radisson Hotel Group (RHG), it emcompasses all franchised, operations and branding of the Radisson Hotels throughout the U.S., Canada, South America as well as the Caribbean. RHG also includes 10 Radisson Blu hotels, 130 Radisson hotels, nine Radisson Individuals, one Park Plaza hotel, four Radisson Red hotels, 453 Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and 17 Park Inn by Radisson hotels, as well as the Radisson Inn & Suites and Radisson Collection brands.
Thoughts & Reactions:
Overall, this is definitely a bold move for Choice Hotels. Earlier in the year a few rumors were going around saying Choice was looking to drop some serious cash to expand into the luxury and higher tiered hotel market. I think one primary reason for doing this merger is smart, is by doing so you can compete with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Wyndham, like Choice, has economy brands, extended stay but Choice lacked many things that Wyndham had. Those being luxury brands, upper-mid scale brands and resorts. Can they compete with Wyndham and overall be at the same level or better? Only time can tell.
With this merger to close in 2022, there are still many loose ends and questions left to be answered. Here are some of the top few questions and concerns that come to mind:
With Radisson under Choice Hotels, will standards for Radisson drop? Get better? Or stay the same?
Personally, I’m not sure how this will turn out for Radisson and their nine brands. While I feel like this a good move since they will expand and get more exposure, I feel like with how Choice operates some of their brands, I can’t help but feel standards may slip. Then again, with acquiring nine strong brands and a few luxury brands in the mix, maybe this will make Choice stronger and in turn help them. Only time will tell how this plays out.
Will the Radisson Rewards/Loyalty program be combined with Choice Privileges?
Radisson Rewards is not as well known or as large as Choice Privileges. With that being said, I can definitely see one of two things happening. Choice takes Radisson Rewards and merges it with Choice Privileges to make one cohesive rewards system that is easily utilized across all brands. The other thing I can see is Radisson Rewards stays around and is overhauled and works together with Choice. They would promote both together, be able to transfer points between the two and redeem member only offers for both. While that may seem like a lot of work, I think that makes the most sense. (And we’ll see why with our next question).
With the European operations still under Radisson and not being sold, will this cause confusion and inconsistencies from the American operations?
Anytime you have split operations across the globe, it’s always a challenge logistically keeping supply chains, standards, operations and finances on track. However in this case, this transaction makes it interesting and creates a tough challenge. If Choice makes changes to Radisson, they only have control over the American/North American division. I think there are definitely going to be some tough challenges that both Choice and the European/Asian division of Radisson will need to figure out. I find it very odd how you would sell off half of your brand then keep the other half. It’s just so hard to wrap your head around.
I definitely think this merger took a lot of people by surprise. As mentioned above, we did hear rumors earlier in the year about Choice looking to buy but, those rumors only mentioned purchasing one or two induvial brands not an entire hotel company. I honestly did not expect that either. Regardless I think over the next few months and years, we’ll have to see how this plays out for both sides. What do you think about the Choice Hotels and Radisson Hotel Group merger?
Touristician 