Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to get “multimillion-dollar” facelift; four projects planned for Main Street facade

After celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021, the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada will begin construction on “multimillion-dollar” renovations that include four large-scale projects that promise to “transform the Main Street facade” of the downtown venue.

According to the Tuesday announcement covered by local news, the makeover, which will begin later this month and is expected to be complete by the end of 2022, includes the addition of a new bar to be located under the Plaza dome, an adjacent smoke-free gaming area, roof-top dining, and a doughnut shop.

During a news conference, Jonathan Jossel, Chief Executive Officer of the Plaza Hotel & Casino quoted former Mayor Oscar Goodman, who the CEO said likes to say “it’s a 12-year overnight success.”

Great Changes Downtown:

Jossel, who has been in charge of the Plaza’s overall operations since July 2014, said…

“But when you look at what’s happening around here and the great changes happening downtown that are starting to take shape, we’ve always felt that Main Street would be the best street in downtown. That’s actually started to happen, with the bulk of the Arts District from the south. We see it every day, and that makes it a really exciting place to be.”

Carousel Bar:

The Carousel Bar will reportedly be the focal point of the renovated Main Street facade. To be located under the iconic Plaza lights, the 2,500 sq ft outdoor bar will offer beer, wine and hand-crafted cocktails and will be decorated in true Vegas fashion with moving carousel horses, martini glasses that spin and more.

According to the Plaza, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the venue, which will face the west Fremont Street Experience entrance, will be able to seat nearly 100 guests and have an outdoor cooling system.

Open-air Gaming Area:

Adjacent to the outdoor bar will be what the Plaza is reportedly calling “downtown’s first smoke-free and social media friendly gaming space.” The 2,500 sq ft area is to include games that YouTube slot influencer Brian Christopher has featured on his channels, with the collaboration to allow fans to play those games. Additionally, the Plaza will have control of the music played in the space, and have the ability to lower the volume or play only copyright-friendly tunes that are better suited for social media videos.

Oscar’s Patio:

A rooftop deck, Oscar’s patio, will be situated above the new outdoor gaming space, overlooking Main and Freemont streets. Visitors will be able to access the 225-seat rooftop restaurant through the existing Oscar’s Steakhouse lounge and it will be the first restaurant to offer open-air fine dining downtown, according to the Plaza.

Visitors who have a taste and wallet for something a bit more casual, can step through a huge 3D doughnut located under the porte-cochere, and into a 1,200 sq ft Pinkbox Doughnuts. The new branch of the Vegas-based company will offer the same selection of 70-plus doughnut flavors as its other locations while also launching an exclusive menu of alcohol-infused doughnut milkshakes. Visitors can expect to be met with the same signature decor as other branches.

Owned by London-based Tamares Group, a private real estate investment company, the Plaza opened in 1971 and was one of the original classics that helped to establish Vegas as the city of glitz. The gateway to the famous Fremont Street Experience, was, when it opened with just over 500 hotel rooms, the largest hotel and casino in the world, according to the Plaza’s website.

Located on a 17-acre site across from the Fremont Street Experience, the hotel closed in November 2010 for a $35 million renovation and reopened in September the following year. It currently includes 1,003 fully-renovated rooms and suites, with the top four floors of the north tower, approximately 112 rooms, completely renovated in 2019.

Plaza Hotel & Casino and Oscar’s Steakhouse will reportedly remain open throughout construction.