Sunset Station (hotel And Casino)
History
Station Casinos announced Sunset Station in February 1994. Groundbreaking was set to begin the following year, but was delayed by Station's purchase of the Texas hotel in North Las Vegas, as well as construction plans for a Kansas City casino. Sunset Station's hotel tower was eventually topped off on February 7, 1997. The resort cost $198 million.
Sunset Station opened on June 10, 1997, as Henderson's first hotel-casino resort. It was also the fourth Las Vegas Valley property opened by Station, as well as the company's most upscale, reflecting a growing trend among locals casinos in Las Vegas. The property was well received upon its opening, leading to an expansion the following year. Station would go on to build other upscale resorts in the Las Vegas Valley, including Green Valley Ranch (2001) and Red Rock Resort (2006).
Sunset Station employed approximately 1,800 people upon opening, and had 1,200 workers as of 2017. Two years later, employees voted in favor of unionizing the property by 83 percent. It would be the fifth Station property in Las Vegas to be unionized, with representation by the Culinary Workers Union.
Features
Sunset Station includes a 163,951 sq ft (15,231.5 m) casino, as well as 448 rooms in a 21-story tower. Standing 230 feet, it is the tallest building in Henderson. The hotel tower was renovated in 2016. The casino measured 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m) upon opening, and included 2,800 slot machines, 40 table games, a 208-seat sportsbook, a poker room, and a keno lounge. In late 1998, the casino introduced health-conscious slot machines that incorporated stationary bikes and treadmills.
Sunset Station features a Spanish/Mediterranean theme. The interior was designed by Las Vegas-based Morris & Brown, which referred to architecture in Spanish cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia, Seville, and Valencia. The work of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí prompted the Gaudi Bar at Sunset Station. The central feature of the 140-seat bar is a 6,000-square-foot (560 m) stained glass ceiling composed of thousands of glass pieces and weighing 12 tons. The resort interior also includes sky painted ceilings inspired by The Forum Shops, a mall on the Las Vegas Strip. Exterior facades, resembling Spanish villages, were created by a Hollywood film set designer.
The property opened with various restaurants, including a 760-seat buffet. Gordon Biersch Brewing Company operated a restaurant and 11,000 sq ft (1,000 m) microbrewery. However, the company ended its lease in March 1998, upon realizing that its premium alcohol did not appeal to the resort's budget-minded clientele. The casino took over the space and reopened it as Sunset Brewing Co.
Upon its opening, Sunset Station included a video game arcade and child-care facility. A 13-screen Act III movie theater opened a year prior to the rest of the resort. The facility has since been taken over by Regal Cinemas. A $45 million resort expansion began in 1998, on the property's south side. The project included construction of a parking garage, additional movie theater screens, new meeting space, and the Sonoma Cellar Steakhouse. More casino space was also added, for a total of 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m).
Sunset Station's entertainment venues include the 600-seat Club Madrid, and an amphitheater. Notable entertainers have included Foreigner, Gladys Knight, Jamie Foxx, Keith Urban, Merle Haggard, The Monkees, Pat Benatar, Tears for Fears, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, and ZZ Top.
Strike Zone, a 76,000-square-foot (7,100 m) bowling alley with 72 lanes, was opened in 2005. Built at a cost of $26 million, it was the most expensive bowling alley in the country. In 2007, the alley hosted the PBA Tour's Motel 6 Classic.
A renovation of the casino floor began in October 2023, and will include a revamped sportsbook featuring a bar and a 150-foot video wall.
Gallery
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Aerial view of the resort, 2015
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Roadside sign on Sunset Road
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Gaudi Bar
References
- ^ "Sunset Station planned". Las Vegas Review-Journal. February 17, 1994. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Sunset delayed". Las Vegas Review-Journal. June 11, 1995. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Marciniak, D.B. (February 11, 1997). "Sunset Station tops off". Henderson Home News. pp. 1, 5. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ DeFrank, Sean (June 11, 1997). "Sunset in the city". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Gary (June 6, 1997). "Sunset Station prepares to open". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Marciniak, D.B. (June 10, 1997). "Sunset Station ready to glow!". Henderson Home News. p. 1. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Szydelko, Paul (June 10, 1997). "Sunset Station changes city's landscape". Henderson Home News. p. 2. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Berns, Dave (June 11, 1997). "Sunrise on Sunset". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 18, 2000.
- ^ Szydelko, Paul (June 12, 1997). "Fun rises at Sunset Station". Henderson Home News. p. 1. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ DeFrank, Sean (July 2, 1997). "Sunset opening sparkles". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Steinhauer, Adam (May 5, 1997). "Crowding Into Henderson". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 8, 2001.
- ^ "$198 million Sunset Station to open Tuesday night". Las Vegas Sun. June 9, 1997. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Moore, Thomas (June 26, 2017). "How Sunset Station changed the scene". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Resorts for locals go upscale". Las Vegas Review-Journal. May 12, 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ DeFrank, Sean (December 2, 1998). "Sunset Station begins $45 million growth spurt". View News. Archived from the original on November 16, 1999.
- ^ Marciniak, D.B. (February 12, 1998). "Sunset Station expansion on the horizon". Henderson Home News. p. 5. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Phone system pays off for Sunset Station". Henderson Home News. April 15, 1997. p. 5. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, F. Andrew (May 29, 2017). "Sunset Station host recalls casino's early days". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ Velotta, Richard N. (June 14, 2019). "Sunset Station employees vote for Culinary Union to represent them". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
- ^ "Listing of Financial Statements Square Footage (2017 data)". Nevada Gaming Control Board. March 6, 2018. p. 9. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ "Sunset Station completes hotel tower renovation". VegasInc. December 7, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Henderson approves 330-foot-tall mixed development". Las Vegas Sun. December 16, 2008. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Work Out While You Wager". CBS. December 30, 1998. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Wagner, Angie (November 12, 1998). "Heart-healthy slot machines offer workout while gambling". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Hall, Christopher (March 21, 1999). "A New Way to Exercise Your Urge to Gamble". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ "Effects Network creates Sunset Station gaming themes". Henderson Home News. June 10, 1997. p. 2. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Berns, Dave (June 9, 1997). "A Rising Sunset". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 5, 1999.
- ^ "Waterjet Cutting Adds Splash to Vegas Casino". Flow International Corporation. Archived from the original on December 2, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
- ^ Paskevich, Michael (June 8, 1997). "Sun Rises on Sunset Station". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 25, 1999.
- ^ DeFrank, Sean (June 11, 1997). "Hotel serves international cuisine". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Hubble (February 18, 1998). "Restaurant parts ways with Sunset". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 11, 1999.
- ^ Berns, Dave (March 2, 1998). "Sunset has big plans for brewery". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 2, 1999.
- ^ "Sunset Station opens new microbrewery". Las Vegas Review-Journal. March 27, 1998. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Cling, Carol (May 7, 1997). "Act III plans 18-screen theater". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 16, 2000.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (August 28, 2020). "Movies Are Returning to Theaters. Will Audiences Follow?". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Berns, Dave (April 1, 1998). "Expansion planned for Sunset Station". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 10, 1999.
- ^ DeFrank, Sean (April 22, 1998). "Sunset Station set for big expansion". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Stevens, Muriel (March 19, 1999). "Sunset Station's Sonoma Cellar hits heights for food, decor". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Weatherford, Mike (June 8, 1997). "Acts for Club Madrid, outdoor stage likely to please classic-rock fans". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 25, 1999.
- ^ Ziegler, Ellen (June 18, 2004). "Sunset Station to add bowling". View News. Archived from the original on January 19, 2005.
- ^ Benston, Liz (May 2, 2005). "Bowlers strike it rich with Sunset center". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
- ^ "Motel 6 Classic". Professional Bowlers Association. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
- ^ Ross, McKenna (October 6, 2023). "Sunset Station begins sportsbook, casino floor remodel". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ "Sunset Station to undergo renovations across casino floor". KSNV. October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ McKee, David (October 9, 2023). "Station exorcism; Foul bawl; Urban One broke?". Las Vegas Advisor. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
External links
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