Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

April 13, 2012

UPDATED: Linqing the Perfect Name

Posted by daveschwartz

There's a bit of a mystery unfolding on the Strip thanks to Caesars Entertainment. Since the initial flurry that surrounded the initial announcement of Linq last August, we've heard precious little about the project, which will mostly be beneath, between and behind the Flamingo and Imperial Palace. After the jump, I take a look at what I consider the biggest unanswered question, and take a few guesses at possible answers.


As part of the $550 million project, the hotel currently known as the Imperial Palace will be reskinned and renamed. And the name that's going to adorn the property--which will be the center of Caesars "revitalized" Center-Strip portfolio--remains a mystery.

vegas-project-linq-1.jpg

There are two possibilities. Either Caesars brass has already settled on a name and a brilliant marketing campaign...or it'll be installed on Tuesday. In a February conversation with some people inside Caesars who would be the first to know about the name, I was told that they'd don't have one yet. So, looks like it will indeed be installed on Tuesday. With Linq planned to open next year, it's certainly not to early to be thinking about a name.

First I'd like to ask the question, does the name really matter? A lot of people don't think so. By implication, Caesars management is saying it doesn't. That seems to be the predominant thinking in the industry, with the name of Aria not being given an incredible amount of thought, other than that it sounded nice, and the Hilton's new name being a string of initials (The D is the subject of a future post, so I won't get into that can of worms here).

But I'd say the name does matter. Think of The Mirage. It's iconic, right? What if it had been called "Bombay," as some early reports indicated, or just "Golden Nugget Las Vegas Strip?" It wouldn't have been nearly as memorable. The name gave Steve Wynn an organizing principle that made what might have been a mess of a resort--a volcano, white tigers, a rain forest, Siegfried and Roy--make perfect sense.

So I ask the question: if you were the one making the call, what would you call the former Imperial Palace?

Let's keep in mind that it's not going to be bumped significantly up the food chain, so Raffles Las Vegas is off-limits. Instead, we'll assume that it's going to be a mid-tier casino resort on par with its neighbors, the Flamingo and Harrah's.

I want to first look at the arrows that are already in Caesars quiver: the names they already own, but aren't using (or are under-using) in Las Vegas.

Horseshoe: this is the biggie. It's allegedly Caesars' one-step-from-the-top flagship brand, but there's no Horseshoe in Las Vegas. Years ago, the talk was that Bally's would be reworked into the Horseshoe, but the recession scuttled those plans. I'd argue that if Horseshoe nationally represents a property that's slotted above the Harrah's Brand, it doesn't make a lot of sense to make the world's most prominent Horseshoe a hotel that's at or below the quality of the neighboring Harrah's.

Grand: This is brand that the company has slated for deprecation. There used to be three Grands in its portfolio; now there's just one, in Biloxi, and that one has variously been planned to become the Horseshoe Biloxi and the Margaritaville. I'm about 99% sure that MGM would not let someone else open a "Grand" casino on the Strip.

Harvey's: famous name in Lake Tahoe; elsewhere, not so much. I'm guessing that this one isn't going to happen

Showboat: Once an innovative casino company (arguably the first locals casino in Vegas), Showboat was acquired by Harrah's in 1999. The only Showboat casino currently operating under that name is in Atlantic City. It's usually Caesars' lowest-performing property in the market. Take from that what you will.

London Clubs names: Caesars also owns London Clubs, and has two brands there that might be able to cross the pond. The first, Alea, is Latin for a die or, more broadly, risk or chance. Unfortunately, it sounds like the name of a scholarly journal and not a place with beer pong. The second, Rendezvous, plugs in nicely with the idea of Linq as a place where people meet, so it's got potential.

O'Shea's: Here's a thought: while you're relocating O'Shea's within the former Imperial Palace, why not just make the entire casino hotel an O'Shea's? It's already got plenty of name recognition, and the relaxed, fun, unpretentious vibe would translate well to the property's amenity level and dining options.

Margaritaville: Another thought: Why not consider the small Margaritaville casino inside the Flamingo a testbed for a Center Strip Margaritaville hotel casino? Again, instant recognition, and it slots nicely with the property's location and placement. It would be weird having the Margaritaville restaurant not be in the Margaritaville hotel, but Ocean City isn't in Ocean County in my home state of New Jersey, so I think people will be able to deal with it. The plus side is that the company already has a relationship with Jimmy Buffett, and he's already licensed in Nevada.

Nobu: This is going to be at Caesars Palace, and is clearly meant to be more luxurious than the former Imperial Palace, but it seems a little more appropriate to replace the kitschy Japanese imperial theme with a modern take. Not going to happen, but it's an interesting ironic thing to consider.

If you're not going to use a name already somewhere in the Caesars portfolio, there's really no stopping you from using anything. Here are a few suggestions:

Linq: Why not name the hotel itself Linq? If you're already branding the outdoor mall that, why not get more bang for your buck? Plus, it will link the Flamingo to Harrah's, so it's accurate.

A random string of vowels and consonants that signifies nothing. Hey, it worked for Vdara and Elara, the Hilton Grand Vacations name for the former PH Westgate Towers, so why not?

The Wheel Inn (or a variant thereof): It's going to be in front of a big wheel, so why not give it a wheel name? You could also call it Hub, Orbit, or Rotation. Or Upson Downs.

Co-branding with an anchor tenant: this is risky, because the tenant might decide to move, but if you can get them to pony up some of the costs, it might be worth it. Basically, it's the Nobu idea taken to its logical conclusion: build a hotel concept around an established retail brand. Since we have no idea what's going to be in Linq, this could go in a lot of directions. How about Urban Outfitters Hotel and Casino? Or this idea, which Hunter will either love or hate? The Apple Casino. Move the Apple Store from the Forum Shops, have it anchor Linq, and rebrand the IP as the world's first iCasino. Depending on where they go with the bars and restaurants, this could be a lot of fun. Toby Keith's I Love This Hotel, Casino and Resort for the win!

Those are just a few off-the-cuff suggestions. I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks.

UPDATED:
I can't believe I forgot this one: it makes a lot of sense from a lot of angles. It's another recycled name, and the most obvious one.

Flamingo Capri: Until 1979, this was the name of the property. I stumbled (back) on it as I was mulling one possibility: that you just fold the Imperial Palace towers and casino space into an adjoining casino. It's already administratively joined at the hip to Harrah's, the Flamingo, O'Shea's, and Bill's. So why not just make it the southern wing(s) of Harrah's?

Or, I thought, why not join it to the Flamingo? Then it hit me: Flamingo Capri. You're using the Flamingo brand, which is well established (and is already a good match for the amenity level), but you've got just enough difference that it won't be confusing. And it will make Linq even more of a "link," as it joins together two halves of the Flamingo.

I think that this strengthens the Flamingo brand, which I think has a lot of potential nationally, even though Caesars is only using it in Las Vegas right now. That wasn't always so. Back when Hilton owned the brand, you had Flamingo Hiltons (and then, briefly, Flamingos) in Reno and Laughlin.

It's a brand that would tie in well with a less formal, more fun-oriented casino in a lot of other markets. Let's say you could wipe out $20 billion in debt and had some money to rebrand properties outside of Las Vegas. I'd rebrand Bally's as a Horseshoe and rebrand the Showboat as a Flamingo. I'd also rebrand a few of the other properties, like maybe the Tunica Roadhouse and the Biloxi Grand.

Then, you'd have three Vegas-only properties (Paris, P-Ho, Rio),and only four other brands throughout the rest of the country:

Caesars: Highest end, strives to be at the top of market wherever it is

Horseshoe: Below Caesars, but still strives to lead market

Harrah's: emphasis on mass market customer

Flamingo: Like Harrah's, but more fun

Of course, even this simple scheme doesn't work, because Harrah's Atlantic City is currently nicer than Caesars Atlantic City. But I think it would make the company's branding a little clearer.


Comments

Read archived comments (15 so far)
April 13, 2012 12:39 PM Posted by Marc

I think Horseshoe has to be the favorite if they keep the name in house. The national branding would make a lot of sense.

I think co-branding is a distinct possibility. Much like Nobu, it brings a whole other marketing arm in to help sell the property. Co-branding could be with something as simple as a hotel chain or restaurant or something drastically different (doubtful), but I think Caesars likes having outside partners.

April 13, 2012 1:26 PM Posted by detroit1051

I vote for Linq Las Vegas. It rolls off the tongue and already has some name recognition from the publicity surrounding the wheel. Rendezvous doesn't sound to me like a mid-market name, and Horseshoe should be saved for a better property.

As Elvis would say, Viva Linq Las Vegas!

April 14, 2012 4:39 AM Posted by Jeff in OKC

As I look at the neighbor properties I keep thinking of "Satre". Maybe they coul say "This is the only casino we would put his name on"?

April 14, 2012 7:18 AM Posted by Eric

Jimmy "Buffett." Two T's.

I was wearing a Buffett shirt one time and a waitress asked me, where's "Jimmy's Buffet?"

April 14, 2012 11:23 AM Posted by detroit1051

Or, Jean-Paul Sartre

April 14, 2012 4:09 PM Posted by Hunter

I'm gonna have to give the Apple Casino a big thumbs down... Though I'd love it if they put phone chargers in the slot machines anyway...

We'll be discussing this on the next podcast. Fun topic.

April 14, 2012 4:38 PM Posted by HillBilly

Keeping in mind the current direction of Caesars Entertainment, how about:

Debtors Prison. They could even be trendy and just call it the DP.

April 14, 2012 7:35 PM Posted by jinx

I like the discussion, but I have to admit, I'm having the same problems it appears Caesars is in deciding on a name. I agree with your assessment, if it was going to be a Horseshoe they'd have already decided on it, and since I don't think the inside of the IP is going to be redone in any meaningful way, I think that's out. I'm partial to Linq or Osheas at this point, although I'm holding out for something inspired.

April 15, 2012 9:52 AM Posted by Dr.Dave

Eric--I fixed it. Thanks for pointing that out.

I'm glad that no one thinks that "IP" is a viable name. It's just too close to fifth grade punchline material.

They'd probably lampshade it by launching an "IP Daily" blog.

April 15, 2012 10:02 AM Posted by Rob

Though I hadn't thought about the Horseshoe, which sounds like a good idea, I am willingly to bet that it's going to continue the latest trend in poor branding and go with "The IP." The guys at Caesars just aren't that slick and it wouldn't surprise me if they were the only ones in Vegas who thought "The D" was just sheer brilliance.

April 15, 2012 10:16 AM Posted by vespajet

The O'Sheas angle makes the most sense seeing as to the amount of PR they've been doing in the last few months in regards to its' closure at it's current location. Instead of it operating on the Flamingo's gaming license (as it was an annex of the Flamingo), they use the Imperial Palace license.

The only other name option they might pull from their portfolio is Roadhouse, which is what they renamed the Sheraton Casino & Hotel in Tunica. But in some respects, that may not entirely mesh with their plans, although it would be a fitting tie-in with Toby Keith's establishment at Harrah's.

Or they could rename it something completely out of left field and wasn't on anyone's radar.

April 16, 2012 7:19 PM Posted by jinx

I like the Capri thought as I read your article I kept thinking, could they just fold the rooms into Harrahs and Flamingo and be done with it, but I think it would hurt them.

I think they lose the opportunity to make a splash with some free publicity, and it just takes too long to explain to people that you maybe booking Harrahs/Flamingo, but you'll essentially be staying a block away (albeit indoors).

I like the idea of the Flamingo Capri, more then any of the other choices at the moment. I remember at one point, CET seemed to indicate that they wanted to brand the Flamingo more, but it appears that got pushed to the side.

April 16, 2012 7:20 PM Posted by bigdaddyj

Plebians Palace? ;-)

April 18, 2012 9:05 AM Posted by Eric

The former Imperial Palace in Biloxi now goes by just "The IP." Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe CET is now paying a licensing fee for the trademarks "Imperial Palace" and "IP" since they sold the Biloxi property to Boyd.

I can't imagine they want to continue forking over that cash, so the "IP" name is going to disappear from Vegas for good, I believe.

I love the idea of returning it to the "Flamingo Capri" name. That's outstanding. And if the LVH eventually gets bought out by the Strat's owners and renamed back to "The International"? Awesome. Then let's just convince Boyd to rename Echelon back to Stardust, and I'll be happy.

April 22, 2012 4:37 PM Posted by Scott

Capri has a nice ring to it. Not necessarily with Flamingo. Or even Capri Flamingo (reversing the order).

If Apple were to buy in it would be iCasino or something. (blech) But they are too snooty to associate with gambling.