After years of success with Vanderpump-branded restaurants and lounges, Caesars Entertainment is betting the same hospitality formula can anchor an entire hotel-casino.
The company officially opened The Vanderpump Hotel on Thursday, completing the rebranding of the former Cromwell at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road.
The 188-room boutique property represents the latest – and most ambitious – chapter in Caesars’ partnership with television personality, restaurateur and entrepreneur Lisa Vanderpump. What began in 2018 with the opening of Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace has since expanded to include Vanderpump à Paris at Paris Las Vegas and Pinky’s by Vanderpump at Flamingo Las Vegas.
To understand why Caesars chose to connect the Vanderpump brand to an entire resort on the Strip, Sean McBurney, Chief Commercial Officer and Regional Director of Caesars Entertainment, points to the performance of these past ventures.
“When Vanderpump Cocktail Garden opened, it did 10 times as much as the previous concept,” McBurney said.
He added that nearly three-quarters of the venue’s guests came from outside Caesars Palace, making it a destination rather than an amenity that primarily serves hotel guests.
Caesars later expanded the partnership with additional Vanderpump locations. Instead of competing for the same customers, McBurney said the concepts “fed off each other” and continued to grow.
As Caesars assessed the future of The Cromwell, executives weighed whether to simply renovate the property or undertake a wider transformation.
“We could renovate and change the name,” McBurney said. “When you launch a new brand, it’s hard and it’s very expensive, but with Vanderpump, she was already such an established brand.”
For Vanderpump, the project marks a transition from restaurants and lounges to hotels, though she admitted that gaming itself falls outside her area of expertise.
“The casino is part of it, but it’s not my specialty,” Vanderpump said during a recent interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Instead, she said her role was centered on creating a cohesive guest experience, from room design and public spaces to lighting, music and employee presentation.
“I have everything to do with everything around, the music, the attitude of the staff, how they look, what they’re wearing,” she said.
The renovation affected all hotel rooms and suites, along with the casino floor, lobby and other public areas. The redesign features custom furniture and lighting developed by Vanderpump Alain, the design firm founded by Vanderpump and business partner Nick Alain.
The property also introduced Gigolo, a lounge inspired by Vanderpump’s late Pomeranian, Giggy. Existing amenities such as GIADA, Drai’s After Hours, Caesars Sportsbook and the rooftop pool are still part of the resort.
While Vanderpump said she’s not a serious gambler, she sees gambling as an important part of the Las Vegas experience.
“I don’t think I would want a hotel without a casino because the casino to me is part of the Vegas experience that gets the adrenaline going,” she said.
McBurney said Caesars expects the property’s appeal to extend beyond overnight guests. The company believes the Vanderpump brand can attract visitors from across the Las Vegas Valley and beyond, much like its previous collaborations did.
The grand opening seemed to offer an early glimpse of that potential. McBurney said he spoke with fans who traveled from Australia, Minnesota and Nebraska specifically for the event.
“What began as a conversation about a single cocktail lounge has grown into a meaningful and highly successful collaboration, now spanning multiple destinations and culminating in a hotel,” McBurney said in a statement.
The latest transformation adds another chapter to one of the Strip’s most famous properties. The establishment opened in 1979 as the Barbary Coast before later operating as Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon. It reopened as The Cromwell in 2014 after extensive refurbishment.
For Vanderpump, the opening has personal meaning.
“Having my name on one of the most prominent corners in Las Vegas,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of support and a lot of trust (given to me), so I’m grateful for that.”
Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@ theplayerlounge.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.
