CEO Interview: Celeb Chefs and Youthful Brands at Vegas’ Cosmopolitan Hotel

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel opened in December 2010 during the height of the global recession, which decimated gambling revenues up and down the Las Vegas strip. Well before that time, the city had been evolving into a more lifestyle-oriented destination that prioritized trendy dining and entertainment over slots and sports books, but the economic downturn sped up the city-wide focus on developing more celebrity chef restaurants, among other revenue-generating ideas. The Cosmopolitan, along with its neighbors on either side, ARIA and Bellagio, have led the dining and nightlife trend in the city since the recession. ARIA and Bellagio have more celebrity restaurants than most cities. At The Cosmo, especially since the Blackstone acquisition, the hotel has invested heavily in an attempt to differentiate itself by focusing on more edgier, global, and youthful brand partners, many of which also have high-profile owners. Some of the more well-known outlets are