Las Vegas - 600 Rooms At Harrahs Closed!

Coming on the heels of two floors of room closures at the Rio last week due to unapproved renovations, 600 guest rooms at Harrah's have been closed and guests relocated as of 6pm last night due to discovery of improper remodeling. Article from the LVRJ: http://www.lvrj.com/news/10336642.html

Some Vice President in charge of renovations and remodeling is gonna have his keister in a sling for sure!

Hardly "improper remodeling" - simply lack of permits. The remodeling could be, and probably is, completely to code; they simply didn't pull permits. It happens.

Hardly "improper remodeling" - simply lack of permits. The remodeling could be, and probably is, completely to code; they simply didn't pull permits. It happens.

It's not to code at the Rio. An electrician blew the whistle on many improper renovations. Read the article. And if one doesn't pull permits, isn't one remodeling improperly? What exactly is your point, besides semantics? :rolleyes:

It's not to code at the Rio. An electrician blew the whistle on many improper renovations. Read the article. And if one doesn't pull permits, isn't one remodeling improperly? What exactly is your point, besides semantics? :rolleyes:

Maybe they forgot to pull the permits for the upgrades to the in-room HSIA!

"What'd you play in Vegas?"

"Online poker"

:D

I've been following the story in the Las Vegas papers and the reports are there was a major disregard for occupant safety. One example is cutting through post tension cables without repairing the subsequent structural loss.

I've been following the story in the Las Vegas papers and the reports are the was a major disregard for occupant safety. One example is cutting through post tension cables without repairing the subsequent structural loss.

^ And not sealing newly drilled floor/ceiling electrical conduit holes which, when sealed, prevent smoke from traveling between floors in case of a fire.

I think I'll wait to redeem my comps until this blows over!
Mahalo, Kaukau for this information that hasn't made it to the East Coast as yet.

It's not to code at the Rio. An electrician blew the whistle on many improper renovations. Read the article. And if one doesn't pull permits, isn't one remodeling improperly? What exactly is your point, besides semantics? :rolleyes:

I am a slave to semantics so I would prefer "illegal" ie without required permits or not in accordance with the various building codes.

Improper means to me anyway they did or didn't get those gay guys (not that there's anything wrong with that) from New York to do the design.

It's not to code at the Rio. An electrician blew the whistle on many improper renovations. Read the article. And if one doesn't pull permits, isn't one remodeling improperly? What exactly is your point, besides semantics? :rolleyes:

I did read the article, thank you very much.

Yes, if one doesn't pull permits, you've missed a step - which usually is remedied by getting the permits.

If you go 56 in a 55 MPH zone, have you done "improper driving" or "illegal driving?" :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

All: Civility, please :)

cblaisd
Senior Moderator

If you go 56 in a 55 MPH zone, have you done "improper driving" or "illegal driving?" :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

You've driving improperly, which is also illegal! :p

And while you obsess on that, the rest of us are a tad concerned at a pattern emerging of Harrah's not playing by the rules vis. a vis. the proper way to renovate and remodel their property, and making a bit of a mess of things, affecting shareholders, guests, and employees.

Like I said, some Harrah's Vice President in charge of construction is going to have to pay the piper over this one!

It's not to code at the Rio. An electrician blew the whistle on many improper renovations. Read the article.

The linked article doesn't mention that, just the permits...

You've driving improperly, which is also illegal! :p

And while you obsess on that, the rest of us are a tad concerned at a pattern emerging of Harrah's not playing by the rules vis. a vis. the proper way to renovate and remodel their property, and making a bit of a mess of things, affecting shareholders, guests, and employees.

Like I said, some Harrah's Vice President in charge of construction is going to have to pay the piper over this one!

Jan Jones, an executive at Harrah's Entertainment, said the company voluntarily took the step because an ongoing internal investigation had revealed that several larger remodeling projects at Harrah's on the Strip took place without the necessary permits.

My bolding. "Evil" Harrah's wasn't compelled by the government to close 600 rooms; they did it themselves because they recognized their error. I don't think I'm the obsessor here.

All: Civility, please :)

cblaisd
Senior Moderator

Last call.

cblaisd
Senior Moderator

The linked article doesn't mention that, just the permits...

"Occupancy revoked...Two floors closed...improper renovations....electrician blows whistle...": http://www.lvrj.com/news/10284937.html

Todays article has more details on improper renovations, whistle blowing, possible collusion between Harrah's and building inspectors: all-in-all a big mess. http://www.lvrj.com/news/10410972.html

Check it out!

Todays article has more details on improper renovations, whistle blowing, possible collusion between Harrah's and building inspectors: all-in-all a big mess. http://www.lvrj.com/news/10410972.html

In Vegas --- I don't believe it :D

Let's do a summary of some of the players involved in this "cover-up."

Harrah's executive Jan Jones (formerly the mayor of Las Vegas)

Clark County Manager Virginia Valentine (formerly the city manager of Las Vegas)

Rick Maddox (signed off on a cursory February inspection of the Rio is now involved in the county's reopened investigation)

Hopefully, they all just communicated verbally in an alley behind the RIO --- instead of sending emails.... ;)

Hmmm.... makes you wonder a bit.

In Vegas --- I don't believe it :D

Let's do a summary of some of the players involved in this "cover-up."

Harrah's executive Jan Jones (formerly the mayor of Las Vegas)

Clark County Manager Virginia Valentine (formerly the city manager of Las Vegas)

Rick Maddox (signed off on a cursory February inspection of the Rio is now involved in the county's reopened investigation)

Hopefully, they all just communicated verbally in an alley behind the RIO --- instead of sending emails.... ;)

Hmmm.... makes you wonder a bit.

"In response to negative public perception, Clark County Manager Virginia Valentine has removed building inspector Rick Maddox from the investigation of the Rio hotel's remodeling without permits or safety inspections."

Fred Frazetta, who blew the whistle on the Rio's violations, is an electrician who worked on the Rio remodeling, and then as a maintenance and repair man at Harrah's, until he was let go in June. He has provided much of the information for the Review-Journal's two month research and the present county crackdown. He says he has mentioned several more remodeling projects inside Harrah's for Clark County building officials to investigate, beyond the rooms that are currently closed.

Article in today's LVRJ: http://www.lvrj.com/news/10499472.html

"Improper Remodeling: Harrah's Re-Opens 501 Rooms

Closed Areas Were Under A 25 Day Fire Watch

Harrah's Entertainment has reached a turning point in recovering from bungled remodeling projects at two of it's local hotels."

The article covers minor transgressions such as renovating without permits, and major allegations such as omission of fire safety caulk and severing of tension support cables, as well as Harrah's managers misappropriating construction materials.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/11006606.html

Frazzetta was fired from Harrah's Las Vegas in June for, in his words, "six light bulbs." He had the bulbs in a backpack when he was leaving after his shift. He said he had verbal permission from a supervisor to borrow them, but forgot to obtain a written "backdoor pass."

Uh, yeah, I just wanted to borrow some light bulbs.

Hmm, things were better when the Mob ran Vegas. When they imploded the Sands, they discovered it had something like 3 times more rebar and steel reinforcement than it needed. I'm sure this was because of safety and nothing to do with union ties to the mob. ;)

Here's today's article from the LVRJ on the progress being made at Harrah's, including a laundry list of the specific violations that require correction: http://www.lvrj.com/business/11683371.html

Um, would it be that bad if they just closed down Harrah's, period? ;)

Um, would it be that bad if they just closed down Harrah's, period? ;)

It would sure lighten the workload of the Clark County Fire Dept. and Safety Inspectors!

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, workers at the Flamingo Las Vegas cannibalized a piece of safety equipment on one floor to obtain a part so another floor could pass fire inspection.

Article: http://www.lvrj.com/news/12276316.html

10 rooms at Harrah's Rio are still closed and require reinspection, as are 237 rooms at Harrah's.

This is the third Harrah's Las Vegas property to be caught deliberately ignoring and attempting to circumvent Clark County Building Safety Codes.

What is their trip?

The L.V. Review-Journal is on a crusade to expose Harrah's for what it alleges is "serious neglect and blatant disregard for public safety", allegations which, if proven, can only be described as scurrilous and nefarious.

Here's the latest in the ongoing expose, as published in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal: http://www.lvrj.com/business/12289981.html