It is rare to see Kenny Epstein without a smile.
After all, the 83-year-old chairman and the CEO of El Cortez Hotel casino in central Las Vegas will be the first to say he has a lot to be happy about. But on Thursday night, surrounded by family, friends and colleagues, Epstein’s smile was as bright as the neon lamps along Fremont Street.
An extension of $ 20 million of the historical central property was officially revealed Thursday, complete with nostalgia-loaded speeches, a band cutting and a mayor proclamation that declared February 20 as “El Cortez Hotel & Casino Day” in the city of Las Vegas.
“I feel good,” Epstein said after Pomp and the circumstances were over and flipped ear to ear. “I feel good because people like it. If they didn’t like it, I would be worried. But everyone likes it, and people are happy. “
El Cortez expansion added almost 10,000 square meters to the property’s footprint. It has two new bars called Roulette Bar and Showbar, a new location with high limit sites, an expanded table play area and a noodle restaurant called Hot Noods.
A soft opening for the expanded space took place earlier this month, giving the public an early glimpse of the reimaginated El Cortez.
Joe Woody, the property manager, called the latest expansion “the best project we have done by far.” Woody also said that more projects are already in work.
Adam Wiesberg, head of El Cortez, said that while the finished expansion product came out as expected, the infusion of energy it brought to the property was a little surprising.
“It’s so exciting,” he said. “What really blows me away is the energy in this section. When you come here on a Friday or Saturday night now is the best way I can describe it “magical”.
Weisberg admitted that there were moments during the design and construction phases when he was nervous that the project would not go as planned. (“All the time,” he joked.) But the end result was well worth the sleepless nights, he said.
“Because of El Cortez’s reputation and authenticity and history, people who already love the place see this new space and it is an emotional experience for them,” he said. “It’s not like something I’ve ever experienced and it’s so much more than I thought it would be.”
Downtown Las Vegas Gambling Hall, which opened its doors in 1941, has long had a special place in the city’s history. In 2013, El Cortez was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Mayor Shelley Berkley said that El Cortez is “as much a part of Las Vegas as all hotels I can remember,” before I publicly thank Epstein and his family for their ongoing contribution to the city.
“You have helped make Las Vegas good because you are amazing,” she told the Epstein family.
Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@ theplayerlounge.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @AC2vegas-danzis.bsky.social or @AC2vegas_danzis on X.
