After years of success with Vanderpump-branded restaurants and lounges, Caesars Entertainment is betting that 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 attach the Vanderpump brand to an entire Strip resort, Sean McBurney, chief commercial officer and regional president for Caesars Entertainment, points to the performance of those earlier ventures.
“When Vanderpump Cocktail Garden opened, it did 10x the performance of the prior 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 primarily serving hotel guests.
Caesars later expanded the partnership with additional Vanderpump venues. Rather than competing for the same customers, McBurney said the concepts “fed off of each other” and continued to grow.
As Caesars evaluated the future of The Cromwell, executives weighed whether to simply renovate the property or undertake a broader transformation.
“We could renovate and rebrand,” McBurney said. “When you launch a new brand, it’s difficult, and it’s very expensive, but with Vanderpump, she was already such an established brand.”
For Vanderpump, the project marks a move from restaurants and lounges into hotels, though she acknowledged gaming itself falls outside her area of expertise.
“The casino is all part of it, but that’s not my specialty,” Vanderpump said during a recent interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Instead, she said her role centered on creating a cohesive guest experience, from room design and public spaces to lighting, music and employee presentation.
“I do have everything to do with everything around it, the music, the attitude of the staff, how they look, what they’re sitting in,” she said.
The renovation touched every hotel room and suite, along with the casino floor, lobby and other public areas. The redesign incorporates custom furnishings and lighting developed through Vanderpump Alain, the design company co-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 remain part of the resort.
While Vanderpump said she is not a serious gambler, she views gaming as an essential component of the Las Vegas experience.
“I don’t think I would want a hotel without a casino because to me the casino is part of the Vegas experience that fires up the adrenaline,” she said.
McBurney said Caesars expects the property’s appeal to extend beyond overnight guests. The company believes the Vanderpump brand can draw visitors from across the Las Vegas Valley and beyond, much as its previous collaborations did.
The grand opening appeared 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 recognizable properties. The resort opened in 1979 as Barbary Coast before later operating as Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon. It reopened as The Cromwell in 2014 following an extensive renovation.
For Vanderpump, the opening carries personal significance.
“To have 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 confidence (given to me), so I’m thankful for that.”
Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.
