M Resort may be the Las Vegas casino nearest to California but it’s got its finger on the pulse of Sin City By Ryan Slattery
Located 10 miles south of the Las Vegas Strip, M Resort Spa Casino is the first property people see on the drive in from California. It opened March 1, 2009 but growth in the area with the addition of training facilities for the Las Vegas Raiders and Las Vegas Aces has led the property outgrowing its small footprint.
Last December, Penn Entertainment, which owns the property, announced it was embarking on a $206 million project. It will construct a new tower that will add 384 rooms, doubling M’s size and bringing its total capacity to 774 rooms and suites. Casino Life spoke with Penn’s vice president and general manager of M Resort, Hussain Mahrous, to find out more about the project.
Demand has exceeding capacity for years. To what do you attribute the interest in the property?
M Resort has always been a fantastic destination for social and corporate groups to host their functions. And the best part about that is, when they come and experience our amenities, and our ability to provide a Las Vegas experience without the drawbacks of staying center-Strip, they want to keep coming back. As those companies grow, the necessity for augmenting capacity grows with it. Secondarily, there is no doubt that our Raiders partnership and relationship with the Foley Sports Group has also helped drive demand.
Why is it time to reinvest in the property?
The process of investing $206 million into the property, as you can imagine, is one that requires a lot of due diligence, analysis and commitment. This has been something that has been, since 2015, diligently researched. It is the duty of the property to foster good relationships with our partners and community to ensure we invest at the right time with the right growth of the market.
What does the project entail? When will the expansion be completed?
It is expected to be completed in early 2026. With the completion of the second tower, we’re looking at an additional 375 rooms, including 21 suites and 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
Moving forward what can we expect from M Resort?
One key to our success has been our ability to host conventions and business meetings with great customer service. As we complete the second hotel tower, we have two main strategy objectives. The first is to offer new and interesting partnerships that further connect us with the diverse audiences and ultimately, our community. The second is making sure our on-property amenities — such as entertainment, and food and beverage — are expanded, and ready for the higher volume that the new tower will bring.
As the city spreads outwards, what do you envision the future of this once-remote area south of the Strip?
I moved here in 2016 and, in the last eight years, the growth of West Henderson has been incredible. I foresee that this area will continue to grow and expand, and continue to prove that it is not only a fantastic destination for businesses to settle. It is also a growing and thriving community for families.
Sports fans want to be close to the action. How have your sports partnerships — specifically with the Raiders and the proximity to their practice facility – helped grow interest in the resort?
The best part about our relationships with the Raiders and Silver Knights is that they are true partnerships. There are many partnerships that revolve solely around branding and advertisements, but our partnerships activate the sports experience on property. At any given moment, you may run into players or coaches on property. The Raiders stay here the night before home games, they host events. We are proud to be the home of the only officially licensed Raiders restaurant in the world. Between the Raiders Tavern & Grill and the Knight Time Hockey Bar, patrons can have a more hands-on experience outside of the stadium at M Resort.
Tell us a little about the partnership with the Raiders. What types of events and activities do you have at the resort?
As mentioned before, it is through our relationship with the Raiders that we built Raiders Tavern & Grill. We have also had the opportunity to grow relationships with Hall of Famers Fred Biletnikoff and Charles Woodson, and current Raiders defensive end, Maxx Crosby. We carry Biletnikoff Wine, Woodson Whiskey, and Intercept Wines on the menus at several of our restaurants and we recently rolled out the Madd Maxx Burger at Raiders Tavern & Grill, as created by Maxx Crosby. Through these relationships we have also been able to host multiple meet-and-greet events with Biletnikoff, Woodson, and Crosby here on property. And it’s not just our partnership with the Raiders that affords us opportunities like these. We’ve also had the opportunity to leverage our relationship with the Knights, hosting meet-and-greets with Deryk Engelland and Shea Theodore, and receiving endorsements of the Knight Time Hockey Bar from each.
The Raiders Tavern & Grill is a popular spot. Tell us about it and explain what the atmosphere is like during the season?
When we built Raiders Tavern & Grill, we wanted to accomplish two main things: atmosphere with lots of game-day energy and a place without a bad seat in the house. The Tavern has more than 45 HDTVs, inside and outside of the restaurant, with patio seating and a good view of the game from every angle. We also have a Raiders gift shop inside the restaurant where patrons can shop after stopping in to enjoy a meal. During the season, the energy is high and the restaurant is packed with fans sporting their silver and black.
You are adding convention space as well. How do you plan to utilize it and what type of conventions are you looking to attract?
We’re fortunate, based on the service level of our property, that we attract groups all over the United States and Canada. We’ve done tech conventions, retail, automotive, health care, sales and the list goes on. Our door is wide open to any industry or sector out there. And regardless of the industry, we hope they will find a home here at M Resort.
You’ve added 24 Superchargers for the drive-in market, can you explain how that came about?
As the prevalence of electric vehicles grows and Tesla continues to expand its footprint across the US, we had a wonderful opportunity to partner with them to bring, in our opinion, a much-needed supercharging station to the Southern Highlands/West Henderson area. From our perspective, it’s just another excellent amenity and reason for our guests to visit the property, with the added benefit of charging while here.
Do you have any new restaurant or entertainment plans?
Since 2016, M has really expanded its entertainment offering. Not only have we had some fabulous acts at the pool like Martina McBride, Nelly, Bush, and Kesha, but we’ve enhanced on-property entertainment with the addition of Dueling Pianos and comedians like Marlon Wayans, Jeff Ross, and Rob Schneider. And we’re very excited to continue that. We’ll be announcing our summer lineup shortly and we’re excited to confirm that it will include Ice Cube performing on stage at M Pool later this year. As far as restaurants go, we are diligently pursuing new ideas. Last year we added Jayde 16, a rooftop Asian fusion restaurant with sushi and specialty cocktails, and more. We are very much looking forward to what the next 12 months will bring.
Casino Life Magazine would like to thank Hussain Mahrous and the M Resort & Casino for all their help and assistance with this exclusive feature for Casino Life Magazine.
*** This exclusive feature interview was originally published in June 2024 edition of Casino Life Magazine Issue 166 ***
