Trump's hotel joins Wynn, Treasure Island, other Vegas venues in planning mid-May restart

US President Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel has started taking reservations for mid-May, joining Wynn Las Vegas, despite Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak having yet to announce when the state's casinos and hotels will be allowed to reopen.

The Trump International Hotel Las Vegas has reservations open as early as May 16 on its website. Trump said earlier this month that he was "OK" with Las Vegas shutdown, and that he would stay out of the decision.

Wynn Las Vegas website offers booking vacations and getaways as of May 22. The firm said in an emailed statement to Las Vegas Review-Journal that they “are accepting reservation beginning Memorial Day weekend because it has consistently been a popular time for Southern California tourists to visit Las Vegas.” “We can have all of our protective guest and employee measures in place by that time,” the company said. According to The Daily Beast, May 16 is the earliest date people can book a room, but the date could change if state officials issue additional guidance.  

Caesars Entertainment Corp, Boyd Gaming Corp and Station Casinos were accepting reservations for their Las Vegas hotels starting May 15. A spokesman from Caesars told the Review-Journal that booking dates on a website doesn't mean that properties will reopen on that date. He said the company's properties will reopen when the governor gives the green light.  

Last week it was reported that Treasure Island is planning to restart business on May 15. “As of right now, that is the plan,” Treasure Island spokeswoman Jennifer Renzelman told that publication. “No matter what, we are adhering to the governor's official recommendations. We are working with vendors to procure appropriate safety and sanitation measures, which is why we moved our tentative date last week from May 1 to May 15.”

Las Vegas' politically independent mayor, Carolyn Goodman, has issued public pleas calling for Gov Sisolak to end the statewide shutdown of casinos and non-essential businesses, which she calls “total insanity.” Goodman was also widely criticized for her interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN last week in which she said her city was willing to be a coronavirus “control group.”

Sisolak, whose current shutdown order officially ends on April 30, has declined to give a date for when he'll start easing restrictions, saying the state has to see at least two weeks of declines in deaths and new cases, along with more widespread testing and tracking, before he will start gradually easing rules.

On Wednesday night, Sisolak told CNN that he didn't want workers to have to choose between their paycheck and their life and noted that the casino workers' union has reported 11 deaths among its ranks due to the virus. The Democratic governor also noted that some of his directives will have to be extended. 

The state of Nevada has recorded more than 4,500 confirmed cases of the virus and 206 deaths. Las Vegas sits within the borders of Clark County which has recorded the bulk of the cases in the state. Clark County alone has 3,665 total cases and 174 deaths.  

“We're clearly not going to be opening up any gaming establishments, and some of the other businesses, we're gonna have to continue with the social distancing and the avoidance of large group gatherings and whatnot regardless,” he said. 

Casinos have also been making preparations for the day the lockdown will eventually be lifted. MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas Sands Corp, and Wynn Resorts have had internal discussions about implementing measures including thorough cleanings, the use of thermal screening, masks for customers and staff, and social distancing.

MGM released a video on Thursday promising that the company would be "operating differently" when it reopens its facilities. The company released a statement saying that its businesses may introduce "restrictions on the number of seats per table game, slot machine spacing, temperature checks, mask protection as well as other measures at our restaurants and entertainment venues to enforce social distancing measures."