Hacienda reopens; transformation begins
With its purchase of the Hacienda complete and renovations underway, Nevada Restaurant Services Inc., the parent company of Dotty’s, has reopened the hotel and casino on U.S. Highway 93.
After a five-day closure, the property reopened Saturday night with a remodeled casino, including a Dotty’s tavern, coffee shop, steakhouse and hotel.
During a private tour, Craig Estey, CEO and founder of Dotty’s, revealed his plans for the 32-acre property and said he is hopeful the casino and hotel will become a place for locals to visit.
“I want to create a destination place for two types of customers: highway travelers and locals in Boulder City who need a place to call theirs.”
He said he thinks the Dotty’s tavern, which was created to look like a grandmother’s kitchen, will attract locals, while the main casino, which is more open and airy than a typical casino, will appeal to travelers.
As part of his incentive to encourage area residents to visit, Estey said he will be giving Boulder City residents with proper identification a 25 percent discount on food at the coffee shop and steakhouse. He said that will extend to other restaurants and fast foot outlets when they are added.
Mike Eide, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, said they have spent about $7 million to date transforming the property, installing temporary walls, turning the buffet into a coffee shop and replacing all the linens used in the hotel rooms.
Estey said he will give the once-Spanish-style property a “majestic lodge look,” complete with stone walls and a fireplace in the lobby. Taking one floor at a time, the hotel rooms will be stripped to the studs and everything will be replaced, including drywall, flooring and fixtures.
Once the renovations are significant enough to change the casino and hotel’s look, it will be renamed Hoover Dam Lodge.
