Wikipedia

The Lexi

The Lexi is a boutique hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is located west of the Las Vegas Strip and includes 64 rooms. It originally opened in September 1978, as the Las Vegas Inn and Casino, and later became a Travelodge. In 2001, it was purchased by Doug DaSilva, who overhauled it as the Artisan with a $4 million renovation.

The Lexi
The hotel in 2010, known then as the Artisan
Map
General information
LocationLas Vegas, Nevada
Address1501 West Sahara Avenue
Coordinates36°08′37.35″N 115°10′11.43″W / 36.1437083°N 115.1698417°W / 36.1437083; -115.1698417
OwnerElevations Hotels and Resorts
Other information
Number of rooms64
Number of restaurants1
Website
https://www.thelexilasvegas.com/

The Siegel Group purchased the hotel in 2010, and sold it 12 years later to Elevations Hotels and Resorts. Following a $3 million renovation, the Artisan reopened as The Lexi on June 2, 2023. It is the first Las Vegas hotel to market itself as "cannabis-friendly", with consumption permitted on its fourth floor.

History

edit

The property is located at 1501 West Sahara Avenue, beside Interstate 15 and just west of the Las Vegas Strip.[1] It initially opened in September 1978, as the Las Vegas Inn and Casino. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1984.[2] The casino portion closed the following year, amid financial problems.[3] The hotel became a Ramada in 1991,[4][5] and later a Travelodge.[6][7]

Artisan

edit

Doug DaSilva purchased the Travelodge in late 2001 and renamed and overhauled it as The Artisan.[6][8] Its 64 rooms were decorated with eclectic art and reproductions of famous paintings.[9] Works by artists such as Cézanne, Chagall, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Renoir, and Van Gogh were placed all over the property.[8] By 2004, DaSilva stated that he had spent $4 million on renovations.[10]

DaSilva experimented with entertainment options including rock music and murder mystery dinner theater, before settling on a lineup of jazz music centered on weekly appearances by keyboardist Ronnie Foster.[11][12]

DaSilva planned for The Artisan to be the first of a chain of hotels, with locations to be opened in El Paso, Memphis, and Spokane.[13][14]

In 2008, Las Vegas CityLife named the Artisan lounge as the best bar in Las Vegas.[15]

Even though the property received good reviews and had a loyal clientele,[16] it faced cash flow and maintenance problems,[17] and entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2008.[18][19] DaSilva claimed that the bankruptcy was intended only to allow the cancellation of a contract with a hotel reservation network, so that the property could join the Ascend Collection, a high-end hotel brand created by Choice Hotels International.[20] A year later, however, the Artisan was still in bankruptcy, and it agreed to allow its mortgageholder, an affiliate of The Siegel Group, to foreclose.[21][22] The Siegel Group closed its acquisition of the property in January 2010, and began working to correct the outstanding issues.[6][22][23][24]

Siegel performed at least $1 million in renovations, and revamped the entertainment lineup to appeal to a broader range of local residents.[25][26] In May 2010, The Artisan started holding themed invite-only pool parties.[27] The Artisan also gained note for marketing a "buyout" option, allowing a patron to rent the entire property.[28][29] In 2015, the Siegel Group briefly listed the hotel for sale for $4.6 million, before deciding instead to undertake another $1-million renovation.[30]

The Lexi

edit

In 2022, the Phoenix-based Pro Hospitality Group purchased the Artisan from the Siegel Group for $11.9 million.[31] Pro Hospitality said that it would spend $3 million to renovate the Artisan, and hoped to make the property "cannabis-friendly".[31] Pro Hospitality subsequently became Elevations Hotels and Resorts.[1]

The Lexi opened on June 2, 2023,[32][33] becoming the first hotel in Las Vegas to market itself as cannabis-friendly.[34] State law allows cannabis consumption in a private place, including hotel rooms.[34] Consumption at the Lexi is restricted to the fourth floor, which was equipped with filtration systems to prevent the spread and inhalation of marijuana smoke on other floors.[35][36] Elevations described the allowance of on-site consumption as an added perk rather than a primary feature.[33][37] The Lexi includes 64 rooms,[38] a topless pool area, and a cocktail parlor known as the Artisan Lounge.[36][33] There are plans to eventually add a cannabis lounge,[39] which requires a state permit.[40]

In media

edit

The Artisan was featured on a 2007 episode of the A&E TV show Criss Angel Mindfreak.[41] It has also appeared on the Cinemax series Sin City Diaries.[42]

In 2010, Kourtney Kardashian and boyfriend Scott Disick celebrated Disick's birthday at the Artisan in an episode of the reality series Keeping Up with the Kardashians.[43][44]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Velotta, Richard N. (January 17, 2023). "Artisan Hotel becoming cannabis-friendly, taking on new name". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  2. ^ "Casino files Chapter 11". Las Vegas Review-Journal. January 17, 1984. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  3. ^ Morrison, Jane Ann (October 11, 1985). "Las Vegas Inn casino shut down". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "Las Vegas Inn joins Ramada system". Las Vegas Review-Journal. January 6, 1991. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  5. ^ "Hotel reopens after fire". Las Vegas Review-Journal. March 11, 1991. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Knightly, Arnold (January 20, 2010). "Artisan Hotel gets new life". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  7. ^ "Putting the pieces together: FBI traces whereabouts of hijackers in Las Vegas". Las Vegas Sun. November 9, 2001. Retrieved October 4, 2023. Al-Shehhi spent one night at the Las Vegas Inn Travelodge, 1501 W. Sahara Ave.
  8. ^ a b Fink, Jerry (May 6, 2005). "DaSilva puts no limits on refurbished Artisan". Las Vegas Sun – via NewsBank.
  9. ^ "Ultimate low roller's guide". Los Angeles Times. December 3, 2006. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016.
  10. ^ "Fight clubs or nightclubs?". Las Vegas CityLife. December 9, 2004 – via NewsBank.
  11. ^ "No slots. No neon". Las Vegas Sun. June 30, 2006 – via NewsBank.
  12. ^ "Murder, she ate: New Vegas dish for Vegas". Las Vegas Sun. April 11, 2006. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  13. ^ Boggs, Alison (August 17, 2006). "Artisan Hotel possible in city". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, WA. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  14. ^ Roberts, Timothy (October 12, 2009). "Artisan owner in bankruptcy". El Paso Inc. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  15. ^ "Las Vegas CityLife". www.lasvegascitylife.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  16. ^ Friess, Steve (April 8, 2010). "The turnaround touch". Portfolio.com. The Business Journals. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09.
  17. ^ "The not-so-artsy side of the Artisan Hotel". KTNV-TV. November 16, 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-01-27.
  18. ^ "Mount Charleston Hotel sold as another goes bankrupt". Las Vegas Sun. December 11, 2008. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  19. ^ Elejalde-Ruiz, Alexia (December 12, 2010). "A real trip in Vegas: Artisan offers the bizarre, no betting". Chicago Tribune.
  20. ^ "Artisan files for bankruptcy to exit deal". Las Vegas Review-Journal. December 16, 2008. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  21. ^ Green, Steve (December 23, 2009). "Artisan Hotel & Spa agrees to foreclosure". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  22. ^ a b "The Siegel Group acquires the Artisan Hotel in foreclosure" (Press release). The Siegel Group. January 20, 2010. Retrieved 2018-05-20 – via BusinessWire.
  23. ^ Finnegan, Amanda (January 20, 2010). "Group acquires Artisan Hotel, plans improvements". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  24. ^ Woodman, Xania (February 17, 2010). "Five reasons to return to the Artisan". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  25. ^ Prevatt, Mike (June 24, 2010). "Restoration". Las Vegas CityLife – via NewsBank.
  26. ^ Mosier, Jeff (June 29, 2010). "A room with a view: Artisan Hotel aims to lure locals with focus on elegance". Spring Valley View – via NewsBank.
  27. ^ Rilling, Deanna (May 18, 2010). "Things get intimate at new Artisan pool party". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  28. ^ Moore, Thomas (January 24, 2017). "At one Las Vegas hotel, $7,500 gets you everything". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  29. ^ "Rent out the whole hotel: Artisan Hotel offers property for holiday parties". KSNV-TV. December 14, 2015. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  30. ^ Woodman, Xania V. (February 17, 2016). "Seven Questions for Siegel Group's Michael Crandall". Vegas Seven. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  31. ^ a b Segall, Eli (March 28, 2022). "Boutique hotel near Strip sold to 'cannabis-friendly' operator". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  32. ^ Velotta, Richard N. (May 16, 2023). "A new high coming to rebranded Lexi boutique hotel in Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  33. ^ a b c Velotta, Richard N. (June 2, 2023). "Cannabis-friendly Lexi Hotel navigates through marijuana rules". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  34. ^ a b Khalafi, Shawna (May 31, 2023). "First cannabis-friendly hotel in Las Vegas clarifies rules before opening". KVVU. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  35. ^ Rocha, Grace Da (February 21, 2023). "As part of rebranding effort, off-Strip boutique hotel wants to be 'cannabis-inclusive'". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  36. ^ a b Kachelriess, Robert (June 12, 2023). "The First Cannabis-Friendly Hotel in Las Vegas Opens in Time for Summer". Thrillist. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  37. ^ McCarver, Katie Ann (June 19, 2023). "Cannabis-friendly hotel in Las Vegas pushing boundaries". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  38. ^ Seeman, Matthew (January 17, 2023). "Boutique Las Vegas hotel to rebrand as cannabis-friendly property". KSNV. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  39. ^ "Las Vegas hotel undergoing cannabis-inclusive rebrand set for spring opening". KTNV. January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  40. ^ Valentino, Silas (May 24, 2023). "Las Vegas welcomes Lexi hotel, where you can smoke cannabis in designated guest rooms". SFGATE. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  41. ^ Shattuck, Kathryn (October 30, 2007). "What's On Tonight". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  42. ^ Hodge, Damon (May 11, 2010). "Renovated Artisan Hotel embraces kitsch and class". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  43. ^ Leach, Robin (June 7, 2010). "Kourtney Kardashian, Scott Disick celebrate his birthday at Artisan". Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  44. ^ "Kourtney and Scott: Escape to New York". E! News. September 19, 2010. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Lexi&oldid=1186787094"