‘It’ll make the pie bigger’: Henderson hotel sets opening date
The first hotel on Water Street will open at the end of October after more than a year and a half of construction.
Atwell Suites at The Pass is targeting a soft opening on Oct. 30, owner Joe DeSimone said. A grand opening event is planned for Nov. 21.
DeSimone’s development and gaming company First Federal Realty DeSimone began working on the 90-room hotel attached to The Pass, a roughly 13,400-square-foot casino in Henderson’s business district, in February 2023.
The hotel features 57 king rooms and 33 double queens, each with a wet bar and minifridge. Amenities include breakfast, an on-site market and evening bar with a limited menu, fitness center and pool. Along the downtown’s main drag, DeSimone will operate a wine bar with a year-round patio called Wine on Water Street.
“I think this will step up the affluence of Water Street,” he said Thursday, while touring the project that overlooks the Henderson community and, further away, the Strip. “It’ll make the pie bigger.”
Hospitality group IHG Hotels and Resorts will operate the accommodations. DeSimone has also partnered with IHG for the Holiday Inn Express located next to another DeSimone gaming casino property, Railroad Pass between Henderson and Boulder City.
The roughly $24 million development comes at a time with increased attention on the Water Street District. DeSimone said his goal is to bring an upscale customer to Water Street. The 2020 opening of the 120,000-square-foot ice rink America First Center – where the Vegas Golden Knights’ AHL team, Henderson Silver Knights, play – brought in a new possible stream of families traveling for youth hockey leagues, pedestrian traffic and generally more attention on economic development in the district.
The Pass is also getting a refresh to tie to the Atwell Suites opening. The casino is reprogramming slots, adding more video poker, reconfiguring the casino floor and changing the machine mix. DeSimone said he also plans to reopen the 24-hour cafe, continue operating Ristorante Italiano five days a week and schedule live music for the weekends.
DeSimone said he sees his investment as something that could spur others to do the same.
“Hopefully when I’m long gone, it’ll look like a Fremont Street,” he said.
Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.