Upgrade freshens up Blair House

Seeing a steady uptick in Las Vegas tourism indicators, the owner of Blair House Suites has invested $250,000 in renovating common areas and 60 units at the extended-stay hotel on Desert Inn Road, between the Strip and the Las Vegas Convention Center.

It's a move in anticipation of increased business this year, said E'Stefano DiSanto, director of marketing, group sales and special events at Blair House.

With 220 daily, weekly and monthly rental units, Blair House captures a large portion of its business from convention attendance, which was up nearly 10 percent through October . The International Consumer Electronics Show, the largest convention of the year, is in progress.

DiSanto said he had a block of 30 rooms taken by one group for CES and another block of 15 rooms. Only 10 to 12 rooms were unreserved as of Thursday.

Also, "snowbirds" are flocking back to Las Vegas, DiSanto said. More than 80 checked into Blair House this year, compared with 20 to 40 in the past couple of years, he said.

"We're really doing this before anyone else," DiSanto said, mentioning renovation projects planned at nearby hotels such as the Marriott. "It's going to increase our business tremendously."

Blair House caters to specialty groups such as the Softball World Series, National Finals Rodeo, national volleyball championships and Pop Warner football, and catches overflow convention guests from Wynn Las Vegas, Riviera and the LVH-Las Vegas, he said.

The hotel partners with third-party booking companies such as HelmsBriscoe, an industry leader in meeting procurement and planning.

Construction that started in October includes a new business center, concierge desk and dining room serving complimentary continental breakfast. A library was added to the lounge area.

The 450-square-foot, one-bedroom suites were remodeled with new carpet and furnishings. All have a full kitchen and separate bedroom with walk-in closet. Rates start at $65 a night, or $225 a week, depending on the season. Larger two-bedroom suites start at about $110 a night.

Cirque du Soleil has a 48-person troupe from China staying at the hotel, rehearsing in the convention space and conference room.

Blair House is across Desert Inn Road from Encore, where suites are going for $700 a night. Of course, that includes signature bathrobes and slippers, 310-thread count linen and Egyptian cotton pillows, among other amenities.

DiSanto estimated there are about 600 nongaming hotel suites within a mile of the convention center, including Renaissance Las Vegas, Embassy Suites, Candlewood Suites and SpringHill Suites.

Of the 150,000 hotel and motel rooms in Las Vegas, about 135,000 are on the Strip or in the resort corridor, said Scott Russell, research analyst for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

The authority doesn't differentiate hotel segments by size or quality.

"That's a slippery slope to go down," Russell said.

Hotels and motels are an important segment of Nevada's economy, generating $3.3 billion in tax revenue for state and local governments, according to the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association. More than one-fourth of all jobs in the state are directly or indirectly related to the lodging industry.

Blair House general manager Bart Walker said the renovations are bringing new life to a place that's been around since 1988.

"Since we have a new staff and the economy seems to be showing life again, we added something fresh for the customers," he said. "We're seeing better indicators on our behalf. Conventions are starting to come through quite a bit. The only thing that hasn't moved is construction and loans."

Walker said the out-of-state owner of Blair House took a risk and financed the renovation out of his own pocket.

"We are kind of a product of what the economy has made us," the general manager said.

Other Strip hotels are undergoing expansion and renovation. Penta Building Group recently completed remodeling of 2,567 guest rooms at Bellagio, and Caesars Palace officially opened its 19-story, 665-room Octavius tower last week.

Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0491.