The clouds of cigarette, cigar and vape smoke that fill the hotels and casinos of Las Vegas discourage many visitors — including disabled people — from staying on the Vegas strip, or from visiting the city at all. With the number of smokers on the decline and the negative effects of secondhand smoke well documented, many have called for a crackdown to restrict smoking to certain areas, or to ban it altogether.
As first reported by Vital Vegas in June, MGM Resorts International, owner of iconic Las Vegas properties like Bellagio, New York-New York and others, is the first to ban smoking at a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. That property is the recently renovated Park MGM, and it is reopening on September 30, 2020 as an entirely smoke-free resort, including on the casino floor and at the swimming pool.
Anton Nikodemus, President of MGM Resorts’ Las Vegas Portfolio, said in a press release that, “As we looked toward our reopening, we identified an opportunity to be responsive to recurring guest demand for a fully non-smoking casino resort on The Strip. With an expansive Las Vegas portfolio, MGM Resorts is able to offer an array of options for visitors, all within the MGM Resorts family.”
NoMad, a luxury hotel-within-a-hotel, will also be smoke-free. It offers a higher class of accommodations in an intimate setting tucked inside the larger resort.
Park MGM, formerly known as the Monte Carlo and which I previously reviewed here, consists of some 2,700 rooms and a casino floor measuring 102,000 square feet. It is perfectly located on the Strip and connected to the T-Mobile Arena, home of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Also located onsite is the Park Theater, which has had residencies by Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and Cher, among others.
For those looking to experience the best of Las Vegas while avoiding secondhand smoke, Park MGM will be the place to go – starting in less than 2 weeks.
What do you think? Would you be more likely to visit or stay at a Las Vegas resort that is smoke-free? Let me know in the comments below!
