Las Vegas Weekly

December 28, 2009 · 10:58 AM

Eva Longoria Parker, Holly Madison will lead triple-threat ‘revival’

By Robin Leach

Eva Longoria Parker hosts the grand opening of her Beso restaurant and Eve nightclub at CityCenter on Dec. 3, 2009.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

There’s no doubt that the worldwide global economic slump has seriously affected our hometown of Las Vegas. When tourism numbers slipped dramatically, Las Vegas went on a “fire-sale” strategy, with amazing price cuts on hotel rooms and extraordinarily generous gaming and dining packages. Some deals are so deliriously delicious, they hadn’t been seen since Bugsy Siegel days nearly 65 years ago, when he opened the Flamingo over Christmas and New Year’s in 1946.

The war on the economy is certainly working this New Year’s week. I’m told that yesterday afternoon, there was a solid 30-mile line of cars with visitors heading into Las Vegas from California to take advantage of the deals. This morning, Wall Street bankers who monitor room rates and reservations with a magnifying glass are reporting that average rates for this New Year’s weekend are at $426 vs. $368 last year. Furthermore, looking out past the upcoming CES and AVN conventions to bookings for the week of Jan. 17, there’s already a 7 percent increase over last year.

The world’s media, which have been filled with doom and gloom scenarios about our gaming mecca, seem to have begun to change their tune since the opening of MGM’s ambitious and glorious CityCenter this month.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Aria at CityCenter opened to VIPs and media on Dec. 16, 2009, then to the public shortly before midnight. Actress and Beso owner Eva Longoria Parker and Beso executive chef Isaac Carter are pictured here.

In fact, yesterday one of Canada’s leading newspapers, The Toronto Star, said a “revival” is already underway, and writer Richard Ouzounian, in an article that has since been reprinted around the world, said a “triple threat” is at work to spark the shift back to the good times.

Richard asked: “What makes the endlessly fascinating hedonistic hotspot buzz?” He said that with a slumping 2009 economy, Las Vegas hotels came up with a new kind of alchemy to bring in the crowds, and “if the slowly increasing figures are to be believed,” it’s starting to work.

Who does he credit for the new magic formula? Richard says: “I call it the triple threat of Sex, Steaks and Celebrity -- and it’s best epitomized by Holly Madison, Wolfgang Puck and Eva Longoria! It’s a New Voyeurism where you look, drool but don’t touch.”

Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Stoyan Metchkarov and Holly Madison in Peepshow at Planet Hollywood.

Holly’s Peepshow at Planet Hollywood is credited with being an important part of the trifecta. He also says Wolf has become another valuable Las Vegas commodity. The original celebrity chef opened his first Spago here in Caesars Palace back in 1992, and now he’s about to open his sixth in the new retail complex Crystals at CityCenter. Wolf even says there aren’t too many good restaurants here yet, and says it’s a good thing to have so many gourmet choices together because it brings people to Las Vegas specifically for the fine dining.

Then the respected writer credits the one person who embodies all three of the mantras of the New Vegas: Eva Longoria Parker. He says in addition to her megawatt sex appeal on show at the glamorous Dec. 16 opening of her restaurant Beso in Crystals, she brings in the celebrity of her ABC series Desperate Housewives and her San Antonio Spurs star husband and basketball baron Tony Parker.

It will all come together on New Year’s Eve when she opens her appropriately named Eve nightclub above Beso. She will be here for Kim Kardashians star-studded celebration party at Beso on Wednesday, and then Eva will host her party on Thursday with her husband.

Photo: TVT

Julian Serrano with Wolfgang Puck and his wife Gelila Puck.

“There’s nothing better than celebrating a New Year with a handful of treasured friends and a couple of thousand strangers,” Eva laughed.

Richard said that Eva knows how to play all three of the Las Vegas hit melodies and quoted Eva: “I think Las Vegas is the most exciting place in the world, and it’s only going to get better.”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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