Countdown to launch: Just in time

With such a long transformation, what was the process behind this launch? 

This was supposed to be about a year ago, if I’m being completely honest. The genesis of this project all goes back to pre-Covid because our original lease with the state dated back to 1999, and so it was set to expire in 2024. We wanted to try and get ahead of it years ago and agreed to invest capital.

The original agreement with the state was they would extend our license for 30 years and we would spend a minimum of $325m upgrading, renovating and adding a hotel tower. Our license here is unique because we are the only truly land-based, and urban-based, casino in Louisiana. If we go back to pre-Covid, there’s been a lot that’s happened in the last five years that have thrown a few hiccups in there, but the final timing of getting to open before the Super Bowl gives us enough time to be operationally ready.

Even the opening weekend of our hotel was Taylor Swift, which was another great weekend for the city and for business here. While our plan might have been to open about a year ago, I would tell you that things couldn’t have worked out better.

Not to delve too much into the negative, but what type of delays did the property see because of the Covid-19 period?

Supply-chain issues were the biggest piece of it and then certainly inflationary pressures. For our project, we’re going to be north of $400m, probably closer to $420m or so when it’s all said and done. Particularly because we did not want to value engineers down to the number that we were contractually obligated to. 

In fact, we wanted to do it the right way, and if we’re going to bring the Caesars brand, our best brand, to what I biasedly think is the best city in the US, we decided to do it right. Thus, the budget was increased versus trying to save money in order to hit a number. 

What has your experience been like running the property, and why is this transformation so key for the future of Caesars in New Orleans?

My experience has been incredibly positive, almost dream-come-true type of stuff. I’m originally from here. In fact, I’m the first GM of Harrah’s or Caesars New Orleans who’s ever actually been from New Orleans.

I started with the property 19 years ago, before Hurricane Katrina, which had me moving all around the company. I came back about four years ago and got to head off this project. I would tell you that being able to be home, some of the advantages I have with knowing the players, the city, the landscape, that’s all been positive. I still know people that work here now that worked here 19 years ago. 

While, of course a project of this scale comes with challenges you have to overcome, but working with such a great team, we’ve been able to get the results we want; which is really the most exciting part.

How can your property push its sports betting offering ahead of the Super Bowl and college football games held in the city as well?

Of course, there’s a digital side of the business that is driven more by that separate arm of our company, but from a bricks-and-mortar perspective, we have in-person betting windows, we have kiosks on property. In addition to that, there’s a sportsbook team from Caesars Digital that sits here in New Orleans, and they attempt to activate the Caesars sportsbook brand and get word out about the app itself. 

All of that works hand in hand. We’re going to have a special activation area on property, so people not only learn about the digital arm but also either view games and or make bets in-person at windows such as what was traditionally done in Las Vegas before the PASPA ruling. 

It’s a big part of what we’re going to be doing and it’s a big reason too, as to why we use both the Super Bowl and those college football games; plus things like the Final Four and Taylor Swift concerts that were just in New Orleans. That’s why we did the naming rights deal with the Caesars Superdome, so it all has that ability to work together. 

With New Orleans obviously such a popular tourist destination, how will the transformation help Caesars stand out in the city’s competitive tourist landscape? 

I think that 20-plus years ago when we opened Harrah’s New Orleans, Harrah’s was the right brand for New Orleans. Harrah’s has that kind of ‘Mardi Gras’ theme, but as the city’s evolved and we’re now an international destination, bringing our best brand, Caesars, to such a destination city like New Orleans was the perfect fit. 

We believe rising tides lift all boats. Up to half of our business is not local business, it’s national and beyond. Harrah’s was a great brand then, but I think the Caesars brand is going to amplify all of that visitation and make us even more of a destination. 

How does New Orleans differ from those other markets you’ve had the opportunity to work in?

We have destination casinos like Las Vegas, Atlantic City or even in places such as Lake Tahoe, in Reno; but we also have ‘locals’ casinos that cater more to the local population, and those are spread across the US specifically towards the middle markets. 

In New Orleans, what sets us apart is people go to Las Vegas for a gaming experience or Las Vegas Strip experience, but you can come here for the New Orleans experience, and you can be right in the middle of the action because we’re the only downtown land-based casino. We’re on the corner of Canal and Poydras, the two most iconic streets in the city.  Even with all that, guests can still get that Caesars experience, as we have now upgraded this property, added rooms and added all these amenities to the point where customers get the best of both worlds. 

Is there still room for both Harrah’s and Caesars to work together in tandem?

This project is definitely about bringing the Caesars brand to New Orleans and about using that brand to make an already strong destination and business even stronger. Certainly, from the casinos within our portfolio, our brands all speak for themselves and stand for themselves. But Caesars Rewards is the common theme that ties it all together. Even as we debut the brand-new Caesars property and move from the successful Harrah’s Hotel, the Caesars Rewards brand helps to bring all that together. 

What does the future hold for Caesars New Orleans? Will focus now be put towards the Super Bowl and upcoming college football events being held in the city?

It’s a combination of all of those things and bringing that southern hospitality to the forefront. Whether guests are looking for that hospitality on the gaming floor or in our new restaurants, that’s really what our focus is, and those events are what make New Orleans great. 

We’re going to be Caesars New Orleans whether it’s Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest or French Quarter Fest, in the same way. New Orleans will have the Final Four, the Super Bowl and the Sugar Bowl as well, so it’s our job to prepare ourselves for those events but also keep focus on proving the hospitality the city is known for to our guests.

Kirk Geller

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