Fontainebleau Las Vegas loses two more executives

January 12, 2024
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Three leaders left the resort within a month of its opening.

Two more Fontainebleau Las Vegas executives have left the company within the first month of the destination’s debut, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal report.

A resort representative said that both COO Colleen Birch and CMO Shane Smith “voluntarily resigned” from the company but did not state why either had left.

The representative went on to wish both leaders well by saying, “We thank them for their contributions and wish them well in the future.”

Birch and Smith’s resignations follow the recent departure of SVP of Casino Operations Michael Clifford, who parted ways with Fontainebleau at the beginning of the month.

Like Clifford, Smith had joined the company within the last year. Birch hired in with Fontainebleau in November 2022.

The Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened on December 13 after nearly 20 years of planning. Fontainebleau Development Chairman and Developer Jeffrey Soffer drew up initial plans for the 3,700-room Strip resort nearly 20 years ago.

Construction on the resort started in 2007 but came to a halt after a series of financial issues that held up completion. Due to issues with financing, the company walked away from the project in 2009 when construction had reached 70% completion.

Ownership changed hands several times during the next 10 years. The recent Covid-19 pandemic also stalled the project up until two years ago.

The Fontainebleau Las Vegas sits on 25 acres and is home to a 150,000-square-foot casino. The gaming floor features 1,300 slot machines and 128 table games, along with 18,000 square feet reserved for high-limit gaming. This area includes a slot area with three table games and nearly 105 slots.

Players in the high-limit area have access to blackjack, baccarat and European roulette. Fontainebleau also offers players a 14,000-square-foot sportsbook.

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