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El Cortez hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas to reopen June 4

Posted at 11:55 AM, May 29, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-03 02:46:23-04

In compliance with Gov. Sisolak’s direction and Nevada’s Road to Recovery plan, El Cortez Hotel & Casino is excited to reopen its doors on June 4 at 8 a.m. With social distancing guidelines in place throughout the property, guests will be reintroduced to the iconic hotel’s array of accommodation options, classic gaming floor, dining destinations and more.

“El Cortez has been a landmark of Downtown and the Las Vegas community since 1941,” said Kenny Epstein, owner. “We miss our extended El Cortez family of employees and guests and we are very excited to welcome them back safely on June 4th.”

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Safety and wellness are of utmost importance, and the property has both completed extensive preparation measures and implemented rigorous sanitization procedures and safety protocols to incessantly maintain a safe experience and environment for our guests and employees, including:

  • An extensive deep cleaning and disinfectant of the entire property including hotel rooms, restrooms, floors, chairs, slot machines, tables, walls, carpets, restaurants, bars, employee designated spaces and all equipment.
  • Over 3,000 porous casino ceiling tiles were removed and replaced with brand new, non-porous tiles and all casino ceiling vents were cleaned.
  • All air handler filters were replaced just prior to closing and replaced again two weeks before reopening—with increasingly frequent replacements slated moving forward.
  • New air handler digital controls have been installed allowing for more efficient air and temperature control, maximizing the air flow throughout the property.
  • 140 slot machines were removed from the floor and the remaining machines were reconfigured to maximize social distance on the slot floor.
  • Chairs have been removed from table games to limit the number of players and the dice tables have floor markers to show players where to stand to create the most possible distance between players and employees.
  • Floor stickers to promote social distancing have been placed in all locations where lines form.
  • Acrylic shields have been installed at the front desk, Club Cortez, the casino cage, Siegel’s 1941, race, sports and live keno and the gift shop.
  • PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) including gloves and masks have been sourced and purchased in large enough quantities to make them available to all employees and guests.
  • Large volumes of hand sanitizer have been purchased along with additional dispensers that have been installed throughout the property.
  • A new employee hand washing station has been created in the receiving hallway across from the security office. This area will be open to all employees on all shifts as a convenient, centrally located area for frequent and thorough hand washing.
  • Tables and chairs have been removed from Siegel’s, Parlour Bar and Ike’s to create 6’ spacing between guests and to limit occupancy to 50%.
  • Over 30,000 casino chips were professionally cleaned and disinfected by an outside company. Each chip was then coated with an EPA registered anti-microbial solution that prevents viruses from attaching to the surface.
  • Signage has been placed throughout the property outlining the CDC guidelines for helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
  • CDC approved cleaning and disinfecting products have been sourced and purchased in adequate quantities to allow all departments to keep high touch surfaces clean and disinfected.
  • An industrial electrostatic disinfecting machine has been purchased which allows for ongoing high-volume surface disinfecting.
  • No touch thermometers have been provided to each department for the daily screening of employees for fever.
  • A new to-go ordering and pickup area has been created outside Siegel’s to limit the crowd inside at the podium.
  • Additional Security will be posted in each section of the casino to help enforce social distance and to quickly identify people who are disrupting our valued guests.

The El Cortez’s lengthy and detailed health and safety plan was created with specific guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), the Gaming Control Board (GCB), UNLV’s School of Medicine and others. The plan was submitted to the Gaming Control Board as part of our reopening plan. The key points of the health and safety plan will be explained in the COVID reopening training and in the departmental training that will be provided by our supervisors and managers.

To further reference the property’s safety and health protocols, latest updates, book your stay and more, please visit www.elcortezhotelcasino.com [elcortezhotelcasino.com].