Montreux Las Vegas
W Phil Ruffin announced that plans for his new $2 billion resort, Montreux will be entirely funded by him (with no partners). The Montreux will replace the New Frontier, which will be torn down. The name Montreux comes from the famed Swiss resort which sponsors the yearly Montreux Jazz Festival.
The upscale 2,750 room resort will compete with the likes of the Mirage and Paris. It will use jazz music as a draw. Ruffin says, "We don't really have a Strip casino that advertises good jazz music." A second Montreux Jazz Festival could be a yearly event at the resort.
The resort will also feature a 400 foot (122 m) tall Ferris Wheel similar in size to the famous London Eye.
Ruffin has 38.5 acres (15.6 ha) left after selling 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) to Donald Trump for the twin Trump Towers condo project located at the back of the property.
The New Frontier will probably close and be demolished in late 2006 and the new resort will most likely open in 2009 along with many other large projects. The Montreux bears a striking resemblance to the nearby Bellagio.
