Rooms at the Rumor Hotel

Rooms at the Rumor Hotel, which opened this month, have an intimate, hip decor

Travel agents selling Las Vegas to clients on a tighter budget—and a taste for something new and different, or maybe a little quieter—may want to get acquainted with The Siegel Group. Founder and President Stephen Siegel has created a new category of Vegas lodging, what he calls “boutique chic retreats.”

According to Siegel, the Las Vegas landscape has changed; business is different and the old paradigm of building bigger no longer works. Today, it is about being different and unique.

And so The Siegel Group, a Las Vegas and Los Angeles-based hotel, real estate and business development company, is launching five distinctive boutique hotel properties in the city: Rumor (opening this month), The Artisan, Gold Spike Hotel & Casino, Oasis at Gold Spike and The Resort on Mount Charleston. Travel agents can call The Siegel Group (702-947-8330) for information on all five hotels.

“We have created a new niche product not available in Las Vegas, but there are people who want it,” says Siegel. He acknowledges that he’s going against the grain in a city where bigger usually means better. And with rack rates ranging from $99 per night and up, his “value” hotels find themselves competing against deals being offered by the mega resorts in town. But, he says his hotels are about more than low price. “We want to create an experience that feels exclusive, comfortable, relaxed and has great value.”

The Rumor Hotel, directly across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, picks up on some of its neighbor’s hip and chic factor. Featuring 150 suites, many with patios or private balconies, the intimate two-story hotel and resort does away with an overwhelming casino lobby and instead opts for a cool, ultra-lounge welcome with concierge-style check-in. Once checked in to their room, guests are greeted to views of the palm trees, distinctive wet-deck, the swimming pool, cabanas and a distinctive grassy knoll that has hammocks during the day and a DJ stage at night.

It’s a great choice for the growing number of clients seeking a non-gaming Vegas hotel, as is The Artisan. The 64-room lushly landscaped hideaway is covered from floor to ceiling with eclectic art, including statues and oversized paintings. That style carries through to the hotel’s rooms and other areas of the hotel, including its dark and cozy lounge, a wedding chapel reminiscent of a small village church and a Mediterranean-style pool where guests can lounge in a private cabana or on an oversized daybed.

In Downtown Las Vegas, the seven-story, 112-room Gold Spike Hotel & Casino has a penthouse floor comprised of sprawling suites with outdoor decks and patios and modern design. It’s a good bet for your value-minded clients who want a taste of the high-roller life. Unlike its more uptown brethren, the Gold Spike has a classic casino with plenty of video gaming as well. Connected to the hotel via an outdoor lounge and walkway is the Oasis at the Gold Spike—a small, contemporary boutique hotel that gives guests a retro vibe. (It also has the distinction of being the only downtown hotel with the famed Las Vegas Blvd. address.)

Finally, The Resort on Mount Charleston is a rustic retreat set high in the mountains of the Toiyabe National Forest, about 30 minutes’ drive from the Strip. Here, the air is crisp, the average temperature is 20 degrees cooler than Las Vegas year-round and the hotel is currently undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation, adding amenities such as a mountain-view pool, distinctive suspended wedding-ceremony deck and upgraded rooms.