On Sunday, March 1, at 5:15 p.m., Anthony A. Marnell III, his wife Lyndy and Henderson mayor James B. Gibson cut the ceremonial ribbon to the M Resort Spa Casino, the newest $1 billion resort casino located on South Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway.  The VIP party began immediately afterwards, with a line of staff members welcoming all of the guests to the opulent resort.  While gaming was not permitted during the VIP party, all of the bars and restaurants were open for everyone to enjoy food and beverage with an electric string quartet entertaining the crowds. 

At 9:30 p.m., the Fire & Water Show in Villaggio Del Sole Piazza (the opulent pool area) was performed and at 9:50 p.m., an electrifying fireworks show signaled the opening of the resort to the public and doors opened to an enthusiastic crowd right at 10 p.m. 

The M Resort is the product of a collaboration between Anthony A. Marnell III, Chairman and CEO of the M Resort and his father, architect Tony Marnell, Chairman of Marnell Corrao Associates, the premier construction and development company responsible for notable projects throughout Las Vegas including Wynn, Treasure Island, the Mirage, Caesars Palace and the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The M Resort includes both architectural innovation as well as the Marnell brand of hospitality. 
  
“Working with my father on the M is one of the best experiences of my life,” said Anthony A. Marnell III. “He has worked with a number of major casino-resort properties, and I think that over the last 40 years there are things he’s wanted to do and there are things that I’ve seen that I believe should be different in casino-resorts. He and I have had the opportunity to collaborate and the result of that is the M. 
  
“I believe the M Resort has a lot to offer tourists and Las Vegas locals and exceptional service is at the top of the list,” said Marnell. “The M has been laid out very differently than other Strip resorts and local casinos. Every detail has been thought about over and over again. We are confident the M will raise the bar for resort-casinos and express the future of the industry.”  

Dining is an integral part of The M Resort with the M Resort maintaining ownership of their restaurants. All were developed to feature innovative social environments and the majority has outdoor dining terraces with views of the Las Vegas Strip.  

The restaurants include:

Studio B Show Kitchen Buffet, which incorporates a live action cooking studio;

Marinelli’s, featuring authentic Italian dishes with recipes from the Marnell family recipe book;

Terzetto, a steak and seafood restaurant with Terzetto Oyster Bar providing a casual dining option;

Veloce Cibo, the top-floor restaurant and lounge;

Red Cup Cafe, an art-deco inspired 24-hour eatery serving American, Asian and south-of-the-border dishes;

Hostile Grape, a wine cellar, bar and tasting room;

Baby Cakes, a European-inspired patisserie;

Vig Deli, an eatery next to the race and sports books and;

Piazza Grille, a Mediterranean casual dining outdoor restaurant near the expansive pool.

 
“Food and beverage is not an afterthought at the M Resort. It is our centerpiece and we believe it will be one of the many reasons our guests visit us again and again,” said John Lipkowitz, Executive Vice President and General Manager, M Resort. Lipkowitz has been influential in the conceptualization of many Vegas firsts by using his extensive culinary background and operational expertise to bring the first James Beard Out of House events to a Las Vegas resort in 1995.  
  
All of the restaurants at M Resort use fresh, quality ingredients, some of which are homegrown and all are hand-picked and made-from-scratch. Terzetto will include a reserve list of prime cuts of beef from the Marnell family ranch and Marinelli’s will feature selections from the Marnell family recipe book as well as a selection of wines from the Marnell private label. 
  
There will be headline concerts, themed pool parties, festivals and other special events will be offered at the 100,000 square foot Villaggio Del Sole Pool and Entertainment Piazza, which will showcase entertainment against a backdrop of the Las Vegas Strip. Ravello Lounge features nightly live performances by top bands and a late night DJ.  
  
On top of the M Tower, Bar Veloce’s social and contemporary atmosphere is coupled with spectacular views of the Las Vegas Strip. An open front bar allows mixlogists to interact with guests and prepare cocktails to order. Live DJ entertainment in the evening hours and special “Velocity” nights will take place.  
  
M Resort’s Lobby Bar provides an entertaining ambiance of live piano and other instrumental performances while guests can order specialty cocktails, wine and beer as well as dishes from either the Oyster Bar or Marinelli’s.  Residing at the center of all the action is the stylishly-chic M Bar which features M mixologists and the striking “M Girls.”  
 
M Resort Spa Casino is located on over 90 acres at 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. S. on the southeast corner of St. Rose Parkway and Las Vegas Boulevard. The resort offers 390 guest rooms and suites, over 92,000 square feet of gaming, nine restaurants and five destination bars, more than 60,000 square feet of meeting and conference space, a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center and a 100,000 square foot events piazza. The M Resort will include up to one million square feet of retail, a partnership with Taubman Centers Inc. and a 14-screen digital movie entertainment complex. For more information, visit www.theMresort.com.