A decade has passed since developer Lorenzo Doumani made headlines by imploding the Clarion hotel, and he is now eager to resume his vision for a luxury resort in its place.
Doumani has long dreamed of establishing the Majestic hotel near the Las Vegas Strip.
Despite facing various challenges that delayed the project, he is now poised to break ground in March on the first phase of development—a two-story retail plaza.
According to a recent interview, Doumani aims for this retail section to open in spring 2027, after which construction will begin on the main hotel, a 604-room luxury establishment.
Doumani estimates that the construction of the approximately 50-story tower will take around two years to complete.
Reflecting on the evolution of the project, Doumani noted that previous approvals for the Majestic have expired and that the resort’s design has undergone significant changes.
Initially planned to cost approximately $850 million, the project’s original concept featured 35 corporate suites priced from $10 million to $100 million on the tower’s top ten floors.
However, Doumani has since revised these plans; soaring construction costs—up by 30 percent—necessitated the removal of the suites.
This revision has reduced the project’s footprint by about 250,000 square feet and saved around $200 million in the overall budget.
The history of the 6-acre project site on Convention Center Drive, located near the north Strip, is marked by a turbulent past filled with ownership changes, bankruptcy, and failed redevelopment attempts.
At one point, the former World Wrestling Federation owned the site and even proposed a wrestling-themed casino, though those plans were never realized.
Doumani took ownership of the property in 2014 when it was known as the Clarion hotel, which he subsequently imploded in early 2015.
The demolition process, however, did not go smoothly; part of an elevator shaft survived the blast and required additional work to dismantle it safely.
In the spring of 2019, Doumani received approval from Clark County commissioners for a new plan—a 45-story, 720-room nongaming hotel.
He anticipated commencing construction as early as spring 2020.
Unfortunately, the timeline was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which upended daily life and severely impacted Las Vegas’s tourism-reliant economy.
In January 2021, Doumani held a news conference on-site to announce his plans.
However, that particular day coincided with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, overshadowing his announcement.
Though he initially aimed to begin construction that summer, he pushed the groundbreaking date to 2022 and later projected a completion date for late 2024.
Ultimately, construction did not commence, leading to the expiration of his project approvals, according to county records.
Fast forward to May, and Doumani has obtained the necessary permissions for a redesigned resort from the Clark County Commission.
He attributed the previous delays to a lengthy 10-month wait for Federal Aviation Administration approval regarding the building’s height.
Clark County Commission Chairman Tick Segerblom acknowledged the challenges in acquiring airport approvals but mentioned that higher authorities intervened to facilitate the process.
At a recent commission meeting, Doumani presented an oversized rendering of the resort, drawing inspiration from late architect Paul Revere Williams’ original designs for La Concha, which opened in 1961.
The iconic motel’s shell-shaped lobby was relocated to The Neon Museum in 2006, where it now serves as the visitors’ center.
Doumani emphasized that while Las Vegas hosts several 4,000-room megaresorts, there is still a distinct need for a hotel that captures the 1960s ‘Rat Pack’ vibe.
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