‘Kind Heaven’ Construction Hell Delays Opening at LINQ Las Vegas Until Spring 2020

Posted on: May 10, 2019, 10:27h. 

Last updated on: May 14, 2019, 07:48h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

“Kind Heaven,” the entertainment gaming complex being developed by Immersive Artistry at Caesars Entertainment’s LINQ casino resort in Las Vegas, is being delayed due to construction setbacks.

Kind Heaven LINQ Las Vegas Caesars
Caesars’ “Kind Heaven” won’t open until next spring. (Image: Wikipedia Commons)

The Southeast Asia-themed attraction being developed in conjunction with Jane’s Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza music festival founder Perry Farrell is a $100 million project that seeks to revolutionize Las Vegas. Immersive Artistry says it will be a “groundbreaking new destination” combining “leading-edge technology and Hollywood-style storytelling.”

The plans for the 100,000-square-foot LINQ space will allow guests to seamlessly purchase food and beverages, retail items, and gamble with a wearable payment device. Holograms of famous musicians will entertain, and gaming options such as betting on the outcome of a hologram wrestling match between monkeys will be offered.

Immersive Artistry CEO Cary Granat says Kind Heaven will feature “exoticism, exploration, mystery, and spiritual enlightenment.” He adds, “When you come in to Kind Heaven, you are entering a continuous loop or movie. Our world is a world that transports you, in all of your senses.”

Originally planned to open later this summer, Kind Heaven is now slated to open in the spring of 2020.

Nongaming Focus

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) reported that the city welcomed fewer first-time visitors in 2018. The agency’s Visitor Profile Study reveals that 82 percent of travelers last year had previously been to Sin City.

That’s not necessarily good news, as it might hint that Las Vegas isn’t enticing new guests to travel to the gaming mecca. Just 18 percent of guests said it was their maiden voyage to Sin City, down sharply from 27 percent in 2016.

Despite the statistics, the LVCVA said, “Although the proportion of first-time visitors to Las Vegas in 2018 declined somewhat from the past two years, a healthy influx of first-time visitors suggests that the destination continues to appeal to new audiences.”

Kind Heaven, and other developments, hope to lure in new guests with experiences not found in other states. In downtown Las Vegas, a 22,000-square-foot space known as the Treehouse is being constructed that will feature a 300-seat restaurant, indoor and outdoor lounges, rooftop bar, and gaming area.

High on Las Vegas

Las Vegas officials are betting on recreational marijuana as another draw. Earlier this month, the City Council voted 4-1 in favor of allowing marijuana consumption lounges.

State law mandates that the drug be consumed only in private spaces – not casino hotel rooms. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak (D) backs such commercial consumption spaces.

“Tourists visiting Las Vegas are permitted to purchase marijuana, but they can only consume the drug in private residences. These are issues we need to step up and address,” the first-term governor declared.

Planet 13 is a large dispensary located west of the Strip past Trump International. The weed “superstore” features “aerial orbs” and “interactive laser art,” but unless the company files to incorporate a consumption lounge, the products Planet 13 sell aren’t legal to consume on the premises.