Wynn launches PR blitz to push proposed Wynn Foxborough casino resort

by McLean Robbins on




Casino mastermind Steve Wynn knows how to best sell a project. He’s launched a full-scale PR blitz about his new proposed Wynn Foxborough project, an “integrated destination resort” and casino he’s hoping to build across from the New England Patriots’ Gillette Stadium.

First proposed in late 2011, the resort, in talks to be built on land leased from Patriots owner Robert Kraft, has generated significant controversy in the town of Foxborough, which is about 25 minutes south of Boston.

To combat this, Wynn decided the best way to rectify the situation was to take matters into his own hands (literally) with a video distributed on the Wynn Foxborough website and to thousands of homes in the Foxborough area, the Washington Post reported. According to the planned resort’s website, the resort will include a luxury hotel with “significant” convention space, more than 5,000 parking spaces, a skating rink, luxury shops, a spa, a pool, fine and casual dining and a theater, all of which will be “much smaller” than casino resort Foxwoods in nearby Connecticut
“We’re excited by the design and the unique opportunity the Wynn Resorts project presents for long-term economic growth in Foxborough,” Kraft Group spokesman Dan Krantz said.

“Since bringing forth the idea in December of last year, Wynn Resorts has followed through on a commitment to generate renderings and estimate the resort’s direct tax benefits. As we anticipated, the design and décor assimilates to its surroundings, and is likely in stark contrast to the Las Vegas-style high-rise that some may have envisioned,” he said.

Stephanie Crimmins, a spokeswoman for the group No Foxboro Casino, said casino opponents had anticipated that Wynn PR campaign. “These casino developers consistently over-promise and under-deliver,” she said. “That is something that has happened over and over again in every town and city in the country in which there has been a casino developed.”

Wynn’s video goes beyond statistics to hit at the “awe” factor of a large-scale luxury resort and features Wynn in a button down and blue sweater sitting on in what looks to be a hotel room near a golf course talking directly to “you, in your home.” Wynn reminds us of a kindly grandfather reassuring his children that he won’t, in fact, be spending their trust fund with his new “grand scheme,” as well as running through a list of reasons why his “destination resort that happens to have casino rooms in it” is, in fact, a really good idea.

Wynn appears to speak unscripted to the camera, pausing to highlight successful casino examples in other cities before taking viewers on a detailed tour through what the resort would offer, including a luxury spa, massive guestrooms, fine dining restaurant, and, oh yeah, ” the thing down at the other end of the building … with its other parking lot,” aka the casino.

We’ll be honest. It looks nice…really nice. And a whole lot like Wynn Las Vegas, but with a much more residential, lodge-like exterior. In the second half of the video, townspeople weigh in on the outcomes of the structure. “It’s inconceivable that these two very smart business people would … allow something to ruin the town,” one man said.

Wynn estimates that the resort will create more than 4,000 permanent jobs and 10,000 temporary construction positions. He also maintains it will generate between $10 and $15 million each year, which could be used to “lower property taxes or invest more in education. In addition to this direct revenue, an impact agreement with the town would cover the cost of any additional services, such as public safety, required as a result of our resort. Of course, a thorough traffic study will be completed and shared with the town officials.”

A state gambling law approved last year and signed by Gov. Deval Patric will not be approved until a majority of residents approve the proposal in a referendum.

According to the Associated Press, a Las Vegas-based Wynn subsidiary, Development Associates, LLC, spent more than $863,000 on lobbying in just the past three years to persuade state lawmakers to legalize casino gambling.

Wynn currently has resorts in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Macau.



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Americans consider themselves the world’s worst tourists, LivingSocial finds

by McLean Robbins on
Tired of the ugly, American traveler stereotype? Sorry, but it’s one being perpetuated by none other than Americans. A new LivingSocial survey finds that Americans themselves believe we are the world’s worst tourists. The survey found that Americans, Canadians and Australians all gave U.S. tourists that dubious distinction. The Irish identified their British neighbors as the worst, and the British called out the Germans for bad travel behavior.

“Our survey puts the old wives’ tale to bed that only 15 percent of Americans own passports,” said Dave Madden, general manager of LivingSocial Escapes, North America. “Americans turn out to be pretty active globetrotters, with the average person having visited at least four countries. Unfortunately, Americans have pretty low opinions of themselves as travelers, so it’s time to turn on that Yankee charm and improve our global image.”

Why are Americans giving themselves such a bad rap? Data shows that it’s sadly deserved. Four in ten U.S. travelers (39%) admit to having stolen something from a hotel during a visit. The most common items pilfered were towels (28%), bathrobes (8%), batteries (5%), pillows (4%), remote controls (3%), sheets (3%), bibles (3%) and umbrellas (3%). Thankfully, only 3% report having gotten arrested while on vacation, so it seems the “law breaking” in hotel rooms is pretty minor.

In addition to taking fewer days off from work to vacation – 16 days off in comparison to Australia (27 days), Canada (21), Ireland (28), and the UK (23) – two-thirds of respondents have trouble disconnecting, with 66% saying they check their e-mail or cell phone while on vacation.

That doesn’t keep them from dreaming, however. When given their choice of dozens of world wonders to visit, Americans named the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Paris‘ Eiffel Tower, and the Pyramids of Giza as top foreign destinations, while Disney World, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon make the list in the U.S.

Their top celebrity travel companions include Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, Leonardo DiCaprio and Katy Perry.

[Flickr via Rui Perpeira]

Avalanche destroys ski lift with passengers aboard

by Kraig Becker on

A massive avalanche hit a ski resort on the St. Francois-Longchamps mountain in France this past weekend, destroying several pylons that held the ski lift in place even while passengers were still riding it. The entire event was captured on video by bystanders who stood at the bottom of the hill as the wall of snow slowly moved down the slope crushing everything in its path. That video can be seen below.

At the time of the avalanche there were 70 people on the lift and miraculously none of them were harmed. Helicopters were soon brought in to evacuate them from the debris, which took about two and a half hours to complete.

Watching the video I can only imagine how helpless and frightened the people aboard the lift must have felt. The avalanche almost seems like it is moving in slow motion as it slides down the face of the mountain and easily crushes the metal pylons for the lift as if they aren’t even there. It is a wild scene to say the least.

Travel safety: are swans dangerous?

by Sean McLachlan on


Mr. Asbo is not a nice swan.

He’s attacked numerous boaters on the River Cam at Cambridge, England, hissing and pecking at anyone who comes close. Back in 2009, he even attacked the Cambridge Rowing Team during their historic May Bumps race. The race had to appoint a special marshal to keep an eye on the naughty bird.

Swans are very territorial, especially when they have a nest full of cygnets (babies). Mr. Asbo and his lady friend have several cygnets a year and their nest is right on the main boating area of the river. This has led to numerous confrontations where Mr. Asbo hisses, snaps at oars, and tries to bat people with his wings. It’s even reported that he’s strong enough to capsize small boats.

His name refers to the Anti-Social Behavior Order, a punishment usually meted out to lager-soaked louts to ban them from playing loud music, being drunk in public, aggressively panhandling, or even stealing eggs. Now local residents have had enough and there are plans to move Mr. Asbo and his family to a rural area 50 miles away, where hopefully he won’t bother anyone.

Swans are one of the many attractions of the English countryside, especially at the popular riverside destinations of Cambridge and Oxford. They are strong, fast, wild animals and should be treated with caution. The Swan Sanctuary says they’re generally not a danger, but their peck can be painful and they can even break your arm or leg if they hit you with their wing.

Attacks are rare, however. Swans only get aggressive if you get near their young, enter their territory, or deliberately antagonize them, like the idiot in this video. Don’t be the idiot in this video.

Sierra Club announces Best Internship on Earth 2012 edition

by Kraig Becker on

The Sierra Club has begun accepting applications for the 2012 edition of their Best Internship on Earth, opening the program up to students or recent grads between the ages of 18 and 25. Interested applicants should enjoy traveling, have a passion for the outdoors, and a desire to share their experiences with the Club’s active online community.

The person selected for this internship will be named the 2012 Outdoor Youth Ambassador and will spend the summer traveling around the U.S. as part of the Club’s Mission Outdoors program. That particular initiative is designed to engage young people with nature and encourage them to get outdoors and enjoy the world around them. To that end the “intern” will be hiking, paddling, and climbing as part of their job, while also chronicling their experience through videos and blog postings about their adventures.

Interested parties are encouraged to apply online, where they will be asked to submit a 60-90 second video explaining why they are the ideal candidate for the job. The video should demonstrate an enthusiasm for the outdoors and a passion for conservation – although creative video editing won’t hurt the applicant’s cause either.

The intern will be based out of San Francisco for the summer, but because he or she will be traveling frequently – not to mention spending quite a bit of time outdoors – they’ll also receive $2000 worth of gear from The North Face. That gear will be put to good use throughout their tenure with the Sierra Club and is worth earning the internship alone.

Applications are being accepted through 5PM PDT on March 27th. For more details click here.