Las Vegas: Once a Ritz, then Ravella, hotel is now a Hilton

For the third time in a decade, a luxury retreat at Lake Las Vegas has a new name: the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa. The hotel opened in 2003 as a Ritz-Carlton, and became Ravella in February 2011.

The 349-room hotel sits on the shore of Lake Las Vegas, a 320-acre man-made creation that is the centerpiece of a master-planned community that counts Celine Dion among its homeowners.

The hotel benefits from the fact it was built to Ritz’s five-star standards. But the property’s isolated location 35 minutes east of the Strip, combined with the drop in business as a result of the recession, forced the property’s closure in May 2010.

With a scaled-back staff but the same ritzy rooms, the hotel reopened as Ravella, a member of the Dolce group. Despite some bargain-priced offers, Ravella struggled to keep its rooms occupied.

Arcadia-based Kam Sang Co. bought the resort in November for $46.9 million, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Benson Lee, Kam Sang’s regional director of hotel operations, told the newspaper that the Hilton name should improve occupancy by 10% to 20%.

The Hilton Lake Las Vegas features a Florentine garden-themed pool and a 30,000-square-foot, full-service spa. Besides on-site restaurants, other eateries and shops are just a short walk away through a well-manicured courtyard.

Room rates for Saturday night stays in the second half of June start at $170 to $179, according to a check of the website.

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