A luxury resort hotel in Las Vegas surprised its employees with a $5,000 bonus to thank them for their hard work and dedication to the company.
While the rest of us were struggling through hump day on Wednesday (11 May), Bill McBeath, president and CEO of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, was announcing news of the one-time bonus of $5,000 (£4,090) to the hotel and casino's estimated 5,000 employees.
McBeath credited the staff with maintaining a 'youthful' and 'exuberant' brand while working throughout the tumultuous coronavirus pandemic, while Daniel Espino, Cosmopolitan chief people officer, told the staff: "It's you, every single day, that makes a difference."
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Naturally the news was met with delight, with the crowd bursting into applause and cheers as purple confetti rained from the ceiling and the band on stage played the Bruno Mars track '24k Magic'.
The announcement came after staff gathered in the venue's 40,000 square-foot Chelsea theatre for a work event taking place as the company prepares to come under new ownership.
Tyler Henritze, head of strategic investments for the financial conglomerate Blackstone Real Estate, which is the current owner of The Cosmopolitan, said in a statement the firm is 'incredible proud of what [it] accomplished' at the hotel, adding: "None of that would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the resort’s amazing employees, and we are thrilled to recognize those contributions.”
The bonuses amounted to an 'unprecedented' $27 million, according to the company, with event capped off with a 'climatic drumroll'.
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Edgar Rives, a cook who has for nine years worked at The Cosmopolitan in the employee cafeteria, described the news as 'amazing', ABC7 News reports.
He offered his co-workers a round of high-fives and hugs, adding: "It's a big surprise."
In September 2021, Blackstone shared the news of the sale of the Cosmopolitan for $5.65 billion, nearly $4b more than what it was bought for just a few years earlier.
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As part of the deal, casino giant MGM Resorts International will be taking over Cosmopolitan’s operations side, paying more than $1.6b as well as initial annual rent of $200m to the new landlords.
The Cosmopolitan opened in 2010 and is known as one of the more upscale resorts on the Las Vegas strip. After Blackstone bought the building in 2014, for $1.7b, the company spent about $500m remodeling the guest rooms, casinos and common spaces. The hotel sits between the Bellagio and the multi-resort City Center complex, both of which are also owned by MGM.
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Emily Brown