What's in a name? Owners of Plaza say plenty - Business

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Aug. 10, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

What's in a name? Owners of Plaza say plenty

By BENJAMIN SPILLMAN
REVIEW-JOURNAL

PLAZA V. PLAZA

PLAZA HOTEL & CASINO, LAS VEGAS

Accommodations: Include two queen or one king bed, TV, private bathroom, $102 rates this weekend.

View: Fremont Street Experience (east), Interstate 15, Highway 95, (west).

Amenities: Pool, fitness center, close to Greyhound bus station.

Food and beverage: Buffet for $7.77, free drinks while gambling.

THE PLAZA, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY

Accommodations: Terrace suites at this residential property can be up to 2,100 square feet and start at $6 million. Two level suites include terraces, butler quarters.

View: Fifth Avenue, Central Park.

Amenities: High tea in the Palm Court, one-touch flat screens in residences connect to concierge, security, restaurants or control ambience of the suite.

Food and beverage: Oak Room and Oak Bar on first floor.

The Plaza in downtown Las Vegas is in a legal battle over naming rights with a company that wants to bring a Plaza to the Strip.
Photo by John Locher.

The company that owns the Plaza in New York, above, is running into a legal challenge over its plan to use the name in Las Vegas.

Guests of the Plaza in downtown Las Vegas shouldn't expect accommodations for a butler or formal afternoon tea service with their room.

But they can count on cheap booze, bottom-dollar gambling and easy access to a Greyhound bus terminal that's attached to the casino at the west end of the Fremont Street Experience.

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It's a hard-won reputation for value, one the Plaza's owners want to protect when the company that owns the posh Plaza in New York City opens a $5 billion version of their butler-hosting, tea-providing hotel on the Strip.

That's why Tamares Las Vegas Properties filed a complaint Thursday in Clark County District Court to block Elad Group of New York from using the Plaza name in Sin City.

"We cannot and will not stand by and watch our trademark rights ignored, our good will and reputation poached and our patrons confused by a newcomer to Las Vegas looking to appropriate our name," said Harry Braunstein, general counsel for the Tamares Group.

Elad, controlled by Israeli investor Yitzchak Tshuva, bought the New Frontier in May for $1.2 billion and announced plans for a Plaza in Las Vegas by 2011.

At the time, Elad officials brushed off concerns about the existing Plaza in remarks to The Wall Street Journal. The purchase price of the Frontier, a record for Strip property, overshadowed talk of a possible trademark infringement.

Now Tamares, which bought the 36-year-old downtown Plaza in 2004, is bringing it up in court.

In a 15-page filing, Tamares cites six Nevada trademarks for variations of the Plaza name for use with the casino, hotel, bar and restaurants.

It also describes decades of good will between the Plaza and its customers.

"This commercial magnetism has been reinforced by the distinctive neon PLAZA signage displayed in connection with the hotel and casino in Las Vegas," the lawsuit says.

Lloyd Kaplan, a spokesman for Elad, said it was too early to comment on the lawsuit.

"We haven't even been served yet," Kaplan said. "What we have to say about the lawsuit is we haven't had an opportunity to look at the papers and haven't got a comment at this time."

The Tamares lawsuit goes on to say Elad is "perfectly poised to destroy," business at the downtown Las Vegas hotel.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. Report abuse Luciano Tonolli wrote on December 04, 2007 08:11 PM: I think Tamares is right. Elad can't just come to this city and think it can do whatever it wants because they're building the most expensive resort yet. Not to mention, Las Vegas Plaza is not even worthy of this name because that's Clark County's land. Downtown Plaza is actually within city boundaries. Report abuse UhmmGoodCracker wrote on August 10, 2007 03:11 PM: Why doesn't the current Plaza owner change the name of their property to the Ritz? Report abuse Whiskey Tango Foxtrot wrote on August 10, 2007 02:15 PM: Trademark or not, there won't be ANY confusion as to what property is what, newcomer or not. No one will be destroying anything, no matter what names are used. As for trademarks, WHAT name does Tamares have on record? Is it THE Plaza or just Plaza? If it's just Plaza, then there is NO trademark infringement. Or, yes, Elad can buy the downtown Plaza and rename it "Toilet" to reflect where it's gone over the last 30 years. Report abuse VegasTaT wrote on August 10, 2007 02:07 PM: The next move by ELAD should be to buy the downtown Plaza and be "front row center" for the new Fremont bridge to the 61 acres. They could then build a new hotel there and name it something different. That would stop this silliness. Report abuse Dennis Ruddy wrote on August 10, 2007 02:04 PM: There will be no mistaking the differences in these two hotels, The (Union) Plaza will always be a dump, no matter what it is called. Report abuse J wrote on August 10, 2007 07:40 AM: The general ignorance of the comments made on these comments is not encouraging. Whether the (Union) Plaza and "The Plaza" are equitable is irrelevant; the fact is that there is a trademarked usage of this name owned by Tamares Group, and they not only have a right to defend it, they, under trademark law, have an OBLIGATION to protect it. If they do not do so, then they risk losing their trademark. Intellectual property is a valuable business commodity and Tamares will get something out of this effort - either The Plaza will have to change its name or they will buy it from Tamares. Doesn't anyone remember when Steve Wynn paid for the "Mirage" name from the tiny motel that then became the Glass Pool Inn? Report abuse JohnT wrote on August 10, 2007 04:12 AM: Oh Pleeeez... I do NOT think the upcoming Plaza Hotel will infringe on any low roller action at the famed downtown Union Plaza! I'm from Az. and even I still call it the Union Plaza. nobody upon nobody comes to Las Vegas because of the UP, trust me. I agree with Aaron! Tamares doesnt own the Plaza name anyway. Report abuse Aaron wrote on August 10, 2007 03:56 AM: "The Tamares lawsuit goes on to say Elad is 'perfectly poised to destroy,' business at the downtown Las Vegas hotel." Give me a freaking break. The former owners dropped the "Union" from the Plaza downtown so there's a simple solution...put "Union" back in the Plaza name. Many older Las Vegas residents still call it the Union Plaza so I don't see what the Tamares group has to whine about.