I thought this might be a problem when it was first announced, and I guess the Tamares Group thinks so too. They’ve filed a lawsuit accusing the El Ad group of contemplating the destruction of the Plaza’s good name. From the LVRJ:
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.
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.
ReviewJournal.com – Business – What’s in a name? Owners of Plaza say plenty
The best thing about the article is the “Plaza vs. Plaza” sidebar–I’d click through just to read that.
Some of the commentors think that returning to the “Union Plaza” name is an option for the downtown joint. I’d guess that some compensation from El Ad would make the change a lot easier for Tamares.