Treasure Island, recently rebranded TI, yesterday became the first casino, the first Las Vegas property and the largest property in K Hotels’ worldwide collection of independent hotels. Phil Ruffin, who bought TI for $775 million from MGM Mirage earlier this year, has retained the majority of the same management team, but has turned to K Hotels for personalized sales and marketing help. With just 53 hotels in its portfolio, K Hotels believes it can offer the 2,665-room casino hotel more personalized attention than larger collections, similar to the setup provided by Luxe Worldwide Hotels and the nearby Palms.

“Being an established property in today’s market is not enough,” says Najam Khan, executive VP and general manager of TI.  “We know we will need to reach out to new customers. By becoming an independent hotel and casino we have more flexibility to really shine in the hospitality world, and we are confident that K Hotels will introduce new clients to a unique experience in the Las Vegas market.”

K Hotels will work with the TI sales and marketing departments to drive new strategies and increase ROI. Lara Weiss, managing director of K Hotels, says the collection has already booked a large group at TI in the first week representing the hotel.

“This is a huge addition for K Hotels,” she says. “We are extremely proud to be working with such a well known icon of a hotel. In general, hotels and casinos in Las Vegas are facing a market that is saturated, everyone is offering the same services. In the case of TI, the property is extremely well positioned on the strip, has had a strong reputation for many years that has attracted a large base of fans that keep coming back. It’s mid-priced for the strip and therefore it’s easier to book specials and take advantage of promotions. Being part of K Hotels will give them incredible exposure overseas. We have a large presence in Asia, Europe and Australia, that TI will be able to tap into.”