Some final observations from the M Resort

M Resort officials went all out for the $1 billion casino’s grand opening celebration Sunday night. Some of the 4,000 VIP guests even stuck around after the doors opened at 10 p.m. for the general public and were the first players gambling at the casino’s tables and slot machines.

That fact pleased M Resort CEO Anthony Marnell III.

“About 80 percent of the people who we invited said they were coming,” Marnell said. “The response was terrific.”

VIP guests, including Henderson business leaders and elected officials, gaming industry competitors, tourism executives and other political types, were able to sample food from eight of M Resort’s restaurants. Only the 16th floor Restaurant Veloce Cibo was not open. By the end of the party, Baby Cakes, M’s European-style bakery, was a popular location.

Marnell said the opening went as planned. The only construction glitch was the arrival at 1 a.m. Sunday of the resort’s chandelier. By 3:30 in the morning, the light fixture was in place.

The oddest sighting of the night might have been Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., having a friendly conversation with Las Vegas personal injury attorney Ed Bernstein, a former political opponent. Ensign defeated Bernstein, the Democratic Party nominee, for the Senate seat in 1998.

“Ed and I are friends,” Ensign said.

The last time Bernstein was spotted at a casino opening, Aliante Station in November, he said he was considering running for mayor of Las Vegas if Oscar Goodman is term-limited out of office.

So, Ed, do you have any political pronouncements tonight?

“I’m going to run against Ensign. I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Bernstein said.