Complaint Review: Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa: - Henderson NV

HISTORY: Initially constructed in 2003 to Ritz's five-star standards, the then Ritz-Carlton, turned Ravella, 

turned Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa has been met by tumultuous endings since the 2009 real estate collapse. Even under the guidance and tutelage of California-based Kam Sang Company, a Chinese-owned real estate development and hospitality company associated with the notoriously successful Lam Group, the Resort has suffered yearly losses. But how does this one particular property, under the watchful eye of real estate mogul Man h*o Lam (aka Ronnie Lam), mysteriously fail year after year while other parts of their portfolio flourish? 

Is the Resort cursed? Did a sorceress cast a darkened cloud over its acreage, guaranteeing the demise and financial destruction of any-and-all investors who set foot on the premises? No, we're being obtuse. But it is our professional opinion the reason for the Resort's failure is one of the oldest plays in the corporate playbook: Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa is being used as a loss to offset gains of their broader portfolio which includes but is not limited to Courtyard Los Angeles Baldwin Park, Sheraton Garden Grove, Embassy Suites Los Angeles, Residence Inn La Mirada Buena Park, and the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas (under another of their investment umbrellas, owned by Tiffany Lam and Panda Express Founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng). And though we know this intel is not as titillating as discovering a haunted resort to explain its egregious failures, other elements of our research are shocking.

BACK OF HOUSE: Even setting aside the long-ago denial of Man h*o Lam's gaming license for the casino portion of the property when the Nevada Gaming Control Board found he "failed to satisfy their burden of proving their qualification to be licensed," the Resort's back-of-house failures are horrifying. From internet and hot water outages to severe sewage issues or the often-placed generic (unbranded) inventory is too much to ignore. And though the lobby is breathtaking, and its outside areas meticulous, the nuts and bolts of the operation are held together by duct tape and baling wire; it is an unmitigated disaster, and we're shocked they could pass all the required inspections needed to flaunt their gratuitously placed AAA Rating.

AVERAGE ROOM PRICE vs. EMPLOYEE PAY: The Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, while meeting or exceeding the average room price to that of its competitors on the Las Vegas Strip, our investigation concluded the average employee earns 18-28% less than the average Vegas Strip employee (depending on the department), so it is no surprise their attrition rate is among the highest in the valley, which was not only another red flag in a litany of numerous others, it's what spear-headed our investigation.

SECURITY & SURVEILLANCE: The Resort's middle-of-nowhere isolation, coupled with pristine water views, golf courses, and breathtaking sunsets, is enough to make the most stringent security let its guard down. But its lack of security presence, coupled with minimal, outdated, decades-old surveillance cameras, is simply mind-boggling. And what exterior cameras are in place are so bleached and compromised by the blistering sun that they are damned-near rendered useless. So, it was a surprise that catalytic converter theft in the camera-free covered parking area was the extent of their challenges instead of something more life-threatening. That said, if you choose to stay or work here, please consider the safety of yourself and your property. 

REVIEWS: The Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa has almost every negative review scrubbed from Glassdoor, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Expedia, and Yelp. And we know this because we've seen months of in-house audits, and the complaints are catastrophic. 

MALFEASANCE, MISFEASANCE, OR NONFEASANCE: Falling well short of the Lam Group's own "We approach each property as our first, emphasizing detail and commitment, in order to create maximum value" Mission Statement, at a minimum, we find that the Kam Sang Company, in association with the Lam Group and any other party associated with Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa is culpable of non/misfeasance and, possibly, malfeasance though we are well aware as to how difficult the latter is in proving.

ANNONOMYS TIPS: If you stayed at Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa or were/are employed here, any information you provide will be welcomed and treated with confidence. Please send an email to:

[email protected]