The M Resort, soon to open in Henderson, NV, will be the furthest south of all the resorts in the Las Vegas Valley. Developer and chief executive Anthony Marnell III has grown up in the business as the son of the man who built many complexes on the strip as well as his own The Rio All-Suites Hotel which was sold to Harrah’s. Marnell told the Gaming Control Board that the M will offer a high-end resort experience away from the traditional Las Vegas strip. The resort will have 351 rooms and 39 suites, nine restaurants and a number of bars. Plans are in the works for a convenience store and gas station on the property where customers will be able to use their loyalty card points to purchase gasoline. Another place where they’ll be able to use their points will be the on-location pharmacy. The next phase of construction will be a Galaxy Theater complex to begin after the casino/hotel opening. The casino will offer 92,000 sq. feet of gambling space with 60 table games and over 1,800 slot machines. A retail center covering 1 million sq. feet of space is planned but has been postponed for at least two years due to the tight economy. Despite some high end investors such as the $160 million from MGM Mirage, the credit markets are not conducive to such a large project at this time. Marnell is putting his efforts into promoting the resort first and some of his ideas are quite unique. Southern California residents will be treated to the unusual sight of a blimp with a gigantic video screen on the side advertising the hotel every day from 3 to 9 pm through mid-February.