Off-Strip Las Vegas Hotel Rises as A’s Ballpark Reshapes Tourism

Las Vegas is pressing ahead with fresh hospitality investment even as visitor numbers soften, with a new off-Strip convention center hotel and the Oakland Athletics’ Tropicana ballpark project redefining how the city courts meetings travelers and big-league sports fans.

Convention Traffic Holds Steady Amid Vegas Visitor Slowdown

Las Vegas ended 2025 with a noticeable drop in overall visitation, but convention and business travel remain a critical stabilizer for the city’s tourism economy. Public data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority indicates the destination welcomed roughly 38.5 million visitors in 2025, several million fewer than the previous year, as leisure travel softened and international arrivals faced headwinds from currency shifts and higher airfares.

Analysts note that the pullback has been most visible at the lower end of the market, where price-sensitive customers are more likely to trim trips or shorten stays. Hotel occupancy and average daily room rates have retreated from recent peaks, yet revenue per available room remains historically high as operators lean on pricing power, premium inventory and major events to support margins.

Within that mixed picture, convention activity is emerging as a relatively resilient segment. Trade shows, medical meetings and corporate events linked to the Las Vegas Convention Center and major resort-owned expo halls continue to feed midweek demand, supporting hotels that are positioned around large-scale venues rather than gaming floors.

City and state budget documents for 2025 and 2026 also point to tourism tax collections that, while under pressure, remain well above pre-pandemic levels. This combination of softer volumes and elevated revenue is encouraging developers who see opportunities in higher-yield business travelers, particularly those drawn by a revamped convention infrastructure.

New Off-Strip Convention Hotel Extends LVCC’s Reach

Against this backdrop, development is moving forward along the Las Vegas Convention Center corridor just east of the Strip. Project listings from regional design and development firms describe a new off-Strip hotel rising near Sierra Vista Drive, close to the Convention Center’s West Hall and within walking distance of the monorail and other transit links.

The planned property, which follows an earlier dual-brand Hilton project in the same area, is conceived as an all-purpose, meetings-focused hotel meant to absorb overflow from major trade shows and citywide events. With several hundred keys and a mix of standard rooms and suites, it is positioned to offer a quieter, non-gaming alternative for attendees who want proximity to the convention floor without the distractions of the main resort corridor.

Design materials emphasize flexible meeting space, upgraded lobbies and food-and-beverage outlets that can handle pre- and post-show traffic. The project also builds on the momentum from a recently completed, multi-year renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center, which modernized more than 3 million square feet of exhibit halls and public areas to compete more directly with large venues in cities such as Orlando and Chicago.

Developers promoting the corridor highlight what they describe as a “resilient energy” around the convention district, arguing that future growth for Las Vegas will depend as much on professional events, niche conferences and hybrid in-person gatherings as on traditional casino tourism. The off-Strip hotel pipeline around the LVCC suggests investors share that view, focusing on products tailored to business and long-stay guests.

MLB Ballpark at Tropicana Site Spurs Adjacent Resort Plans

On the south Strip, a separate wave of investment is taking shape as work continues on the Oakland Athletics’ new ballpark on the former Tropicana Las Vegas site. Publicly available information from Major League Baseball and recent coverage of the project indicate that foundation work for the approximately 33,000-seat, retractable-roof stadium is underway, with an opening targeted for the 2028 season.

The stadium is being developed on a portion of the roughly 35-acre parcel at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. Plans presented in earlier filings and public presentations set aside the remaining acreage for a new resort complex to be developed by Bally’s, which controls the property. That complex is expected to feature a modern casino hotel integrated with the ballpark, positioning the site as a combined sports and hospitality hub.

The A’s relocation is part of a broader transformation of Las Vegas into a major-league sports destination, following the arrival of the NFL’s Raiders at Allegiant Stadium and the NHL’s Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Observers say the concentration of stadiums and arenas along or near the Strip is reshaping demand patterns, extending peak periods beyond traditional weekend leisure windows and creating new incentives for hotels to target fans, sponsors and media.

While detailed timelines and design specifics for the adjacent Bally’s resort continue to evolve, the broad outline points to a dense entertainment district where game-day crowds can flow directly between seats, hotel rooms, restaurants and gaming floors. That model mirrors mixed-use sports districts in cities such as Atlanta and Arlington, Texas, adapted to the unique scale and visitor churn of Las Vegas.

Developers Bet on Blending Meetings, Sports and Entertainment

The simultaneous push on an off-Strip convention-oriented hotel and a Strip-front MLB ballpark reflects how Las Vegas developers are attempting to diversify demand streams rather than rely on a single type of visitor. Industry reports suggest that operators are increasingly focused on segments that can be scheduled and forecast in advance, such as conventions, major sports events and entertainment residencies, to offset volatility in casual gaming trips.

In this environment, hotels attached to or near convention facilities can capture midweek corporate and association travelers, while new sports infrastructure provides recurring anchors for weekend and shoulder-night demand. Airline and tourism data show that large events, including Formula One and the Super Bowl, have generated significant spikes in both room rates and occupancy, reinforcing the perceived value of event-driven tourism.

At the same time, the layering of venues introduces operational challenges, from traffic management to security and staffing. Hospitality executives and local planners cited in recent economic and tourism assessments point to the need for continued investment in transportation links and workforce development to support a more complex, year-round calendar of events.

For investors, however, the combination of a refreshed convention center, expanding off-Strip room inventory and a flagship Major League Baseball park suggests Las Vegas remains willing to build its way through a downturn. Even as visitor numbers lag past highs, the new projects signal confidence that the city’s long-standing formula of reinvention, spectacle and large-scale hospitality can be recalibrated for a travel market in transition.