Johnny Chan, Rogue Hospitality to Build Poker Hotels

Johnny Chan, along with hotel management firm, Rogue Hospitality, plans to start a new chain of hotels catering exclusively to poker. “The World’s First Poker Hotel” will be called “5th Street,” and will debut in Los Angeles County this year.

In addition to Chan, the creative team behind the project includes Liko Smith, President of Rogue Hospitality, as well as Jeff Brausch, renowned tournament director Matt Savage, and Kelly Flynn, all from the THE DIVISION, a poker marketing and promotion agency.

Said Flynn, “The time has come for a concept such as 5th Street to grace the felt for poker players- a hotel for poker players by poker players. It will be a home away from home, the cure for the common casino that most poker players are forced to find themselves in now.”

From the sounds of it, 5th Street hotels, which are also targeted for Illinois, New York, Florida, California, and Macau, will feature extraordinary luxury. Some rooms will have 70 inch televisions, state-of-the-art surround sound systems, free wireless internet, and complementary cigars. The hotels will feature all of the amenities that one would expect (and some one would not) in a luxury hotel, such as valet, fine dining, rooftop bars, spas, salons, and a 24-hour café.

Of course, poker will be the feature attraction of the hotels, with tournaments and cash games running daily. There will be no craps, roulette, or slots.

Originally published 6:35 PM Friday, February 16, 2007