Atkinson, an experienced executive in the hotel industry, stepped into his new role immediately after spending three decades managing resorts in New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas. Most recently, he was President and COO at Luxor Hotel & Casino.  

His role as Fontainebleau President will initially involve creating a workforce to support the opening of the resort, which previously stated up to 6,000 jobs will be supported once the project is up and running.  

On the upcoming launch, Atkinson commented: “I’ve been in the community. I’ve watched it; watched it change. It’s a great story about not only how the town reinvents itself, but also an individual property like this.” 

In previous roles, Atkinson has taken senior leadership roles at MGM Resorts International, where he was SVP of Hotel Strategy, before which he worked as General Manager for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Las Vegas and San Francisco, and for Gramercy Park Hotel in New York. 

Jeffrey Soffer, Development Chairman and CEO, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, commented: “When we set out to identify a visionary leader for our next-generation luxury resort, Cliff’s knowledge and relevant hands-on approach and experience, coupled with the perspective gained from nearly 30 years in hospitality, made him the unequivocal choice for Fontainebleau Las Vegas. 

“With Cliff guiding our team, we move forward with even greater confidence and trust in our vision for the future of the Fontainebleau brand and Las Vegas.” 

The Fontainebleau project was initially started in 2007, though fell into trouble during the financial crisis over the next few years, going bankrupt in 2009.

Recently, it was reacquired by its current owner, with the financial backing of Koch Industries, and is now scheduled for launch in Q4 2023.