The Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas will be smoke-free properties when they reopen

After closing down completely in March, Las Vegas began coming back to life in a piecemeal fashion in early June.

The neon signs may be blazing again and the world-famous fountains are dancing to the sky once more, but the city looks different in so many ways.

Some resorts remain shuttered, live shows continue to be suspended, nightclubs are closed and the famous buffets are no longer self-serve affairs.

Not all changes have been bad, though, with numerous properties having made parking free for all guests. And, now, we have word of another positive change for Sin City.

MGM Resorts announced Monday, Sept. 14 that it will reopen its Park MGM and NoMad hotels on Sept. 30, which will mark the completion of MGM's staggered reopening of its Las Vegas properties since it began the process a few months ago. The company's Four Seasons Las Vegas hotel reopens on Sept. 25.

Related: Full review of the Park MGM Las Vegas

But, this announcement is significant for another reason: When they reopen, Park MGM and the NoMad Las Vegas will be the city's first smoke-free casino resorts.

In a press release, the president of MGM Resorts' Las Vegas portfolio, Anton Nikodemus, said that the company's move indicates it's being "responsive to recurring guest demand for a fully non-smoking casino resort on The Strip."

This is a very positive development for Las Vegas. The properties will still maintain designated smoking areas for those who choose to do so, but it should improve the environment for everyone else, especially for those who are sensitive to inhaling smoke from cigars, cigarettes and the like.

Related: Full review of the NoMad Las Vegas

As Las Vegas casino resorts have reopened with a renewed focus on health and safety for guests and employees, the move to go smoke-free at these two properties makes sense. It's a development we applaud, too, as it signals casino hotel operators are taking a thorough look at how they can make their properties more welcoming, safer and healthier for all guests.

Bottom line

We certainly hope this development is a harbinger of things to come for Sin City as it works to attract the visitors it so badly needs to mount a recovery post-coronavirus. We're willing to bet that making Las Vegas a friendlier, safer, healthier and less smoky environment will be good for business and hope that other major properties on and off The Strip follow MGM's lead and make smoke-filled casino floors a thing of the past.