ML - Vegas Magazine

photography by jenna dosch Katie Epstein on the roof of El Cortez, her family-owned piece of vintage Vegas. Front oF the house For El CortEz sCion atie epstein, an EnviablE liFEstylE is part oF thE job. by casey brennan Bubbly and bodacious, Katie Epstein hardly projects the image you'd conjure of an employee at a 73-year-old mom-and-pop operation. But then, her family's hotel and casino, El Cortez, has upped its hip quotient in step with Downtown's urban renewal, so who better to serve as this boutique resort's frontwoman? Epstein didn't always plan on a career in Vegas hospitality. Now a man- ag ing pa r t ner at t he revered proper t y a nd it s director of g uest ser v ices, Epstein—daughter of El Cortez owner Kenny Epstein—studied child devel- opment at Vanderbilt University. "I planned to work with kids," she explains. But the Epstein blood is thick ("I wanted to be closer to my family"), and she returned to Las Vegas. At her father's suggestion, she took a job at Wynn, working in every department, from horticulture to housekeeping. After that hospitality crash course, Epstein joined her father, as well as older sister A lex—a manag ing partner and the propert y's executive vice president—at El Cortez, where she handles a variety of tasks, including mar- keting, social media, interviewing potential employees, and training new hires using a customer ser v ice prog ra m adapted from t he one she com- pleted at Wynn. "We don't really have specific roles," Epstein notes. "We wea r a lot of hat s a nd have sha red responsibilit ies." As for Dow ntow n's evolving landscape, "There's so much development and change," she says. "All of the new restaurants and bars are bringing more foot traffic, which is great for the entire community." But it's not all work and no play. "My dad is a total foodie, so we go to Piero's on Mondays and Café Chloe on Wednesdays," she says. "I also hang out a lot at Rockhouse and PBR"—both owned by her beau, Jonathan Fine—"and I love Chinatown, especially Nittaya's Secret Kitchen. They have the best Thai fusion!" On her days off, Epstein enjoys hiking Red Rock Canyon with her golden retriever, Happy; working out at Real Results; and shopping at Top Shop, Zara, and the Downtown boutique Coterie. "I love wearing dresses and big jewelry," she says, "and I can't resist really nice shoes and bags." But her real passion is travel. "It's my most favorite thing. I love going to Napa and Tahoe for the weekend, and New York City is one of my favorite places. I was at Oktoberfest in Munich with my mom and sister last year, and I really want to visit Spain and Morocco. Thailand is also at the top of my list." But despite her env iable it inera r y, her Dow ntow n home is st ill where Epstein's hea r t is: "T here's just so much new blood a nd excitement in t he neighborhood!" V 62  vegasmagazine.com PEOPLE Belle du Jour

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