Inside Las Vegas' First Cannabis-Friendly Hotel | Forbes

Located just off the Strip, The Lexi was once the Artisan Hotel, which became notorious among locals as a late-night hang out that hosted sex parties. But now the 64-room, adults-only Lexi has officially become Sin City’s first weed-friendly hotel.

“It’s cannabis-inclusive, not cannabis-centric,” says Alexandre Rizk, the 44-year-old real estate entrepreneur who bought The Artisan for $12 million with a small group of investors in January 2022. The distinction is important for Rizk. The new boutique hotel will not sell cannabis, nor will non-consuming guests be bombarded with pot smoke.

The Lexi opened in early June after Rizk spent around $3 million on renovations, which includes a high-end air filtration system on the fourth floor—where all suites are cheekily numbered 420a, 420b, 420c—to accommodate the marijuana-friendly rooms. Only paying guests— a suite costs between $180 to $400 depending on the night—with rooms on that floor can consume cannabis. No smoking is allowed in public areas, including the bikini tops-optional swimming pool.

Read the full story on Forbes:

Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript

Stay Connected
Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com

Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

50 Comments

  1. @pitaperez1515 on January 23, 2024 at 12:22 am

    I Love you Alex!! I miss your face.



  2. @gregson8533 on January 23, 2024 at 12:23 am

    whooptie so a 4th floor that allows you to smoke, Just make it the full thing.



  3. @royalty694 on January 23, 2024 at 12:25 am

    There’s a consumption lounge at a dispensary 2 blocks off of Fremont st called nuwu so if u don’t wanna stay at the hotel u can go there and smoke if u are truly worried lol



  4. @donaldnickman4119 on January 23, 2024 at 12:26 am

    All hotels are cannabis friendly if the shower gets hot enough!



  5. @donwan2637 on January 23, 2024 at 12:26 am

    I smoke all over the strip and downtown no problem 😂😂😂



  6. @AireStatics on January 23, 2024 at 12:27 am

    @erickkhan
    f



  7. @diecarly on January 23, 2024 at 12:29 am

    As others have mentioned already, bro every hotel in America is cannabis friendly. Please Do not give your money to this clown so he can pay off his venture capital debts.



  8. @VooDeux66 on January 23, 2024 at 12:30 am

    Cool!



  9. @fernandocampos3220 on January 23, 2024 at 12:31 am

    Definitely a genuine hotel CEO keeping it real with his hotel friendly cannabis policy the other properties sound awesome too.



  10. @UncIMO on January 23, 2024 at 12:35 am

    I can’t wait to go back to Vegas. I’ll be on 4 floor.



  11. @hdzZz666 on January 23, 2024 at 12:35 am

    ive smoked in every hotel ive ever stayed at..



  12. @leek5682 on January 23, 2024 at 12:35 am

    Imagine getting anything you want because you’re 6’4 and your last name is Risk 😂



  13. @DoloRRes on January 23, 2024 at 12:40 am

    This place look trash lmao I’d rather just smoke outside



  14. @bizzz.R on January 23, 2024 at 12:40 am

    bro redesigned a motel and said you can smoke on a floor lol



  15. @briannakathryn3889 on January 23, 2024 at 12:42 am

    bruh i was reading it as cannibal the whole time. not watching this.



  16. @ERMMM420 on January 23, 2024 at 12:44 am

    "no consumption lounges in the city" they didn’t research then. nuwu currently allows on site consumption and offers a dab bar. more dispensaries are going to be opening consumption lounges now that a bill has gone through in nevada allowing it late 2022.



  17. @leotang2818 on January 23, 2024 at 12:44 am

    It’s a thing called OZIUM, lol look it up gets rid of all the smoke smell. I’ve definitely hot boxed hotel room bathrooms too, just ran a hot shower to steam up the bathroom afterwards.



  18. @DrummingKid101 on January 23, 2024 at 12:46 am

    My man ! 420 every room lol. Gotta love it



  19. @fsx-777-pilot8 on January 23, 2024 at 12:49 am

    Bet he’s fully booked most of the year



  20. @saltyaircrazyhair7269 on January 23, 2024 at 12:50 am

    I’m ganna smoke somewhere regardless. 😆
    But thank you. It’s about damn time! I’m not a drinker at all!



  21. @patmat. on January 23, 2024 at 12:50 am

    The canabis stench will follow you everywhere.



  22. @UncIMO on January 23, 2024 at 12:54 am

    It’s gonna cost to be the BOSS. Them prices gonna be like paying $200 to the hotel. Lmao



  23. @jimmyalpert5233 on January 23, 2024 at 12:56 am

    It’s a step in the right direction for normalizing this 🤷🏻‍♂️



  24. @ecwwwrasslin7663 on January 23, 2024 at 12:56 am

    This was really informative.



  25. @angelariebli4843 on January 23, 2024 at 12:57 am

    More of this. I bet ALL the floors go green in the first year. One floor won’t be enough.



  26. @rommelges on January 23, 2024 at 12:58 am

    Think about people gambling high, pure profit



  27. @firstname__lastname on January 23, 2024 at 12:59 am

    Lol. Ive smoked in literally every hotel I’ve ever been in and then some … 😬😆😆



  28. @DG-fs1pq on January 23, 2024 at 12:59 am

    Way to go. They destroyed thousands of African-American families for have a bag that could have contained marijuana. Many of them still in prison to this day. Now, these people are making billions and are in magazines. What a disgusting place. What disgusting people.



  29. @bobryan2856 on January 23, 2024 at 12:59 am

    This is comical



  30. @mariqueflores3342 on January 23, 2024 at 12:59 am

    Revolutionary. A Ganja bar/Dispensary for guests would make this an awesome hotel



  31. @Sylviala2009 on January 23, 2024 at 12:59 am

    I sat outside the Aria and took hits off my vape pen.



  32. @Egraber on January 23, 2024 at 1:01 am

    It’s a great concept for those that want to smoke and curb the anxiety of possibly getting caught. However, you realistically can smoke just about anywhere and nobody will care as long as you mind your own busy and keep your distance from others. Also just a park up on a balcony of a hotel, parking garage/lot, etc.



  33. @Conde.666 on January 23, 2024 at 1:02 am

    Las Vegas remains standing as the greatest & the best city to ever exist 💚💙🩵🩷



  34. @giowrld3boss308 on January 23, 2024 at 1:03 am

    Badass need to check this out



  35. @TheSlickmelon on January 23, 2024 at 1:03 am

    Meh.



  36. @KLEARSKITHEKREEPER on January 23, 2024 at 1:03 am

    The Flamingo has been this for years..the hotel alwys smells like weed. 😅



  37. @joelhoye5773 on January 23, 2024 at 1:04 am

    He’s right about one thing Vegas is not a free-for-all there are a lot of rules and a lot of regulations. You gotta pay to play.



  38. @Tre-vb6tt on January 23, 2024 at 1:05 am

    ON PAPER! Motel6 been rockin wit me for yeeaarrss



  39. @tyler942 on January 23, 2024 at 1:07 am

    i bet yall a thousand dollars the owner doesnt even smoke



  40. @mikehennessy6766 on January 23, 2024 at 1:07 am

    if its only the top floor in a property with 62 rooms thats only 15 rooms wich you can smoke . ive smoked in vegas hotel rooms. just open the window, put a towel under the door and turn on the bathroom fan.



  41. @emilio3181 on January 23, 2024 at 1:13 am

    wack



  42. @kawehiclassof2011 on January 23, 2024 at 1:14 am

    Yessss the old artisan



  43. @h8ydencha0tic52 on January 23, 2024 at 1:15 am

    People are still in prisons for minor cannabis offenses in 2023.



  44. @nickwarren8553 on January 23, 2024 at 1:15 am

    Ye u can smoke in literally any hotel turn on shower cover door with towel at the bottom n blaze smell gone in a day



  45. @sir.cannabis1173 on January 23, 2024 at 1:15 am

    Cannabis stays a scheduled one drug so civil asset forfeiture has sharp teeth.



  46. @SinCitizenGent on January 23, 2024 at 1:18 am

    They just laid off everyone from here, many long time employees from when it was the better artisan. A suposed leaked video blames the staff on being incompetent, but took no blame w their hiring/ training practices. Pass



  47. @bradlee1brooks on January 23, 2024 at 1:19 am

    I’ll definitely be staying here!!



  48. @thelandoftwitchclips on January 23, 2024 at 1:20 am

    the lexi has been around for decades, they used to use it to make porn



  49. @truthhurts3524 on January 23, 2024 at 1:21 am

    A magic mushroom hotel up next?



  50. @its420.WeedQueen on January 23, 2024 at 1:21 am

    in Arizona they have The Clarendon Hotel & Spa (Cannabis-Friendly, 21+ only)