different. The company stated, "While Mandalay Bay represents an idyllic tropical paradise, THEhotel embraces modern architecture, contemporary design and comfortable surroundings." The new tower employed approximately 700 people. The hotel included original artwork by Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Arturo Herrera. Included in the hotel's public areas were pieces by Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Serra, Valérie Belin, and Donald Judd. In January 2005, the hotel was among other establishments to win AAA's Four Diamond Award. In 2006, the lettering at the top of the tower changed to "THEhotel" to distinguish the property. Formerly, the lettering was identical to the "Mandalay Bay" letters at the top of the original tower. In 2011, the hotel became one of the few Las Vegas Strip hotel properties to allow dogs. Later that year, Travelocity included the hotel on its list of the top 10 hotels in Las Vegas, based on customer reviews. Delano Las Vegas On August 6, 2012, MGM Resorts International announced the rebranding of THEhotel into the Delano Las Vegas as part of a partnership with Morgans Hotel Group. Through the deal, MGM would manage the hotel under a licensing agreement with Morgans Hotel Group, which owned the Delano brand. All of the suites at the hotel were to be redesigned, along with new bars, lounges, restaurants and nightclubs. The renovations and name change were initially expected to be complete by late 2013, which was later changed to spring 2014. Although THEhotel had been financially successful, the decision to renovate and rename it was part of a transformation at the Mandalay Bay. In addition, there had already been plans to renovate the nine-year-old hotel tower prior to forming a partnership with Morgans Hotel Group, which had been expanding the Delano brand. Morgans Hotel Group previously planned to open a Delano hotel at the cancelled Echelon project on the Las Vegas Strip. Mandalay Bay president and chief operating officer Chuck Bowling said that while people enjoyed THEhotel, it "in many cases, was a tower of Mandalay Bay. What we really want to do at Delano is create its own spirit, its own energy." Because the design phase took longer than expected, MGM announced in September 2013 that the property's renovation would be delayed several months. It was announced the following month that design plans had been finalized and that construction for the hotel's conversion was expected to begin in March 2014, for an opening