Treasure Island Hotel and Casino
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Treasure Island Hotel and Casino (also known as Treasure Island Las Vegas and "TI")<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> is a pirate-themed hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, U.S. It includes 2,885 rooms and a Template:Convert casino. The resort is owned and operated by businessman Phil Ruffin.
Treasure Island was developed by casino owner Steve Wynn through his company, Mirage Resorts. Project designers included Joel Bergman and Jon Jerde. Wynn announced Treasure Island in October 1991, and construction began four months later. The resort opened on October 26, 1993. Treasure Island was among several family-oriented resorts to open in Las Vegas during the 1990s, taking advantage of the growing tourist demographic. Treasure Island's facade was built with a lagoon containing two pirate ships. Free pirate battles were performed daily for spectators over the next two decades. The resort has also hosted Mystère since 1993, making it the longest-running show by Cirque du Soleil.
In 2000, MGM Grand Inc. acquired Mirage Resorts and was renamed MGM Mirage. Treasure Island's pirate theme was scaled back during a 2003 project aimed at attracting a more mature audience, in contrast to the family trend of the 1990s. MGM's revamp included new signage abbreviating the resort's name as "TI", while the original pirate show, Battle of Buccaneer Bay, was replaced by Sirens of TI.
MGM struggled financially during the Great Recession. In 2009, it sold Treasure Island to Ruffin for $755 million. Ruffin targeted a middle-class clientele, making various changes to appeal to the demographic. He added two signature restaurants: Gilley's Saloon in 2010, and Señor Frog's in 2012. The pirate shows ended the following year, although the ships remain on display.
History
In 1986, casino owner Steve Wynn purchased property on the Las Vegas Strip extending north to Spring Mountain Road.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He opened a resort, The Mirage, on the southern portion of the land in 1989. Wynn had always wanted to build a second casino on the remaining acreage, which was being used as a parking lot for the Mirage.<ref name="Easy" />
Wynn's company, Mirage Resorts, announced the Treasure Island project on October 30, 1991. Like other new resorts in Las Vegas, Treasure Island was planned as a family-oriented property, taking advantage of the growing tourist demographic. It would also cater to a middle-class clientele, unlike the Mirage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Indiana>Template:Cite news</ref> Groundbreaking took place on March 2, 1992, earlier than anticipated. Construction was originally expected to cost $300 million,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but the final cost rose to $430 million.<ref name=Pyramid>Template:Cite news</ref>
Employees and their families stayed at Treasure Island a couple days before the opening to put the resort through a trial run.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Treasure Island opened to the public at 10:00 p.m. on October 26, 1993, following a private opening for VIPs, including Nevada governor Bob Miller. The resort's facade featured a free pirate show taking place in a man-made lagoon.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Wynn's other Strip resort, the shuttered Dunes, was imploded the following night in a grand ceremony which incorporated the pirate show. One of the ships fired its cannon as the implosion began, simulating the resort's destruction by cannonballs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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In 1996, Treasure Island hosted a naturalization ceremony for 93 workers. It was the first Las Vegas resort to hold such an event.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A man robbed the casino twice in 2000, stealing more than $30,000. He was arrested after a failed third attempt, during which he shot a security guard. He was sentenced to 130 years in prison.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Prairie Island Indian Community, owners of a Treasure Island casino resort in Minnesota, filed a $250 million damages lawsuit against Mirage Resorts in May 2000. The suit alleged that Wynn violated trademark law by using the "Treasure Island" name for his own casino resort. The suit also requested that Wynn be barred from using the name,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which Wynn said he registered in 1993.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Wynn departed Mirage Resorts in 2000, when it was acquired by MGM Grand Inc.,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> later renamed MGM Mirage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Treasure Island's family amenities included the pirate show and an arcade.<ref name=Pyramid/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, the pirate theme and family appeal would be gradually scaled back in subsequent years.<ref name=Yo/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2003, Treasure Island announced a major revamp to transform the resort into a more sophisticated property aimed primarily at adults,<ref name=Yo/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> although children would still be welcomed.<ref name=Extreme/> Describing the resort's transformation, Treasure Island president Scott Sibella said, "We've seen a return of Las Vegas to its roots as an adult destination. As the city has evolved, so too has Treasure Island."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He said, "We've evolved from a yo-ho-ho feel to a more sophisticated feel. We want to change the exterior to introduce the outside to what we've already done inside." As part of the revamp, Treasure Island began using the abbreviated name "TI". Sibella described the new name as trendy and sexy, and said it was a name that residents and guests already used. He compared the abbreviated name to the former Desert Inn resort, also known as "D.I."<ref name=Yo/> MGM Mirage began a marketing campaign for TI in June 2003, including advertisements in various publications.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
MGM struggled financially during the Great Recession, and businessman Phil Ruffin made an offer to buy Treasure Island. MGM accepted and announced the deal at the end of 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The purchase was finalized on March 20, 2009,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> at a cost of $755 million.<ref name=Anti>Template:Cite news</ref> At the time, Treasure Island was the only hotel-casino on the Strip to be owned by a single individual, as others are corporate-owned.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Because of the sale, Treasure Island was removed from MGM's extensive customer database. Later that year, the resort joined K Hotels, a worldwide collection of approximately 50 hotels.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Amid the recession, Ruffin spent $20 million on various changes to target a middle-class clientele.<ref name=Anti/><ref name=Captain/><ref name=Shuns/> The hotel rooms were left untouched, as MGM had conducted a $92 million renovation of them shortly before selling the resort to Ruffin.<ref name=Shuns/>
A rooftop swamp cooler caught fire in July 2012, sending smoke through hallways of the upper hotel floors, which were evacuated. The fire caused $20,000 in damage, but resulted in only minor injuries for guests.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2019, Treasure Island's hotel joined Radisson Hotel Group. Under the agreement, the resort kept its name and exterior signage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Room renovations began that year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> State casinos were temporarily closed in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada, and the closure allowed planned renovations across the resort to accelerate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Pandemic>Template:Cite news</ref> Among the additions was an expanded sportsbook.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Accor, a French hospitality company, announced a franchise agreement with Treasure Island in July 2025. Set to take effect later in the year, the hotel will join Accor's global network and become its first property in the Las Vegas Valley.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2016 Assassination attempt on Donald Trump
On June 18, 2016 a 20 year old British citizen, Michael Steven Sandford attempted to assassinate then Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Sandford attempted to grab a service pistol of a Las Vegas police officer during the rally with the intention of shooting Trump. Sandford was unable to carry out the assassination and was apprehended by law enforcement. Donald Trump was unharmed. Treasure Island owner, Phil Ruffin is a business partner of Donald Trump's and a supporter of his presidential campaigns. Trump has held several campaign rallies at Treasure Island,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> including the one in 2016 during which an audience member attempted to assassinate him.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Features
Treasure Island includes a Template:Convert casino,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and has 2,885 rooms,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> located in a 36-story tower.<ref name=Easy/> As part of the 2003 transformation, the tower was given a darker paint color,<ref name=Facelift>Template:Cite news</ref> using 6,200 gallons of terra cotta/"Salmon Stream" paint,<ref name=Adult/> replacing an earlier pink coloring.<ref name=Re-Sign/> Treasure Island received a Four Diamond Award every year from 1999 to 2013.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Tangerine, a nightclub featuring an orange and white interior, operated from 2004 to 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Fashion designer Christian Audigier opened an eponymous nightclub at Treasure Island in 2008, in partnership with Pure Management Group. The decor included rhinestone-encrusted skulls and two large tanks containing jellyfish. Audigier said, "When you're going into a club, you want to see sparkling and glitter and rhinestones".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Christian Audigier did not perform as well as Ruffin would have liked, prompting its closure in 2010.<ref name=Woodman/><ref name=Middle/> Ruffin's other changes included a $3 million makeover of the spa, with renovations overseen by his wife Oleksandra Nikolayenko.<ref name=Captain/> At one point, Treasure Island had Template:Convert of convention space, which received a $4 million renovation in 2012. Four years later, the space was expanded to Template:Convert.<ref name=Pandemic/>
In 2013, the resort announced plans to build a three-story mall, replacing the northern portion of the pirate lagoon area.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was completed two years later, and includes a CVS Pharmacy on the first floor. At the end of 2015, the resort announced that it would lease the upper floors to Victory Hill Exhibitions.<ref name=House/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2016, the company opened the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., an interactive self-guided exhibit based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Hard Rock-Treasure Island Tram traveled between Treasure Island and The Mirage prior to the closure of The Mirage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It temporarily ceased operations in June 2024 prior to The Mirage's closing on July 17, 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It will reopen once Hard Rock Las Vegas opens in 2027.<ref>Popular tram along Strip won’t stay closed</ref>
Theme and design
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Various themes were considered for the resort, until a friend of Wynn's suggested the name "Treasure Island", resulting in a pirate theme.<ref name=Easy/> It is named after the 1880s novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.<ref name=Pyramid/> The resort was designed by Joel Bergman, who previously designed the Mirage. Bergman designed the Treasure Island tower with a floorplan that branched out three ways in a Y-shape, with elevators in the center. This was done for convenience to guests, making the walk to their rooms brief.<ref name=Easy/> The Y-shape was modeled after the Mirage hotel tower.<ref name=MirageReal>Template:Cite news</ref>
Wynn's Atlandia Design worked with Jon Jerde and Olio Design to create the pirate village and lagoon area, originally known as Buccaneer Bay,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Indiana/><ref name=Gorman/> and later as Siren's Cove.<ref name=Siren/> During the design phase, the hotel's lobby entrance was moved to the resort's south side, in order to maintain Buccaneer Bay's location on the east side along the Strip.<ref name=Easy>Template:Cite news</ref> Jerde's assistants traveled across Europe, India and Nepal searching for historic objects such as doors and columns, which were then replicated for Buccaneer Bay.<ref name=Gorman>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The lagoon is 65 feet deep,<ref name=Andersen/> and originally contained 2 million gallons of water.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It uses wastewater recycled from a water treatment plant located beneath the resort's parking garage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A maintenance team, including divers, works to keep the lagoon clean.<ref name=Siren>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Multiple image According to interior designer Roger Thomas, "We thought it would be great fun to create a pirate village with sinking ships and pyrotechnics. The day after it opened we all looked at each other and said, 'What have we done? This is so not us'".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Executives realized that the resort's heavy pirate theme did not appeal to people interested in a weekend getaway.<ref name=Yo/> By 1998, efforts had begun to downplay the theme.<ref name=Dretzka/> Mirage conducted focus group testing to determine upcoming renovation plans for Treasure Island.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A $60 million remodeling of the hotel rooms took place in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The resort initially included a roadside sign featuring an 8,000-pound pirate skull,<ref name=City>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> made of fiberglass and measuring 27 1/2 feet.<ref name=SE/> The skull sign was removed on July 10, 2003, in a ceremony accompanied by fireworks.<ref name=Re-Sign>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Marquee>Template:Cite news</ref> Sibella said, "It's a cool sign, but it needs to complement what we're doing inside", referring to the property's revamp.<ref name=Yo>Template:Cite news</ref> The skull portion was donated to the city's Neon Museum, while much of the remaining sign was scrapped.<ref name=SE>Template:Cite news</ref> The sign was replaced by an LED neon "TI" sign with a modern and sophisticated design.<ref name=City/><ref name=Marquee/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The new sign measures 137 feet high and 84 feet wide.<ref name=Adult/>
Various pirate memorabilia had been removed from the resort over the course of three years, and was auctioned in September 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Facelift/>
Restaurants
Template:See also Treasure Island opened with several restaurants, including Buccaneer Bay Club, which overlooked the lagoon and its pirate shows.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Its menu included steak and seafood.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A fine-dining Italian restaurant, Francesco's, was added in 1998. It featured artwork by celebrities such as Tony Bennett and Phyllis Diller.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Dretzka>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The arcade was replaced in 2001 by a tropical-themed restaurant and bar named Kahunaville, part of efforts to appeal to a more-adult demographic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kahunaville included a dinner show space for live entertainment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A new buffet, Dishes, was added in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> An Asian restaurant known as Social House opened a year later, replacing Buccaneer Bay Club.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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Ruffin made numerous restaurant changes upon taking ownership. In 2009, he replaced Francesco's with a pizzeria by the same name,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> stating, "It's quick and it's cheap and that's what people are looking for these days".<ref name=Captain/> Ruffin also replaced Social House with his own Asian restaurant, Khotan, featuring jade and ivory antiques from his personal collection.<ref name=Captain/><ref name=Woodman>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2010, he opened Gilley's Saloon, a popular Western-themed restaurant, bar and dance hall. It previously operated at Ruffin's New Frontier hotel-casino, which closed in 2007.<ref name=Captain/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The new location replaced Treasure Island's Mist Lounge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2012, Ruffin opened a Señor Frog's restaurant and bar to complement Kahunaville and Gilley's. It replaced Christian Audigier and Khotan,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the latter relocating elsewhere in the resort.<ref name=Middle>Template:Cite news</ref> Another new restaurant, Seafood Shack, also opened in 2012. Its interior was created with recycled materials, including reclaimed wood which lines the walls. The restaurant's centerpiece is an anchor pulled from the Atlantic Ocean.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort also has Phil's Steak House, named after Ruffin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kahunaville closed in 2016.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Live entertainment
Treasure Island opened with the free Battle of Buccaneer Bay pirate show, performed in the lagoon along the Strip. The 15-minute show was performed several times a day and featured 22 actors.<ref name=Andersen>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It depicted the landing and subsequent sacking of a Caribbean village by pirates, serving to attract customers from the Strip and into the resort after each show in the same fashion as the volcano fronting the Mirage resort. Notable special effects included a full-scale, crewed British Royal Navy sailing ship that sailed nearly the full width of the property, a gas-fired "powder magazine" explosion, pyrotechnics, and the sinking of the sailing ship Brittania along with its captain.<ref name=Lawrence>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Battle of Buccaneer Bay held its final performance on July 6, 2003, with a total of 16,334 shows performed over the course of nearly 10 years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It ended as part of the resort's ongoing revamp, which would include a new pirate show. Sibella described the original show as something that would be expected at Disneyland, while calling its successor a "sexy and beautiful, adult Broadway-caliber show."<ref name=Yo/>
The new Sirens of TI pirate show debuted in October 2003, marking the resort's 10th anniversary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Adult>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Buccaneer Bay was renamed Sirens' Cove and the new show utilized many of the technical elements of its predecessor. The live, free show was intended to appeal more to adults by including singing, dancing, audio-visual effects, bare-chested pirates and attractive women in the large outdoor show produced by Kenny Ortega.<ref>Sirens of TI Press Release Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The original two ships were kept for the new show but repainted and altered, as well as some special effects.<ref name=Extreme>Template:Cite news</ref>
Sirens of TI was closed on October 21, 2013. The closure was initially intended to be temporary, but was made permanent the following month, to the dismay of the show's actors. The reason cited by Treasure Island was the construction of the new retail space nearby.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The shows had cost $5 million to put on annually.<ref name=Shuns>Template:Cite news</ref> While Ruffin said the shows brought "a tremendous amount of attention" to Treasure Island, they amounted to minimal foot traffic inside the resort.<ref name=House>Template:Cite news</ref> The pirate ships remain on display in the lagoon, and are lit up at night.<ref name=House/><ref name=Lawrence/>
Treasure Island is home to Cirque du Soleil's Mystère, which introduced the entertainment style of Franco Dragone. It opened on December 25, 1993,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and has been voted nine times as the best production show in the city by the Las Vegas Review-Journal reader's poll.<ref>LVRJ Readers' Poll Template:Webarchive</ref> It is Cirque's longest-running Las Vegas show, reaching 13,000 performances in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mystère has been updated several times throughout its run.<ref name=LA2011/> It takes place in a 1,600-seat theater,<ref name=LA2011>Template:Cite news</ref> designed by Scéno Plus.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> To maximize use of the Mystère theater, Ruffin signed entertainers to perform there on nights when the show is not running. Such entertainers have included Bill Cosby, LeAnn Rimes, and Sinbad.<ref name=Captain>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort has also hosted boxing matches.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In popular culture
An hour-long promotional program, Treasure Island: The Adventure Begins, aired on NBC in January 1994. It stars Corey Carrier as a 12-year-old on vacation with his parents at the resort. There, he meets and teams up with Long John Silver (Anthony Zerbe) to find lost treasure.<ref name=Mangan>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Shows>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Shales>Template:Cite news</ref> Mirage Resorts paid NBC $1.7 million to air the program.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was directed and produced by Scott Garen,<ref name=Shows/> and written by James V. Hart.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The special includes an appearance by Wynn,<ref name=Shales/><ref name=Simpsons>Template:Cite news</ref> and incorporates the Dunes' implosion as its climax.<ref name=Mangan/><ref name=Shows/> The program received low viewership ratings, and was considered an infomercial by critics, who lambasted NBC for not labeling it as such.<ref name=Shales/><ref name=Simpsons/>
Treasure Island has been shown or referenced in other media as well:
- In the 2004 movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, while Steve the Pirate is walking down Fremont Street, someone drives by yelling "Go back to Treasure Island".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> An alternative ending to the movie was that the Average Joes lost the dodgeball tournament, but got their money back when Steve won it at Treasure Island.
- Treasure Island appears in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas under the name "Pirates in Men's Pants",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a pun referencing Pirates of Penzance.
- The resort was a major production location for the 2005 film Miss Congeniality 2,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which included filming of the Sirens of TI show.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- In the 2007 film Knocked Up, Ben (Seth Rogen) and Pete (Paul Rudd) see Mystère at Treasure Island during their visit to Las Vegas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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See also
References
External links
- Template:Official website
- Google maps with StreetView
- Entertainment Engineering Inc., Buccaneer Bay Construction
Template:Las Vegas casinos Template:Las Vegas hotels Template:Las Vegas skyscrapers Template:Las Vegas Strip Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- 1993 establishments in Nevada
- Casino hotels in the Las Vegas Valley
- Casinos completed in 1993
- Casinos in the Las Vegas Valley
- Hotel buildings completed in 1993
- Hotels established in 1993
- Las Vegas Strip
- Resorts in the Las Vegas Valley
- Skyscraper hotels in Paradise, Nevada
- Steve Wynn
- Treasure Island
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