Tropicana Las Vegas

The Tropicana Las Vegas was a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It operated from 1957 to 2024. In its final years, the property included a Template:Convert casino and 1,467 rooms. The complex occupied Template:Convert at the southeast corner of the Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection.

The resort was conceived by Ben Jaffe, part owner of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. The $15 million Tropicana opened on April 4, 1957, as the most expensive Las Vegas resort developed up to that point. The hotel originally opened with low-rise structures containing 300 rooms, and the property would later launch several expansions, including two hotel towers added in 1979 and 1986 respectively. The latter tower was accompanied by the introduction of an island theme for the property. The Tropicana was host to various live entertainment, including the topless showgirl revue known as Folies Bergere. It ended in 2009, after nearly 50 years, and remains the longest-running show in Las Vegas history.

The Tropicana underwent numerous ownership changes throughout its history. Mob connections were present at the time of its opening, and an FBI investigation in 1979 uncovered a skimming operation at the resort. It was sold that year to Ramada Inns, which later transferred ownership to its spin-off company, Aztar Corporation, in 1989. During the 2000s, Aztar considered demolishing the Tropicana for development of a new resort, although this did not come to fruition. Columbia Sussex bought the resort in 2007, but lost it to bankruptcy two years later, with Onex Corporation emerging as the new owner. Onex launched a $180 million renovation, the property's first since 1986. The project was completed in 2011 and added a South Beach theme.

Penn National Gaming bought the Tropicana in 2015, then sold the property to its spin-off company, Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (GLPI), in 2020. Bally's Corporation purchased the Tropicana two years later and leased the land from GLPI. In 2023, Bally's and GLPI reached a redevelopment agreement with the baseball team Oakland Athletics, who plan to relocate to Las Vegas. The Tropicana would be demolished to make way for two new projects: a baseball stadium (tentatively the New Las Vegas Stadium) on nine acres of the site, and a new Bally's Las Vegas resort on the remaining land. The Tropicana closed on April 2, 2024, and demolition began within a month. The last remaining structures, the two hotel towers, were imploded on October 9, 2024.

History

Development and opening

The Tropicana was conceived by Ben Jaffe, part owner of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach.<ref name=Bracelin/> In 1955, Jaffe came to Las Vegas and bought the vacant property that would become the site of the Tropicana.<ref name=moehring>Template:Cite book</ref> M. Tony Sherman of Miami was the architect and Taylor Construction Company was the general contractor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Tiffany/> Jaffe intended the Tropicana to be the finest hotel in Las Vegas.<ref name=moehring/>

Construction ran over schedule and over budget, due in part to competition for labor with the under-construction Stardust, also on the Las Vegas Strip.<ref name=moehring /> Jaffe had to sell his interest in the Fontainebleau to complete the Tropicana.<ref name=moehring/> Originally proposed as a $4.5 million project,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> it ultimately cost $15 million, including $800,000 for decorating and tropical landscaping.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was the most expensive Las Vegas resort developed up to that point, beating the $8.5 million Riviera, which opened two years earlier.<ref name=Sixty/> The Tropicana would be advertised as "the Tiffany of the Strip",<ref name=Tiffany/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in reference to the high-end jeweler Tiffany & Co.<ref name=Insider/>

The project had 30 investors,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> including singer Morton Downey, who owned a five-percent interest.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Jaffe first leased the property to Phil Kastel,<ref name=moehring/> who supervised the project during construction.<ref name=Retires>Template:Cite news</ref> However, the Gaming Control Board raised suspicions over Kastel's apparent links to organized crime,<ref name=moehring/> prompting him to sell his interest in the Tropicana in early 1957.<ref name=Retires/> This paved the way for the issuance of a gaming license.<ref name=Tallies>Template:Cite news</ref> J. Kell Houssels, owner of the Las Vegas Club, was hired to operate the Tropicana casino.<ref name=moehring/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Tropicana hosted a preview opening for local residents on April 3, 1957, before debuting to the general public a day later.<ref name=Tiffany/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort's involvement with organized crime was confirmed a month later, when a note bearing a Tropicana earnings figure was found in the possession of mobster Frank Costello, who was associated with Kastel.<ref name=moehring /> Costello had been shot in a failed assassination attempt, and police discovered the note while he was under hospital care.<ref name=Tiffany/>

The control board subsequently investigated to determine whether Kastel was still secretly involved with the Tropicana.<ref name=Tallies/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kastel had publicly invested more than $300,000 in the project during construction, and the Nevada Tax Commission eventually ordered the Tropicana to rid its ties with him as soon as possible by paying off the debt owed to him.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The note was ultimately traced to Tropicana executive Louis Lederer and cashier Michael Tanico, both of whom would be removed from the property.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Tiffany/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early ownership changes

By 1959, Houssels bought out Jaffe's interest, gaining a majority share in the Tropicana and becoming its new president.<ref name=moehring /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Jaffe family, however, would retain ownership of the land for decades and continue leasing it.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Tropicana prospered throughout the next decade.<ref name=moehring/> Houssells sold out in 1968 to Trans-Texas Airways,<ref name=moehring /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> for $8.7 million,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but remained as manager for a few years.<ref name=Tiffany/>

In the early 1970s, the Tropicana fared poorly from competition with larger, newer hotels like Caesars Palace and the Las Vegas Hilton.<ref name=moehring /> During this time, the Tropicana hosted annual fiesta parties to increase gaming revenue, inviting celebrities and high rollers to attend.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Deil Gustafson, a Minnesota financier, bought the resort in 1972.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sammy Davis Jr. also purchased an eight-percent interest, becoming the first black person to own a share in a Strip resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gustafson undertook an expansion plan, but encountered financing difficulties.<ref name=deadline>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Heiress/> In 1974, brothers Edward and Fred Doumani took over management on an emergency basis after investing $1 million into the property.<ref name=deadline /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Mitzi Stauffer Briggs, heir to the Stauffer Chemical fortune, bought a majority interest in the Tropicana in 1975.<ref name=Closer/> Briggs said she knew "absolutely nothing about gambling or casinos", but invested in the Tropicana at the suggestion of a friend.<ref name=Pilfered>Template:Cite news</ref> Many of its top executives were either fired or resigned in 1976, as Briggs sought to make the resort profitable once again. She invested more than $6 million in the property.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Briggs initially received only a probationary one-year gaming license, due to several business failures in her past.<ref name=Closer>Template:Cite news</ref> She received a full license in July 1977,<ref name=Heiress>Template:Cite news</ref> and began construction of the property's first high-rise structure, the Tiffany Tower,<ref name=Ground/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which opened two years later.<ref name=SC/> The casino floor was also renovated and expanded.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Tropicana became the target of a mob skimming operation in 1978.<ref>Template:Cite court</ref> Joe Agosto, then-owner of the casino's Folies Bergere show, oversaw the siphoning of money from the cashier cage to the Kansas City crime family.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The scheme was exposed in 1979 through "Operation Strawman",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> an FBI investigation into hidden mob interests in Las Vegas casinos.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Due to her inexperience, Briggs had relied on the advice of Agosto,<ref name=Tiffany/> whom she found to be charming.<ref name=Pilfered/><ref name=Beast/> Because they had allowed Agosto to manage the casino without a gaming license, Briggs and Gustafson faced revocation of their own licenses.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They had little choice but to sell the Tropicana. Hotel chain Ramada Inns purchased the business in December 1979, along with a 50% share of the property's real estate that had been owned by the Doumanis.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite court</ref> Briggs lost an estimated $44 million during her involvement with the Tropicana, and did not receive any of the profits from the Ramada purchase.<ref name=Pilfered/><ref name=Beast>Template:Cite web</ref> The Doumani brothers and Gufstafson later accused Ramada of breaching its contract on the sale, winning a $34 million judgment in 1989.<ref name=Ex>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Gustafson was convicted in 1983 over a check kiting scheme involving the Tropicana,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and served 40 months in prison.<ref name=Ex/> In 1995, he was also charged with bankruptcy fraud relating to the Tropicana's 1979 sale. He, in turn, named the Doumani brothers and two others involved in a scheme with him to divert money from the 1989 judgment; these four individuals were charged as well. Federal officials alleged that the diverted money had wound up in the possession of mobsters. Gustafson pled guilty and agreed to testify against the others. One defendant was dismissed because of lack of evidence, and the others were found not guilty in a 1998 trial.<ref>Retrieved December 27, 2023:

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Later years

Pool area and tropical landscaping

Amid the early 1980s recession, Ramada began targeting a middle-class clientele for the Tropicana, which had lost the luxury prominence it once had.<ref name=Tiffany/> In 1986, the resort completed a $70 million expansion which included a second high-rise, the Island Tower. The project also introduced a five-acre pool area of man-made lagoons, waterfalls and islands, accompanied by floating blackjack tables. The property began marketing itself as the "Island of Las Vegas".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Unveils/>

The Tropicana and its original tower in the 1990s

Ramada spun off its gaming properties, including the Tropicana, in 1989 as Aztar Corporation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By the late 1990s, the Tropicana was largely seen as an aging, under-performing property in contrast to newer resorts on the Strip.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1998, Aztar bought an option to acquire the 50% interest held by the Jaffe family, which would make future renovations easier to implement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Aztar, however, held off its buyout for several years to assess whether Las Vegas had been overbuilt with new hotels.<ref name=NewLegends/> The company eventually consolidated ownership of the Tropicana in 2002, buying the half interest in the land and buildings from the Jaffe family for $117.5 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The sale opened up the possibility of redeveloping the Tropicana site.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2003, Aztar unveiled potential plans for a $500 million expansion. The project would replace the northern half of the existing Tropicana facilities, adding additional rooms and timeshares.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A decision about whether to proceed with these plans was expected in early 2004, but was pushed back by Aztar to focus on an expansion at its other Tropicana resort, located in Atlantic City.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the latter's completion, Aztar would continue to put off its Las Vegas redevelopment plans to further evaluate the best use of the land.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2006, Aztar unveiled new plans to demolish the Tropicana and build a $1.2 billion casino resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gaming analysts viewed the redevelopment plans as a certainty; Aztar had already hired Marnell Corrao Associates to manage construction, and sought bank financing to fund the project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, a bidding war soon began for Aztar, with Ameristar Casinos, Columbia Sussex, and Pinnacle Entertainment competing to buy the company.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Aztar was desired for its ownership of the Tropicana, which presented ample redevelopment opportunities. Columbia Sussex ultimately prevailed,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> finalizing its purchase in January 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Columbia Sussex planned to renovate the Tropicana as part of a $2 billion expansion project, adding five new towers for more than 8,000 rooms.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, this project was delayed due to the 2008 financial crisis,<ref name=Makeover>Template:Cite news</ref> and it later became moot when Columbia Sussex's gaming arm filed for bankruptcy in 2008. The Tropicana, which had a $440 million secured loan against it,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> was bought from the bankrupt company in July 2009 by its creditors, led by Canadian private equity firm Onex Corporation and former MGM Mirage CEO Alex Yemenidjian, who took over as the Tropicana's CEO.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The remainder of Columbia Sussex's gaming business, reorganized under new ownership as Tropicana Entertainment Inc., promptly sued the Las Vegas property, demanding royalties for use of the Tropicana name. The case was eventually settled, with the Tropicana Las Vegas receiving exclusive rights to use the name in the Las Vegas region, royalty-free.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:Multiple image During the Great Recession, the Tropicana emphasized its cheap amenities to attract a value-conscious demographic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After taking over the Tropicana, Yemenidjian sought to update the property and transform it into a middle-class resort: "We're not interested in the very low end because there's no margin in that business. And we're not interested in the very high end because those customers have different expectations. The most successful properties in Las Vegas are both aspirational and accessible as opposed to those targeting a narrow market."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Renovations began in August 2009,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and cost $180 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It marked the Tropicana's first major remodel in nearly 25 years, and added a South Beach theme to the property.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Room renovations were completed in 2010, and work on the casino floor was expected to conclude by the end of the year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In August 2015, Penn National Gaming purchased the Tropicana for $360 million,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Renamed/> marking its first resort on the Strip.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn faced the prospect of financial issues brought on by resort closures. As a result, Penn sold the land occupied by the Tropicana to its spin-off company, Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (GLPI).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The land sold for $337.5 million in rent credits, and the sale was finalized in April 2020. Penn would continue to operate the Tropicana for another two years, or until the resort was sold.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In April 2021, Bally's Corporation agreed to purchase the Tropicana,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a deal that was finalized in September 2022. Bally's bought the non-land assets of the resort from GLPI and Penn for $148 million, and leased the land from GLPI for annual rent of $10.5 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Plans were soon made to replace the Tropicana with a baseball stadium and a new casino resort.<ref name=Know/>

Closure

The Tropicana's original hotel wings from 1957 were closed, without fanfare, in mid-November 2023. They were the oldest resort rooms on the Strip.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The rest of the Tropicana ceased operations on April 2, 2024; the casino floor closed at 3:00 a.m., followed by the remainder of the property at 12:00 p.m.<ref name=IndyGaming>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the time of its closure, the Tropicana had 700 workers,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> some of whom had been with the property for decades.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A Tropicana sign at the Neon Museum, 2017

Prior to closing, Bally's chairman Soo Kim said, "The Trop is obviously iconic, but it is, really, in a lot of ways, economically obsolete. It literally is part of the glitz and glamour of Vegas, but it hasn't been that for decades."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Katie Dowd of SFGate wrote that "decades of decay have already destroyed what's left of the world-famous Tropicana".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Michael Green, a history professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), noted that, "Hotels built in the 1950s were not designed for the 2020s". He partly attributed the Tropicana's decline to the numerous ownership changes in its later years, which "meant different approaches, different plans. Then it was surrounded by these megaresorts. And in a sense, it tried to have its own niche by not being one of them and having amenities – but not the amenities to the degree the others did."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite its age, the Tropicana was profitable at the time of its closure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A liquidation sale began not long after the property's closure,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> lasting about two months.<ref name=Possible>Template:Cite news</ref> It included entire furnished suites,<ref>Tropicana Las Vegas Selling Off Entire Furnished Suites Before Implosion</ref> as well as various items from the casino floor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most of the gaming equipment was transferred to other Bally's properties.<ref name=Know/><ref name=Preservation>Template:Cite news</ref> Some items and memorabilia will be donated to local organizations, including UNLV and the Neon Museum;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the latter had already acquired a former Tropicana neon sign years earlier.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Demolition

Template:Multiple image Demolition got underway within a month of the property's closure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Several hotel structures contained asbestos, which had to be removed prior to demolition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Most of the asbestos had already been removed during renovations and expansions that had taken place over the years. Miller Environmental Inc. removed the remainder and then demolished the low-rise buildings,<ref name=CEG>Template:Cite web</ref> leaving the towers as the last structures on the site.<ref name=Possible/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Miller and GGG Demolition Inc. gutted the buildings to prepare them for implosion, removing plaster and drywall to minimize dust.<ref name=CEG/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The towers were imploded on October 9, 2024,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> at 2:37 a.m.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Demolition was preceded by a ceremony featuring LED and pyrotechnic aerial drones, as well as fireworks from Fireworks by Grucci.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Paves/> The aerial show took approximately five months to plan, with a crew of nearly 100 people on-site to execute it.<ref name=Paves>Template:Cite news</ref> The towers were imploded by Controlled Demolition, Inc., which has handled Las Vegas implosions for decades.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The towers were built differently and thus required separate approaches.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The original 1979 structure was built with a steel frame, which took 490 pounds of explosives to bring down. The 1986 tower consisted of reinforced concrete and required 1,700 pounds of explosives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Approximately 98 percent of the implosion debris is expected to be recycled, with cleanup of the site taking three to four months.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Tropicana marked the first Strip implosion since the Riviera in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Redevelopment plans

New Las Vegas Stadium

Template:Main The Oakland Athletics, a Major League Baseball team, began considering a Las Vegas relocation in 2021, with the Tropicana property as a potential site for a new stadium.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2023, after more than a year of negotiations,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the Oakland A's reached an agreement with Bally's and GLPI to demolish the Tropicana for redevelopment. The stadium will occupy nine acres.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Horizon/>

The stadium is expected to cost $1.5 billion, and a public financing package for up to $380 million was approved by the state in June 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Five months later, the Oakland A's relocation to Las Vegas was approved by the MLB.<ref name=Horizon/> Construction of the stadium began in May 2025,<ref>Las Vegas A's Stadium Construction Underway</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with completion expected by January 2028.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

New Bally's Las Vegas

The stadium is expected to occupy Template:Convert of the Template:Convert site, with another Template:Convert<ref name=Flanked>Template:Cite news</ref> being used for a new Bally's Las Vegas resort.<ref name=Horizon>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Know>Template:Cite news</ref> The remaining Template:Convert would be shared between the stadium and the resort.<ref name=Flanked/> The original Bally's Las Vegas, also on the Strip, was rebranded as Horseshoe Las Vegas in 2022. This occurred after the name rights were sold to Bally's Corporation, known prior to that point as Twin River Worldwide Holdings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After acquiring the rights, the company had plans to rename the Tropicana as a Bally's property, although this did not pan out.<ref name=Renamed>Template:Cite news</ref>

Bally's had more than $3 billion in long-term debt as of April 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At that time, the company stated there was no rush to build a new resort on the Tropicana site, instead focusing on other gaming projects, including Bally's Chicago and a possible New York property.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bally's said work on the Las Vegas resort could begin some time during the stadium's construction or at a later point following the latter's completion. The company was also open to partnering with another resort operator to begin the project sooner.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It has been suggested that the Las Vegas resort could be developed similarly to Bally's property in Chicago.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As demolition concluded on the Tropicana, Bally's was in the early stages of planning for its replacement,<ref name=Paves/> an integrated resort with 3,005 rooms,<ref name=Flanked/> a Template:Convert casino, a three-level theater venue with 2,500 seats,<ref name=Akers>Template:Cite news</ref> and Template:Convert of convention space.<ref name=Flanked/> The resort, including two hotel towers, would be built in phases over a number of years, with construction expected to start in the first half of 2026.<ref name=Akers/> Bally's intends to finish phase-one in time to coincide with the opening of the stadium, with construction taking approximately two years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Labor disputes

Several bomb incidents occurred at Strip resorts in 1984, amid a labor dispute with local trade unions. The Tropicana was among those targeted, with an early morning blast damaging nine vehicles in its front parking lot.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The casino's main show, Folies Bergere, was also closed for 11 weeks due to the dispute.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Folies Bergere closed again in 1989, when its 14-crew musician team went on strike. The crew was represented by the American Federation of Musicians, and walked off the job after their contract expired without a deal for renewal. The closure of Folies Bergere affected 170 other workers involved in the show. It soon reopened with the use of taped music in place of live musicians, a practice that the union had opposed. The crew was ultimately fired, saving the Tropicana $600,000 in yearly salaries. The musician strike also affected several other resorts on the Strip.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After seven months, the strike ended in 1990 with a new contract agreement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2001, table game dealers at the Tropicana voted to be represented by the Transport Workers Union, which later accused the casino of targeting its supporters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The union's representation was decertified in 2002; of 147 dealers, 98 voted to decertify, while 38 voted in support of the union.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The overall workforce at the Tropicana was represented by the Culinary Workers Union.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bill Yung, the founder and chief executive of Columbia Sussex, was opposed to union representation.<ref name=Blood>Template:Cite news</ref> When his company took over the Tropicana in 2007, it laid off more than 500 workers, including 300 Culinary members.<ref name=Makeover/> Columbia Sussex also sought givebacks from the union during negotiations for a contract renewal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Talks between the two sides eventually became bitter and prolonged.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2008, Yung was replaced by Scott Butera, who worked to negotiate a new contract with Culinary.<ref name=Blood/>

Property overview

The Tropicana occupied Template:Convert,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> located at the southeast corner of the Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection.<ref name=Neon>Template:Cite web</ref> Tropicana Avenue was originally known as Bond Road, and took on its current name in 1961, at the request of the Tropicana.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:Multiple image In its final years, the casino floor measured Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It included 600 slot machines and 19 table games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A section of the casino floor featured a stained-glass ceiling that covered Template:Convert.<ref name=25th/><ref name=Masterpiece>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was designed by Tony DeVroudes and created by Judson Studios,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and was installed in 1979,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> at a cost of $1 million.<ref name=Masterpiece/> Las Vegas architect Joel Bergman later said of the ceiling, "Nothing like that had been done before inside a casino. It changed the texture of design in Las Vegas." Bergman's firm was hired in 2010 to revamp the ceiling.<ref name=ENR/> Following the Tropicana's closure, the ceiling is expected to be donated to a historic group.<ref name=IndyGaming/><ref name=Preservation/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1993, the Tropicana added the Wildlife Walk habitat, featuring exotic birds, mammals, and reptiles. It was built in an existing covered walkway linking the two hotel towers.<ref name=Flavor/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Nikki Beach, a chain of beach clubs, opened a location at the Tropicana in May 2011. It was aimed at a clientele in the 30-to-40 age range.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A nightclub, known as Club Nikki, also opened along with Cafe Nikki.<ref name=Severs/> The three facilities were added as part of the Tropicana's $180 million renovation.<ref name=Bagatelle>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort parted ways with the Nikki brand later in 2011,<ref name=Severs>Template:Cite news</ref> and the nightclub was renamed RPM Nightclub.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The other club was soon rebranded as Bagatelle Beach & Supper Club.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, the Tropicana took over operations of the two clubs and renamed them the Havana Room and Beach Club, open only for private events.<ref name=Bagatelle/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Hotel

Template:Multiple image The Tropicana originally opened with a three-story hotel and 300 rooms. The resort was built out in a "Y" shape, with its two hotel wings branching outward from the casino building.<ref name=Opens>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Tiffany/> A three-story wing extension with 150 rooms, designed by architect Homer Rissman, was added in 1959.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Another wing was extended in 1962.<ref name=25th/> A four-story addition with 132 rooms, also by Rissman, was added in 1964.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two major hotel expansions would later occur:

• The Tiffany Tower opened in 1979, with 600 rooms.<ref name=Ground>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=25th/> It was renamed the Paradise Tower in 1986.<ref name=SC>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Unveils>Template:Cite news</ref>
• The Island Tower opened in 1986, with 806 rooms.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It later became the Club Tower.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The first and second towers are designated as 22 and 21 stories respectively,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Bally's>Template:Cite news</ref> although both skip the 13th floor due to bad-luck superstition among gamblers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As part of the 2010 renovation, the resort demolished its 1959 and 1964 wings, the latter to make way for a second entrance and additional parking along Tropicana Avenue.<ref name=Overview>Template:Cite web</ref> The 20th floor of the Paradise Tower was also renovated to include 6 luxury villas, removing 30 regular rooms in the process. As a result of these changes, the hotel was left with 1,467 rooms in total,<ref name=Chief/> down from approximately 1,870.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

From 2012 until it closed in 2024, the Tropicana's hotel had been affiliated with DoubleTree by Hilton.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Bally's/>

Dining

A $5 million remodeling project was launched in 1978, and included two new restaurants.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Others would debut in the late 1990s, including the Savanna Steakhouse.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Tropicana also opened Pietro's, a fine-dining restaurant that would go on to be well received.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It eventually closed in 2007 under the resort's new ownership, which found it to be under-performing.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The 2010 renovation added several new dining options, including the Italian restaurant Bacio.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Legends Steak & Seafood, a Template:Convert restaurant, was updated to become Biscayne Steak, Sea & Wine.<ref name=ENR>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2017, it was remodeled again to include a bar and lounge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, celebrity chef Robert Irvine opened a restaurant, Robert Irvine's Public House,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the resort also added Oakville Steakhouse.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Museums and exhibits

From 1999 to 2005, the Tropicana was the home of the Casino Legends Hall of Fame.<ref name=thompson>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=fink>Template:Cite news</ref> It displayed artifacts and memorabilia from hundreds of casinos, and held induction ceremonies to honor notable Las Vegas entertainers and gaming industry figures.<ref name=thompson /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Template:Convert facility featured 10,000 items.<ref name=NewLegends>Template:Cite news</ref> Upon closing, it was quickly replaced by the Las Vegas Historic Museum, which lasted until 2006.<ref name=fink /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Convention and exhibit space was added in 1973,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and an expansion was completed in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The space hosted several exhibits,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> including "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition", which opened in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was joined in 2006 by "Bodies: The Exhibition", a display of preserved human bodies.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The two exhibits, both produced by Premier Exhibitions, closed in 2008 to move to the Luxor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

They were replaced in March 2011 by the Las Vegas Mob Experience, an attraction describing the rise and fall of organized crime in Las Vegas, featuring mob artifacts, holograms of famed gangsters such as Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky, and live actors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After being plagued by technical problems, litigation, and low ticket sales, and going through a bankruptcy and partial closure, the exhibit became known as the Mob Attraction Las Vegas in March 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It closed in November 2013.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Plaza area

A portion of the plaza area in 2018

A plaza with tropical landscaping was located at the Tropicana – Las Vegas intersection, in front of the resort and facing the Strip.<ref name=Neon/> This area originally featured a water cooling tower, which was covered with a tulip-shaped fountain structure.<ref name=Tiffany/><ref name=Bracelin/> It stood Template:Convert,<ref name=Opens/><ref name=Bracelin/> and was demolished in 1977, as part of renovation work.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The tropical theme was added in 1991,<ref name=Flavor/> and included two large statues depicting Easter Island heads. The statues were Template:Convert high and weighed 300,000 pounds each. They were removed in 1996, during a renovation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The plaza's tropical theme was expanded with a Caribbean village facade, which began construction in 1993 and was finished within a year.<ref name=Flavor>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1994, the plaza debuted a free laser light show, accompanied by music and special effects such as fog.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Plans were announced in 2013 to build a two-story shopping area on the plaza land,<ref name=Chief>Template:Cite news</ref> but this project was later scrapped.<ref name=Thrill/>

Tropicana Country Club

The Tropicana Country Club opened in September 1961,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> on Template:Convert of land. It was located north of the resort, across Tropicana Avenue. The site had consisted of vacant desert land, which was transformed into the golf club over a 10-month period.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It included a 70-par course measuring 6,481 yards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

MGM Grand Inc. purchased the country club in 1989,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and closed it a year later. The land was redeveloped as the MGM Grand resort and MGM Grand Adventures theme park, both opened in 1993.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Live entertainment

The Tropicana opened with the 450-seat Theatre Restaurant, featuring tiered flooring which overlooked a semi-circular stage. It also included glass walls offering a view of the property's tropical gardens.<ref name=Sixty>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Opens/> The venue opened with singer Eddie Fisher,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> who was a regular performer there.<ref name=Insider>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1980, it became the first ever theater in the Las Vegas Strip to host a televised show, being Las Vegas Gambit, which was treated as both a game show and entertainment spot which was unique to the Tropicana.

Other venues included the Showcase and Blue Room lounges.<ref name=Thrill>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Jazz performances took place in the latter,<ref name=Thrill/> which opened in 1965.<ref name=25th>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Blue Room seated more than 400 people. Notable performers there included Louis Armstrong, Erroll Garner, Benny Goodman, Al Hirt and the Ramsey Lewis Trio.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Tropicana Holiday, a striptease revue starring Jayne Mansfield, opened in 1958.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Later that year, the Stardust resort opened on the Strip along with the show Lido de Paris, featuring topless showgirls. Inspired by the show's success, the Tropicana debuted its own topless revue in 1959, titled Folies Bergere.<ref name=Tiffany>Template:Cite news</ref> The show was imported from Paris. Aside from the showgirls, Folies Bergere also featured other acts, including the Las Vegas debut of magicians Siegfried & Roy (1967) and Lance Burton (1982).<ref name=Bracelin/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The show ran at the Tropicana until 2009, closing shortly before its 50th anniversary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2023, it remains the longest-running show in Las Vegas history.<ref name=Bracelin>Template:Cite news</ref>

A performance of Air Play in 2003

Several live albums were recorded at the Tropicana, including Kenton Live from the Las Vegas Tropicana (1959) by Stan Kenton,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jackpot! (1966) by Dave Brubeck,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Standing Ovation (1969) by Count Basie,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Keep the Customer Satisfied (1970) by the Buddy Rich Big Band,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and America! America! America! (1978) by Pink Lady.

In 2002, the casino floor debuted Air Play, a free show performed several times daily. It featured various entertainers – including jugglers, singers and dancers – who performed on a stage atop a bank of slot machines, with the casino's stained-glass ceiling as a backdrop. As part of the show, a track was also installed along the ceiling for acrobatic performances.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Main theater

Sign along Tropicana Avenue, advertising the resort's entertainment offerings in 2011

The largest venue at the property was the 1,100-seat Tropicana Theater,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which featured the Prince tribute show Purple Reign (since 2017)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the Michael Jackson tribute show MJ Live (since 2022).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The venue opened in 1973 as the Superstar Theater,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> built to the specifications desired by Sammy Davis Jr.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was renamed as the Tiffany Theatre in 1975.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2011, it became the Gladys Knight Theater when the singer began a residency at the venue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was renamed as the Tropicana Theater later that year, after Knight's departure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> From 2019 to 2022, it hosted the celebrity impersonator revue Legends in Concert and was named the Legends in Concert Theater.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other productions at the theater have included magician Rick Thomas (1997–2005);<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=sleightofhand>Template:Cite news</ref> magician Dirk Arthur (2005–2010);<ref name=sleightofhand /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> singer Wayne Newton (2009–2010);<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> percussion group Recycled Percussion (2010–2012);<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=kats20121113>Template:Cite news</ref> a live production of Dancing with the Stars (2012);<ref name=kats20121113 /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mamma Mia!, the Broadway musical based on the songs of ABBA (2014);<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Raiding the Rock Vault, a musical featuring classic rock songs (2014–2016);<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> illusionist Jan Rouven (2014–2016);<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and illusionist David Goldrake (2017–2018).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Comedy clubs

A showroom on the Tropicana's mezzanine level was occupied by the Laugh Factory, a comedy club which offered two nightly stand-up comedy shows,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as nightly performances by impressionist Rich Little<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and comic magician Murray Sawchuck.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The space opened in 1988 as Rodney's Place, a comedy club associated with Rodney Dangerfield, which closed after six months.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It then operated as the Comedy Stop from 1990 to 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The venue next became the Bobby Slayton Room, offering regular shows by the comedian and several other performers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It then opened as Brad Garrett's Comedy Club in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Garrett's club departed in 2011 to move to the MGM Grand.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Laugh Factory took over the space in 2012,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and continued there until the Tropicana closed in 2024. The Laugh Factory intends to relocate to a new yet-to-be-determined location on the Strip.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In popular culture

The Tropicana made various appearances in popular culture, including films:

• A scene from Folies Bergere is featured in the 1964 Elvis Presley film Viva Las Vegas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Epting>Template:Cite news</ref>
• In the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, 007 stays at the Tropicana, because he has heard it is "quite comfortable".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• The Las Vegas sequence of The Godfather (1972) was filmed at the resort.<ref name=Epting/><ref>Block, Marcelline (2011). World Film Locations: Las Vegas. Intellect Books. Page 18. Template:ISBN.</ref>
• Filming took place at the Tropicana for the 1992 film This Is My Life, while a coffee shop at the resort was recreated on a sound stage for additional filming.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Tropicana was also featured in television programs:

• The resort was a filming location for a 1978 episode of Charlie's Angels titled "Angels in Vegas".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• A two-part episode of Designing Women, aired in 1992 during season seven, was set at the Tropicana. In the episodes, Anthony meets and marries a showgirl from Folies Bergere.
• In 1998, stunt performer Robbie Knievel jumped a motorcycle across 30 limousines at the Tropicana, for a live two-hour special titled Daredevils Live: Shattering the Records.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• An episode of Seven Days filmed at the Tropicana in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• The Tropicana was featured on the TV show Angel in the 2002 episode "The House Always Wins", as the casino where the character Lorne had his show.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• The fifth-season premiere of Malcolm in the Middle was filmed at the Tropicana in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Tropicana was also used for the taping of several game shows, including Dealer's Choice (1974) and Las Vegas Gambit (1980–81).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Let's Make a Deal was revived in 2009, with half of its first season taped at the resort,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before moving to Los Angeles.

See also

• Tropicana Atlantic City
• Tropicana Laughlin

External links

• Official website, archived via the Wayback Machine