The corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard is, arguably, the most famous intersection in the world and at that intersection the Tropicana Hotel and Casino stands tall. This intersection has the most hotel rooms of any intersection in the world and the Tropicana has been its cornerstone since it opened in 1957. Today the Tropicana offers 1,876 rooms and is attached to a 61,000 square foot casino. The Tropicana also boasts of 100,000 square feet of convention and exhibit space.
Back in 1957 the building was much smaller. The original building only offered 300 rooms. In 1959 another 150-room wing was added. Again in 1962 another 116 rooms were added surrounding the swimming pool. The Paradise Tower shines with 21 floors, which hold 600 well appointed guest rooms and suites. In 1985 the 22-story, 806-room, Island Tower was constructed.
The Tropicana has also seen its fair share of memorable shows and performers over the years including the famous Folies Bergere production, Roger Williams, Count Basie and Guy Lombardo.
The Present
When the Tropicana first opened it was tagged as the “Tiffany of the Strip”, but in recent years it has lost much of its luster. This hotel once catered to the affluent, but now offers some of the cheapest rooms on the Strip. The once impressive décor of the 1960’s has not been updated since then. Many of the Tropicana’s amenities that were considered luxurious in past decades have now become obsolete. The once upscale shopping has been replaced with trinkets and a strip mall-like shopping area.
Future Plans
In late 2009 Alex Yemenidjian, Tropicana’s new CEO, announced a robust plan to invest $100 million to develop a South Beach Miami theme, which will be completed in several phases. The first phase is nearly complete and features the renovation of the 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention areas. The Island Tower walkway is also undergoing extensive renovations that include imported Grecian marble. The second renovation phase will include room renovations and upgrades to common areas. The third phase, including restaurant overhauls, is still in the design phase.
Overall, the owners plan to invest more than $100 million to renovate the 1,876-room property. The $100 million renovation will include a makeover of every room, a new poker room, new sports book, new restaurants and even a new nightclub.
