Travel advisors weighed in on the ramifications of Gogo Vacations and American Queen Voyages shuttering their doors, along with the termination of the JetBlue-Spirit merger, noting that nothing is off the table in the post-pandemic era.
22.02.2024 - 09:41 / travelweekly.com / Louis Armstrong / Elvis Presley
Those looking to take in a little Las Vegas history have about a month before the legendary Tropicana closes and is demolished for a proposed baseball stadium to house the Athletics, the Major League Baseball team that has called Oakland home since 1968.
Its last day will be Tuesday, April 2, owner Bally's Corp. announced last month. That's just days before the 67th anniversary of the resort's opening. Bally's has not yet announced how the two guestroom towers will be removed, but it seems inevitable they will be subject to a newer Las Vegas tradition: implosion.
When the Tropicana Las Vegas opened on April 4, 1957, Nevada's lieutenant governor unlocked the door and threw away the key to signal that it would always stay open, Michael Green, a professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told the Associated Press.
A 4,000-square-foot stained-glass ceiling was installed over part of the Tropicana’s casino in the late '70s. Photo Credit: Paul SzydelkoBuilt for $15 million and including 300 rooms, the Tropicana was then the most expensive hotel to open on the Strip. What soon became known as the "Tiffany of the Strip" featured delicate mosaic tile, rich mahogany panels and a tall, tulip-shaped fountain near the entrance. The Tropicana also famously had ties to organized crime through mob boss Frank Costello, according to Green.
A blog on the Mob Museum's website has more about the opening and Costello's involvement.
The iconic topless "Folies Bergere" opened in 1959 and ran until 2019, fortifying the city's reputation for showgirls. The show was featured in the 1964 Elvis Presley film "Viva Las Vegas" and was where magicians Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn got their start.
Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong and Gladys Knight were among the stars who have performed at the Tropicana. Daredevil Robbie Knievel made a record-breaking motorcycle jump outside the hotel, soaring to 231 feet over a row of limousines, in 1998.
After the Flamingo (which opened in 1946) and the Sahara (1952), the Tropicana is considered the third oldest on the Strip.
However, a walk-through of the property no longer reveals what guests saw in 1957, but much more of what Vegas was like in the 1980s. The original rooms reportedly closed with little publicity last year. The two present hotel towers were added in 1979 and 1986. A $180 million renovation by then-owner Onex Corp was completed in 2011 and added a South Beach theme.
Among the current productions in the theater are "MJ Live," a Michael Jackson tribute concert, and "Purple Reign," a Prince tribute show. Legendary comedian and impersonator Rich Little, 85, is frequently featured at the Laugh Factory Comedy Club, which has two shows
Travel advisors weighed in on the ramifications of Gogo Vacations and American Queen Voyages shuttering their doors, along with the termination of the JetBlue-Spirit merger, noting that nothing is off the table in the post-pandemic era.
Airport security checkpoints may soon be getting a high-tech makeover.
The Transportation Security Administration is trying out a completely new checkpoint concept that its leaders liken to visiting the self-checkout station at the grocery store.
As most air travelers can attest, the experience at an airport’s security checkpoint can be far from serene. There are many rules — often shouted by Transportation Security Administration officers — about what you can bring with you, how to array your belongings and where to stand. Lines can be painfully long and anxieties sky high. And throughout the process, there are security officers.
Property-wide, multi-phase transformation is underway at the iconic 2,500-room hotel as it expands Hyatt’s brand footprint in a leading leisure and convention travel market and prepares to transition into the Destination by Hyatt brand this fall.
In the coming months, the commission will further engage federal agencies during additional field visits to learn more about best practices, pain points and opportunities to improve and grow travel. The commission’s report will be delivered later this year.
When celebrated chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro, and movie producer Meir Teper joined forces to open the first Nobu Hotel in Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace back in 2013, little did they know how much their celebrity-backed hospitality brand built on contemporary Japanese cuisine, timeless design, and polished service would resonate around the globe.
When celebrated chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro, and movie producer Meir Teper joined forces to open the first Nobu Hotel in Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace back in 2013, little did they know how much their celebrity-backed hospitality brand built on contemporary Japanese cuisine, timeless design, and polished service would resonate around the globe.
Just because Hyatt and MGM Resorts are no longer partners doesn't mean World of Hyatt loyalists are devoid of options regarding casino resorts in Sin City.
Even in a city packed with flashy competition, the new Fontainebleau Las Vegas managed to attract the biggest stars during Super Bowl weekend.
Startup carrier Avelo Airlines said Thursday that it was profitable in the fourth quarter of 2023, a significant milestone as the new airline continues to grow and begins to look towards its next phase.
Could the city of Las Vegas get a basketball franchise?