Riviera (hotel and casino)
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| Number of rooms | 2,100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Theme | None | |
| Gaming space | 110,000 ft² (9,000 m²) | |
| Permanent show(s) | An Evening at La Cage Crazy Girls |
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| Signature attraction(s) | ||
| Notable restaurant(s) | Ristorante Italiano | |
| Owner | Riviera Holdings Corporation | |
| Date opened | April 20, 1955 | |
| Casino type | Land-Based | |
| Major renovation(s) | 1999 | |
| Previous name(s) | ||
| Casino website | Riviera Hotel and Casino | |
The Riviera, or "The Riv," is a hotel and casino located on the famed Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. The hotel has over 2,100 rooms, many located in a 23-story tower. The casino has over 110,000 square feet (9,000 m²) of space.
The hotel is owned and operated by Riviera Holdings Corporation, which announced on April 6, 2006 that it was being acquired by Riv Acquisition Holdings, a private investment group that includes real estate developers Neil Bluhm, Barry Sternlicht, Paul Kanavos and Scott Butera (president of the acquisition group). However, on August 29, shareholders rejected the Riv Acquisition offer of $17 a share.
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[edit] History
The Riviera opened on April 20, 1955 as the first high-rise and the ninth resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The Riv is one of the oldest and most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas. The Riviera also broke new ground in its design: previously, Strip resorts resembled roadside motor courts.
The Riviera was built by a group of investors from Miami. The resort has gone through many ownership changes over the years, including a period of control by owners linked to the Mafia (as was the case for many Vegas resorts in the 1960s and 1970s). Harpo Marx and Gummo Marx held minority interests at the opening, and Dean Martin once held a minority ownership stake while he was a headliner in the showroom.
Liberace was the featured headliner at the resort's opening, and for many years afterward.
In 2006, Splash, a traditional Las Vegas revue, ended an extended run at the Riv.
[edit] Film history
The Riviera is often chosen as a shooting location due to its "themeless" casino setting. Portions of the following features were filmed at The Riv:
- Ocean's Eleven (1960).
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997).
- Casino (1995).
- Go (1999).
- 3000 Miles To Graceland (2001).
[edit] Shows
The resort has two long-running shows:
- An Evening at La Cage, featuring female impersonators which include Frank Marino and his impersonation of Joan Rivers;
- Crazy Girls, a topless show. The performers for Crazy Girls, one of whom, Jahna Steele, is a transsexual, are immortalized with a bronze sculpture at the front of the casino. The thong-clad buttocks of the performers have been worn to a shine by passers-by rubbing them.
[edit] See also
- Leroy's Horse & Sports Place, which operates the sports book at this casino.
[edit] External links
- Riviera Hotel and Casino - Official Site
- Chicago Mob influence on Las Vegas
- Splash Las Vegas
- Reuters: Riviera shareholders reject offer (August 29, 2006)
[edit] Sources
| Las Vegas Strip | ||
|---|---|---|
| South end | Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign |  |
| West side | Mandalay Bay · THEhotel at Mandalay Bay · Luxor · Excalibur · New York-New York ·Monte Carlo · Project City Center (2009) · The Cosmopolitan (2009) · Bellagio · Caesars Palace · The Mirage · Treasure Island · New Frontier · Echelon Place (2010) · Slots-A-Fun · Circus Circus · Stratosphere | |
| East side | Tropicana · MGM Grand · Aladdin (Planet Hollywood) · Paris · Bally's · Bill's (formerly Barbary Coast) · Flamingo · O'Sheas · Imperial Palace · Harrah's · Casino Royale · The Venetian · The Palazzo (2007) · Wynn · Riviera · Sahara | |
| Transportation | Las Vegas Monorail · The Deuce | |
