It is official the Riviera Hotel Casino closes May 4th at 12:00pm according to a news release. The legendary landmark was sold to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in February for an estimated $191 million. As a result 1,000 people will be out of a job. On April 20th it will mark the 60th anniversary.
“We greatly appreciate the expressions of fondness and loyalty for ‘The Riv’ from our guests since ground first broke in 1954 and through the years. More importantly we want to acknowledge and applaud our associates who have worked to create enduring memories for all of our guests,” the release said.
“This is what will be remembered long after the walls have come down. We look forward to making the coming weeks fun, exciting and memorable.”
In 1955 the Riviera made its debut unfortunately it has been in bankruptcy 3 times in the last 50 years. It is uncertain what the plans are to replace the building but speculation suggest it could become a transportation center for the Global Business District.
The Riviera was the first high-rise hotel erected on the Vegas Strip. The $10 million project featured at the time 291 rooms and was within one day of the opening for Royal Nevada and the Dunes a month later.
A lavish grand opening on April 20th 1955 headliners like Liberace and Joan Crawford as the official hostess was on hand to greet guests.
The lobby had Italian marble elegance with corrugated cooper fixtures. Starlight Lounge located just off the main lobby had a 150 foot stage bar with brass fixtures and a teal blue sky canopy. It was The Treniers who opened with a rock and roll style that kept the lounge hopping into the early morning hours.
In the 1960’s it was Dean Martin, and Barbara Streisand who were the top entertainment. The 1969 famed movie Bob & Carol, Ted & Alice featured the Riv Hotel. New Year’s Eve 1990 Frank Sinatra performed for an audience of over 2,000.
The blockbuster hit Casino starring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, James Woods and Don Rickles was filmed at Riviera but only between specific hours as to not interfere with players.
A fond farewell will soon turn to rubble but memories and stories of Riviera’s heyday will live on forever.
Cat50
9 years ago
Superstar Member
I hate to hear about the closing of such a great and long standing place. It goes to show how bad the economy is at present. I hope not to see more historic land casino's close it would be sad and such a shame.
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jade
9 years ago
Super Hero
Another Las Vegas Hotel, sold and to be replaced by something other than another great hotel. Doesn't anyone want to preserve anything historically for this Nevada City. Most of the stars that have performed at this hotel are dead and most likely turning over in their graves. It looks to me this hotel was built solely to...
Another Las Vegas Hotel, sold and to be replaced by something other than another great hotel. Doesn't anyone want to preserve anything historically for this Nevada City. Most of the stars that have performed at this hotel are dead and most likely turning over in their graves. It looks to me this hotel was built solely to make money and that the reason it was sold was for that very same reason, money. For something to endure the many years that this hotel has endured, something other than money had to have come into play. What happened to that other thing that kept this hotel going and why isn't anyone trying to preserve it for that very reason. I agree with the above comments. "This is sad."
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pinkxxx
9 years ago
Sr. Newbie
Wow , sad news...another historic casino in Las Vegas closing its doors . It was such a common name in its hayday , it held a lot of history . When you walk into old casinos like that you could just feel the old time vibes floating around . Sadly they are all disappearing one by one . Would have been great to see the older...
Wow , sad news...another historic casino in Las Vegas closing its doors . It was such a common name in its hayday , it held a lot of history . When you walk into old casinos like that you could just feel the old time vibes floating around . Sadly they are all disappearing one by one . Would have been great to see the older casinos revamp and hold charge of Vegas , instead they are the dying dog making way for the up in comers . Vegas will never be the same .
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sharpe
9 years ago
Super Hero
I'm sorry to hear that such a legendary name in the industry like Riviera Casino in Las Vegas have to close. Many of the land based casinos were closed lately and this shows the potential of the online gambling business. The worst news is that more than thousand people will be out of job after the closing.
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plopp800
9 years ago
Sr. Member
This won't be the last casino to close its doors in Las Vegas. The whole country is bankrupt. Who is going to play then?
Das wird nicht das letzte Kasino sein, dass seine Pforten in Las Vegas schliesst. Das ganze Land ist ja Pleite. Wer soll da dann noch spielen.
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Yautjazz
9 years ago
Super Hero
It's a shame for the employees because they will then be unemployed. Surely this casino has a lot of good memories, not least because a Hollywood movie was filmed in this casino. But I think in Las Vegas there are enough other casinos where you can try your luck Las Vegas can and always will be a big tourist attraction...
It's a shame for the employees because they will then be unemployed. Surely this casino has a lot of good memories, not least because a Hollywood movie was filmed in this casino. But I think in Las Vegas there are enough other casinos where you can try your luck Las Vegas can and always will be a big tourist attraction I think, but gambling should be regulated there too.
Show moreDas ist sehr schade für die Mitarbeiter weil sie dann arbeitslos werden.Sicher hat dieses Casino viele gute erinnerungen,nicht zuletzt weil ein Hollywood Film in diesem casino gedreht wurde.Aber ich denke in Las Vegas gibt es genügend andere Casinos bei dem man seinen Glück versuchen kann und Las Vegas wird immer eine große...
Das ist sehr schade für die Mitarbeiter weil sie dann arbeitslos werden.Sicher hat dieses Casino viele gute erinnerungen,nicht zuletzt weil ein Hollywood Film in diesem casino gedreht wurde.Aber ich denke in Las Vegas gibt es genügend andere Casinos bei dem man seinen Glück versuchen kann und Las Vegas wird immer eine große touristenatraktion sein denke ich,dennoch sollte das Glücksspiel dort auch reguliert sein.
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