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Exploring a Closed Las Vegas Hotel Casino

SamNovak

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Exploring a Closed Las Vegas Hotel Casino

When a Vegas resort shuts down, what remains inside is eerie, fascinating, and unforgettable. Here's my experience at the Riviera...

Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas, closed 2/3/2020

On March 17th, 2020, the unthinkable happened. Precautions against COVID-19 caused every casino in Nevada to be shuttered. Since those doors were never meant to be locked, operators resorted to chains and sheets of plywood to get the job done. The sight was downright frightening. Last month, Tropicana Resort permanently closed after six decades of operations. Photos of its interior dismantling occasionally pop up on the internet, especially those of the famed glass ceiling. This writer has been inside a few shuttered resorts like Riviera and the original Sahara. The gut-wrenching experience is worth sharing if only to appreciate Las Vegas history. Let's take a look.

Riviera Hotel Casino shuttered permanently on May 4th, 2015. This writer checked in the evening before and spent one final night in the historic resort. You can read about that by heading here.

The next morning, I captured the final moments as the sixty-year-old hotel's clock ran out. Technicians disconnected slot machines and police guarded the cashier windows as chips and money were secured. A mix of excitement and melancholy filled the air as the last guests were ushered through the front doors.

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In Sin City, casino closings are almost as widely covered as grand openings (the only thing more dramatic is implosions). News crews documented Riviera's lockup and spoke to former staffers as memorabilia was stripped off and carted away. Brass handles were removed to prevent theft, and chain-link fencing was immediately placed around the property.

Removal of the famed CRAZY GIRLS bronze sculpture was especially gripping.

On May 23rd, 2015, one set of doors was reopened at Riviera for the property's liquidation sale. After registering with security and the liquidation firm, people were permitted to freely roam the property. Just about everything was up for grabs...for a price.

This was the second Las Vegas hotel liquidation I'd attended, The previous was at the original Sahara before it was remodeled and rebranded as SLS Las Vegas. With luck, I'll be able to recover those photos for another piece. But the ones I took at Riviera are fascinating. Here I've assembled a few before-and-after shots, taken between closing day and three weeks later.

Sections of the hotel and casino had been blocked off for years. Unused and forgotten, they were suddenly accessible again. Going around the faux walls was fun to see what was hidden behind them for so long.

Kady's Coffee Shop, located next to the pool, was one of those spots. This 24-hour diner, later rebranded as "Poolside Cafe", was known for its huge coffee mugs and very slow service. It was shuttered in 2009.

In 1998, the casino opened a new section on the northwest corner. Named NICKEL TOWN, it featured a 1950s-themed bar, a food area named "Hound Doggies", and nickel slot machines. Markus Maximus of vintagelasvegas.com supplies this photo and a quote from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, dated 7/28/97:

"Bill Westerman, Riviera’s chief executive officer, believes that the nickel player represents the most rapidly growing segment of the Las Vegas gaming market that is frequently neglected by competitors who focus their slot product on higher denominations. Two-thirds of the devices in Nickel Plaza will be nickel machines. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of the year."

DeamonLV posted on 5/6/2015 that NICKEL TOWN's bar used to distribute wooden nickels, redeemable for popcorn and lemonade. They stated that the entire area later became a sportsbook, which was eventually relocated within the casino.

In the next segments, we'll venture into the employee locker rooms, performer dressing rooms, abandoned retail spaces, kitchens, workout facility, massage room, Riviera's second-floor buffet, guest rooms, and suites. I'll also recount a tragic, shocking event that happened during my exploration.