Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
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This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (March 2009) |
| Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino | |
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| Address | 3700 W Flamingo Road Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 |
| Opening date | January 15, 1990 |
| Theme | Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian Carnival and Mardi Gras |
| No. of rooms | 2,548 Suites |
| Total gaming space | 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2) |
| Permanent shows | Penn & Teller Chippendales Masquerade Show in the Sky |
| Signature attractions | The Carnival World Buffet Voodoo Lounge Club Rio World Series of Poker |
| Notable restaurants | "Voodoo Steak and Lounge" |
| Casino type | Land-Based |
| Owner | Harrah's Entertainment |
| Years renovated | 2005 |
| Website | playrio.com |
The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in the unincorported area of Paradise, Nevada, USA. It is better known as The Rio and is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment. The Rio was the first all suite casino in the Las Vegas area. It was named after the city of Rio de Janeiro, and has Brazilian culture as a main theme.
The hotel towers are covered in the signature purple and red glass. The Rio hotel's 2,563 suites range in size from 600 to 13,000 sq ft (56 to 1,210 m2) and have floor to ceiling windows.
The complex includes a wine cellar that has more than 50,000 bottles.[citation needed] The Rio Pavilion convention center has a total of 160,000 sq ft (15,000 m2) of space. A Race and Sports Book is also available.
There is a free shuttle to the Harrah's-owned Harrah's Las Vegas, and Paris/Bally's.
To counter the 2008-2009 economic downturn, Harrah's focused on marketing its properties to specific segments of the population; as a result the Rio is being marketed heavily towards Hispanics.[1]
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[edit] History
- Opened on January 15, 1990 as a locals casino; it had been constructed and was owned and operated by Marnell Corrao Associates. The opening acts were the Brazilian Group Sérgio Mendes '99 and Henrietta Alves of New Orleans, bringing the first two-piano act to Las Vegas, with various co-performers.
- A 20-story expansion tower was added to the current Ipanema Tower in 1993.
- Danny Gans, after moving from the Stratosphere venue, opened as the headliner in 1996. He later moved to The Mirage venue in 2000. In February of 2009, he moved his show into the venue at the Wynn Encore, where the hit Broadway show Spamalot used to play. However, his show has come to a halt with his sudden passing on May 1, 2009. Gans was 52 years old.
- Masquerade Village, a hotel tower and casino expansion including the Masquerade Show in the Sky, opened in 1997, at a cost of over $200 million.
- The Rio was purchased by Harrah's Entertainment in 1999 for $888 million. After the purchase, the Culinary Workers Union organized the Rio employees through card check recognition by enforcing the neutrality clause of the existing Harrah's contract on the new acquisition. [2]
- The Rio's Samba Theatre was the host venue of the 30th Anniversary Special for the hit CBS game show The Price Is Right.
- Hosted the World Series of Poker in 2005, the first time this event was not held at Binion's. Binion's was used for the final three tables and the last two days of the competition as part of the celebration of Las Vegas' centennial. In 2008, the final two days were held in November (9 -10) in the Penn and Teller Theatre for the first time.
[edit] Buffets
The Carnival World Buffet has been a signature attraction since the casino opened. It was the first buffet in Las Vegas to have multiple live cooking stations and theme sections on the buffet line. The Carnival World Buffet is credited with taking Las Vegas buffets to a new level in quality and price. The Carnival World Buffet was so successful that when the Masquerade Village opened it included a higher end seafood buffet, Village Seafood Buffet.[citation needed]
[edit] Masquerade Village
Masquerade Village is a section of the casino that includes Masquerade Show in the Sky. The show is a free show that features dance and style from Brazilian Carnival, and Mardi Gras type floats. The show has a stage with a dance and singing show while floats on guide rails hang from the ceiling and go throughout the Masquerade Village. Performers on the floats toss Rio-themed plastic bead necklaces to the show's audience.
[edit] References
- ^ Arnold M. Knightly, NEVADAN AT WORK: Executive Wants To Ensure Hotel Guests Get Social Cachet For Their Cash, Las Vegas Review-Journal, February 22, 2009, Accessed February 25, 2009.
- ^ Benston, Liz (2005-03-23). "Culinary, Boyd in legal bout". Las Vegas Sun. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2005/mar/23/culinary-boyd-in-legal-bout/. Retrieved on 2008-10-04.
[edit] External links
- Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino web site
- Rio Hotel and Casino - User reviews, expert advice, articles and more information on the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
- Prince Review at the Rio
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