Columnist Joe Delaney: From Aladdin to Rio, plenty of Strip hotels to ponder

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002 | 8:30 a.m.

Continuing our Thursday series of analyses and commentaries on various hotels: Previously, we've dealt with groups of hotels ... This week we deal with Strip properties, starting with the Aladdin ... This thus-far, star-crossed property was first called the Tally-Ho, a nongaming Strip facility, English Tudor decor, fine dining; an idea ahead of its time.

The newest Aladdin opened poorly and is trying to stay alive, with a better chance of doing so in 2002 ... Park Place Entertainment bought a large block of Aladdin bonds at a discount and might have taken over by now, except for the current heavy Aladdin debt load ... Kirk Kerkorian's MGM MIRAGE is another Aladdin-takeover possibility.

The Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts has been a source of some relief with Broadway shows and concerts ... Meanwhile the Desert Passage stores and restaurants suffer from lack of sufficient traffic ... The Aladdin needs a showroom and a viable entertainment policy as soon as possible.

Le Reve, being constructed on the site of the former Desert Inn, will eventually be one of two or three properties on the land owned by Steve Wynn ... Wynn has a proven Las Vegas track record as a creator of innovative, very successful hotels: Bellagio, The Mirage, Treasure Island and Golden Nugget ... The New Frontier may finally become a competitive Strip hotel because of Wynn's presence across the Strip.

The Last Frontier was one of the earliest Strip hotels ... This is its fifth incarnation ... In the 1970s it was the home of Wayne Newton, who worked there twice a night, seven nights a week, 40 weeks a year ... Siegfried & Roy became stars of their own production show there in the 1980s before moving into The Mirage at the start of the 1990s.

For most of the last half of the 1990s, the Frontier was without entertainment and with a picket line out front ... The current owner settled the union problems and announced the building of a new hotel with a San Francisco theme on the grounds ... So far, nothing has materialized ... There is entertainment: five shows a day, starting at noon, with "Thunder From Down Under" a winner at 9 p.m.

Harrah's is a Strip hotel with a good local patronage ... The management stayed with Clint Holmes and helped make him a winning showroom attraction ... With Holmes early and "Skintight" late, the showroom is doing business six nights a week ... With Mac King, afternoons, and the Improv comedy club, evenings in a smaller venue, Harrah's is set for the foreseeable future.

The Rio, at West Flamingo Road and Valley View Boulevard, was a Harrah's acquisition several years ago ... It is a class operation with multiple entertainment choices ... The Scintas, evenings, and Ronn Lucas, afternoons, are set for the balance of the year ... Penn & Teller and, possibly, Louie Anderson could alternate, keeping the Samba Theatre open most of the year.

"Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding" is a new, interactive show, complete with dinner, in the space once occupied by "De La Guarda," a nonwinner ... Masquerade Village has a new overhead attraction, free ... The Rio also has a Rio Bamba Cabaret and a VooDoo Lounge with nightly entertainment.

The Riviera was the Strip's first high-rise hotel in 1955 ... The Versailles Room was the home of top star-policy entertainment, with Liberace as its first attraction ... "Splash" has been the tenant these past 16 years, first as an aquacade and, more recently, featuring ice skaters, top variety acts and contemporary production numbers, 12 shows a week.

In addition, the Riviera presents "Crazy Girls," "An Evening at La Cage" starring Frank Marino, the Comedy Club, Marlene Ricci in Le Bistro Theatre, plus Monday Night Jazz, an Elvis impressionist and special concerts in the Royale Pavilion and the Top of the Riv.

We plan to start with the Sahara next Thursday, finish up the Strip hotels, then cover Station Resorts and Arizona Charlie's East and West ... Your comments are welcomed.

Star-policy rundown

It's Tony Orlando, 8 p.m., Amazing Johnathan, 10 p.m. (Golden Nugget); King afternoons, Holmes, evenings (Harrah's); the Commodores and Sheena Easton in separate theaters (LV Hilton); Blue Man Group (Luxor); Tom Jones, plus Rick Springfield starring in "EFX Alive" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy and Danny Gans in separate theaters (Mirage); and Lance Burton (Monte Carlo).

Plus Rita Rudner (New York-New York); Debbie Reynolds (Orleans); Patti LaBelle (Paris Las Vegas); Lucas afternoons, Scintas, evenings, and Penn & Teller in a separate theater (Rio); Ricci (Riviera); Newton (Stardust); Rick Thomas (Tropicana); and Melinda, First Lady of Magic, 7 p.m., and "Bravo" starring Charo, 9 p.m. (Venetian).

"Bottoms Up" afternoons and "The Second City" evenings, in separate Flamingo Las Vegas theaters, are two of the funniest shows in town ... Gladys Knight opens Tuesday, doing evening shows in the Flamingo showroom ... See you Friday.