- The Tropicana Las Vegas originally announced plans on September 1, 2020.
- The Tropicana is owned by Penn National Gaming and in their August 6 earnings call the company cast some doubt on that original date.
- The revised opening date was then announced as September 17, 2020.
The Las Vegas tourist and gaming economy continues to struggle in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic but there are enough hopeful signs that many of the previously closed properties have announced a reopening timeline. Or maybe they just figure that they have to reopen *sometime* and that inevitability has given them a ‘might as well do it sooner rather than later’ attitude.
The Tropicana Las Vegas will be the next to reopen as they’ll meet their revised timeline that indicated a September 17, 2020 return date. The originally announced reopening date for the Penn National Gaming owned property was September 1. That date was first thrown into question on the Penn National Q2 Earnings Call held on August 6. Investor Relations head Joe Jaffoni gave this response to a question about plans for the property’s reopening:
Yeah so we plan Joe right now to open the Tropicana property in September. There’s a lot of moving parts. Every day we’re learning and our team on the ground there is continuing to do competitive assessments in terms of ADR and RevPAR occupancy and so we’re going to be really thoughtful around when and how we reopen. As of right now September feels right, but we have several more weeks to nail down an exact date and if it’s not right then we’ll wait a little bit longer to reopen until it is right. These are fluid times. Everything is dynamic and I’m not sure Dave if we have the exact cash burn for Trop and Zia Park, but feel free to jump in there.
It’s unclear if the Penn National bean counters ever saw the metrics they wanted to see. They’ve got another issue going on with the property–they’ve got it up for sale and I would imagine that having a casino open makes it easier for them to find a buyer.
SOCIAL DISTANCING, LIMITED AMENITIES
The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that the Tropicana will reopen their doors at 10 AM Pacific on Thursday with the now ubiquitous social distancing protocol in place:
Visitors can expect a maximum of half capacity on the casino floor, slot machines “configured to meet social distancing requirements” and floor decals and signs indicating where people are allowed to stand.
In a statement on the Tropicana Las Vegas website the property’s Assistant General Manager Mike Thoma admitted that amenities will be limited for now:
“We are very excited about the planned reopening Tropicana Las Vegas, which will be on September 17. While the amenities our customers have come to know and love may be somewhat limited for the time being, the ability to safely welcome back our team members and guests remains our top priority. With this in mind, we have been working closely with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, state and local leaders, and public health officials to finalize comprehensive Phase II reopening protocols and new health and safety precautions. Our returning team members will be trained on these procedures and our guests will see reminder signage about them throughout the property.
Here’s the LVRJ‘s rundown of what will and won’t be open:
Tropicana’s pool and spa will be open, though the latter will be in limited fashion. There won’t be large gatherings, tournaments, drawings, valet parking, conventions, banquets or live entertainment.
The resort will require employees and vendors to wear a mask and undergo temperature checks before their shifts. All guests must wear a mask in a public area, except for when they are eating, drinking or asked by casino staff to prove their identity, the resort said. Guests who don’t comply may be asked to leave.
Food options will include Starbucks and a limited menu at Trop & Go, the resort announced.
Looking at their reservation calendar the Tropicana is quoting a $39 midweek rate and a $139 weekend rate through the end of October. Priceline had a midweek room at the property at $22 with a King Room with City View priced at $49. Either way, you’ll get soaked for a resort fee of between $35 and $40 per day.
