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The Rio is a
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
and
casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...
near the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas cit ...
in
Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in para ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. It is owned by Dreamscape Companies LLC and operated by
Caesars Entertainment Caesars Entertainment, Inc., formerly Eldorado Resorts, Inc., is an American hotel and casino entertainment company founded and based in Reno, Nevada that operates more than 50 properties. Eldorado Resorts acquired Caesars Entertainment Corporat ...
. It includes a casino and 2,520 suites. It features a Brazilian theme based on
Rio Carnival ) , image = File:Desfile Portela 2014 (906185).jpg , caption = A float at Rio Carnival, 2014 , celebrations = Parades, parties, open-air performances , longtype = cultural, religious , type = christian , signi ...
. The Rio opened on January 15, 1990, with a casino and 424 suites. It was the first all-suite hotel in the
Las Vegas Valley The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area i ...
. It was owned by Anthony Marnell and built by
Marnell Corrao Associates Marnell Corrao Associates is a privately held company specializing in architecture and general contracting services that is based in Enterprise, Nevada. The company was founded in 1974 and is the country’s oldest and largest hotel casino design/ ...
. The property struggled during its first two years because of its off-Strip location, but it would eventually thrive. The Rio's success prompted a number of hotel expansions in the 1990s. The hotel includes the three-wing Ipanema Tower, which stands at 20 stories. A 1997 renovation added Masquerade Village, a two-story retail and restaurant complex which also featured the ''Masquerade Show in the Sky''. The 41-story Masquerade Tower was added as well. In 1999, Marnell sold the Rio to
Harrah's Entertainment Harrah's Entertainment (later named Caesars Entertainment Corporation, previously The Promus Companies) was an American casino and hotel company founded in Reno, Nevada, and based in Paradise, Nevada, that operated over 50 properties and seven ...
for $766 million. The property suffered financially after the sale, in part because of new competition. It would lose its popularity in the years to follow, as Harrah's would eventually turn its focus to other Las Vegas properties that it owned. From 2005 to 2021, the Rio was the host site for the
World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada and, since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker pl ...
. Portions of the hotel were closed in 2007 for county inspections, after it was discovered that renovations had been done a few years earlier without permitting. Numerous repairs had to be made after the inspections revealed flaws and fire safety hazards. Harrah's was renamed as Caesars Entertainment in 2010. The Rio was sold to Dreamscape owner and New York investor Eric Birnbaum in 2019, at a cost of $516 million. Caesars continues to operate the casino through a lease agreement extending into 2023. Birnbaum plans to begin a significant renovation in 2022, which includes rebranding the hotel portion under the
Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and va ...
name. Marnell was hired as architect for the renovation project, due to his prior experience with the resort. The Rio has hosted numerous entertainers, including Danny Gans and
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
. Magicians
Penn & Teller Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette and Teller, are American magicians, entertainers, and scientific skeptics who have performed together since the late 1970s. They are noted for their ongoing act that combines elements of comedy with magic. The duo h ...
have entertained at the resort since 2001.


History


Marnell ownership (1990–99)

The Rio was originally owned by Anthony Marnell, the chairman of MarCor. The company purchased the vacant property in 1988, at a cost of $11 million. At the end of the year, it announced plans to build the Rio, which would be Las Vegas' first all-suite hotel-casino. MarCor broke ground on the $80 million project on February 9, 1989. The groundbreaking ceremony included a 15-foot by 30-foot sand sculpture replica of the 21-story hotel. The resort was designed and built by
Marnell Corrao Associates Marnell Corrao Associates is a privately held company specializing in architecture and general contracting services that is based in Enterprise, Nevada. The company was founded in 1974 and is the country’s oldest and largest hotel casino design/ ...
. The Rio opened on January 15, 1990. It featured a Brazilian theme based on
Rio Carnival ) , image = File:Desfile Portela 2014 (906185).jpg , caption = A float at Rio Carnival, 2014 , celebrations = Parades, parties, open-air performances , longtype = cultural, religious , type = christian , signi ...
, and Brazilian musician
Sérgio Mendes Sérgio Santos Mendes (; born February 11, 1941) is a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his group Brasil '66. He has over 55 releases and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. He was nominated for ...
performed at the resort a few weeks later. The property included a casino, with 900 slot machines and 42 table games. It also had 424 suites, five restaurants, five bars, and a pool with a waterfall. It employed 1,500 workers. The resort's target demographic would consist primarily of local residents and motorists from southern California. Resort officials believed that the property's location, just west of
Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Cana ...
and the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas cit ...
, would be appealing to tourists. The Rio was the first casino opened by MarCor, which had largely focused on business parks and shopping centers. Marnell took over operations at the Rio 10 months after its opening, as he had found the early results dissatisfying. The resort struggled during its first two years, due to its location away from the Strip. By 1992, MarCor had sold all of its other properties to focus solely on the Rio.


Expansions

The hotel was soon successful, prompting a 437-unit addition, which broke ground on January 4, 1993. A $25 million expansion was announced later that year which would include more casino space. The new hotel tower opened during
Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...
weekend, bringing the room count to 861. The casino expansion opened at the end of 1993. A few months later, the resort announced a $75 million addition which would further expand the casino, and would increase the hotel with 549 rooms, for a total of 1,410. A dance and
supper club A supper club is a traditional dining establishment that also functions as a social club. The term may describe different establishments depending on the region, but in general, supper clubs tend to present themselves as having a high-class image ...
, known as Club Rio, was opened in 1994, and was subsequently turned into a showroom. The Rio had a $250,000 laser system for nighttime displays. The system had to be adjusted in 1994, to avoid temporarily blinding commercial pilots. In 1995,
Zagat The ''Zagat Survey'', commonly referred to as Zagat (stylized in all caps; , ) and established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979, is an organization which collects and correlates the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, coverin ...
named the Rio number one in the categories of Best Overall, Best Dining, Best Rooms and Best Service. A $20 million expansion began that year, adding 144 suites, more meeting room space, and a new health club and salon facility. The original hotel structure and its extensions make up the Ipanema Tower, which consists of three wings, built out in a "Y" shape. A $187 million expansion was underway in 1996, including six new restaurants and the addition of a 41-story tower with 1,000 rooms. The new tower brought the room count to 2,563, ranking the Rio among the world's largest hotels. The tower rises 383 feet. In February 1997, the Rio unveiled its indoor Masquerade Village, a
Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fa ...
-themed attraction at the base of the new tower that included retail, restaurants, and a wine cellar. The retail space consisted of 21 stores, spread across two floors and occupying a total of . At the time, Marnell held a 25-percent interest in the resort and was its largest shareholder. Another expansion began at the end of 1997, adding more convention and retail space, and increasing the size of the resort's spa, among other areas. The project, expected for completion in 1999, would also add a valet parking garage, and the Palazzo Suites for
high roller A high roller, also referred to as a whale or cheetah, is a gambler who consistently wagers large amounts of money. High rollers often receive lavish " comps" from casinos to lure them onto the gambling floors, such as free private jet transfer ...
s. The nine suites are located in a separate building located on the Rio property. The Rio was one of the fastest-growing resort properties in Las Vegas. Its clientele was split between locals and tourists, and the property began offering beach parties and targeting a younger clientele and international high rollers. In 1998, readers of ''
Travel + Leisure ''Travel + Leisure'' is a travel magazine based in New York City, New York. Published 12 times a year, it has 4.8 million readers, according to its corporate media kit. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC, with trademark rig ...
'' named the Rio as the world's number one hotel value.


Harrah's/Caesars ownership (1999–2019)

In August 1998,
Harrah's Entertainment Harrah's Entertainment (later named Caesars Entertainment Corporation, previously The Promus Companies) was an American casino and hotel company founded in Reno, Nevada, and based in Paradise, Nevada, that operated over 50 properties and seven ...
(later Caesars Entertainment Corporation) agreed to purchase the Rio from Marnell. The sale was finalized five months later, at a cost of $766 million. Harrah's considered the Rio to be among its top resorts. Later in 1999, Harrah's and Rio began operating the short-lived National Airlines service. New villas were built for high rollers, and the casino's private
baccarat Baccarat or baccara (; ) is a card game played at casinos. It is a comparing card game played between two hands, the "player" and the "banker". Each baccarat coup (round of play) has three possible outcomes: "player" (player has the higher score ...
area was redesigned. In 2000, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against the Rio, suspecting it of firing or harassing employees who sought unionization with the
Culinary Workers Union The Culinary Workers Union, UNITE HERE Local 226 is a local union affiliated with UNITE HERE which operates in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada. Members include a variety of occupations organized along craft lines working in restaurants ...
. Later that year, the union filed a lawsuit against the Rio, seeking to represent its 3,000 employees. The Rio was unionized in January 2001, after a majority of employees voiced their support. Undeveloped acreage near the Rio was a significant reason for Harrah's purchase, and the company considered using the site for additional hotel rooms. However, profits were hurt in 2000 due to table game losses. The departure of entertainer Danny Gans was another factor for the property's poor performance, along with competition from new resorts, including the Bellagio,
Mandalay Bay Mandalay Bay is a 43-story luxury resort and casino at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and The Blackstone Group and operated by MGM Resorts International. It was developed by Circus Circu ...
, the
Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
,
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
, and the
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part o ...
. The Rio laid off nearly 200 employees as a cost-saving measure. The property saw financial improvement in 2001, and Harrah's announced that it was in the early stages of planning for a new hotel tower at the Rio. However, the property's revenue declined again later in the year, which Harrah's blamed on table game losses. The Rio's younger clientele had since moved on to newer resorts, and the property partnered with the men's magazine ''
Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment * ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...
'' in an effort to recapture the demographic. Through the partnership, the Rio would be advertised in the magazine, and parties – known as Maxim Lounge – would be held at the Rio. Cash flow subsequently improved, and Harrah's submitted plans to the county in 2002, for a new hotel and casino on the undeveloped acreage. Marnell had previously planned to build another resort on the same property. In December 2003, Harrah's announced a partnership with Voyager Entertainment to build the world's tallest observation wheel, rising 600 feet. It would be part of an $86 million complex that would include three floors of retail, restaurants, and a nightclub. The project would be built on the Rio parking lot's southeast side. Construction was scheduled to begin within three months, with the opening in July 2005. Another hotel tower was also a possibility, although there were no immediate plans to build one. Despite a lack of financing, Voyager stated that it would have no issues in raising the necessary funds. Negotiations between Voyager and Harrah's eventually derailed, and the project was canceled in April 2004. In May 2004, the Rio began preliminary operations of a power plant which would ultimately provide 40 percent of the property's power. A month later, construction began on a $39 million expansion of the Rio Pavilion Convention Center. It was built north of the resort's existing facilities, and was opened in 2005. The Rio became the host casino for the
World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada and, since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker pl ...
in 2005, boosting the resort's popularity. The Rio's importance to Harrah's was diminished after the company purchased
Caesars Entertainment Caesars Entertainment, Inc., formerly Eldorado Resorts, Inc., is an American hotel and casino entertainment company founded and based in Reno, Nevada that operates more than 50 properties. Eldorado Resorts acquired Caesars Entertainment Corporat ...
in 2005, thereby acquiring several resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. In 2005, the Rio's cocktail servers were fitted with
RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electromag ...
tracking tags in their uniforms, allowing management to determine how long customers were waiting to be served.


Renovation project

Various hotel renovations took place from 2004 to 2006, in the Ipanema Tower. In October 2007, a number of hotel rooms in the tower were closed for county inspections, after a two-month investigation by the ''
Las Vegas Review-Journal The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area. The ''Review-Journal'' ...
'' found that the remodeling had taken place without permits and inspections. The county had briefly looked into the renovation work, but quickly dismissed concerns about the lack of permits, until the news investigation prompted a reopening of the case. At one point prior to the case's reopening, a building inspection supervisor claimed to have examined 37 rooms throughout the tower, finding no major issues. It was later discovered that the supervisor had only been at the Rio for 38 minutes. The renovations had occurred on floors 3 through 19, and there were concerns about whether the renovated floors were up to fire safety standards. The entire 19th floor was gutted, except for the walls of the central hallway. Harrah's initially dismissed concerns about the renovations, stating that they were cosmetic and did not require permits. Of the tower's 1,448 rooms, 12 were closed for inspections. Within a few days, the closure extended to 140 rooms across the 18th and 19th floors. Concrete slabs in between the two floors were lacking fire sealant following the renovations, and such repairs were eventually undertaken on 360 rooms in an entire wing of the Ipanema Tower that dated to the property's opening in 1990. Various other problems were discovered as well, including the unauthorized installation of ceiling lights and electrical outlets. Post-tension cables were also damaged in some rooms during the remodeling. The county inspection expanded to other floors in December 2007, after additional fire safety hazards were found. These included unsealed holes which would allow the infiltration of smoke in the event of a fire. More than 1,000 rooms were inspected, and 50 were closed for a lengthy period of time. Harrah's received four criminal misdemeanor citations for the unauthorized renovations.


Later years

Following the
2008 financial crisis 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of ...
, most of Harrah's cash flow went to its Strip properties, leaving the Rio to become neglected. At the end of 2008, the Rio launched an opt-in mobile marketing campaign, providing promotions to customers via text messages. Two years later, it began offering resident discounts in an effort to attract more locals. As of 2010, Harrah's had considered several purchase offers for the Rio, including a $450 million proposal by Penn National Gaming. Out of Harrah's 10 local properties, 9 of them were on the Las Vegas Strip, with the Rio as the outlier. The Rio's off-Strip location made it difficult for Harrah's to market the resort to customers of its other properties. Furthermore, the Rio had lost the popularity it had under Marnell's ownership in the 1990s. The property had received numerous complaints relating to maintenance and service, which employees blamed on cost-cutting measures by Harrah's. However, an imminent sale did not occur, and the Rio remained under the same ownership for the next decade. Harrah's was renamed as Caesars Entertainment Corporation later in 2010. At the time, the Rio was valued at approximately $500 million. It included a casino with 1,100 slot machines and 90 table games, as well as of convention space. The Rio stayed competitive in the 2010s thanks to the World Series of Poker, as well as Caesars' database of 55 million rewards club members. Superkarts USA (SKUSA) also held its SuperNationals
kart racing Kart racing or karting is a road racing variant of motorsport with open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on fu ...
event at the Rio each year, taking place on a temporary circuit set up in the resort's parking lot. The Rio has also hosted a ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' convention every year since 2011. In addition, it hosted the
DEF CON DEF CON (also written as DEFCON, Defcon or DC) is a hacker convention held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first DEF CON took place in June 1993 and today many attendees at DEF CON include computer security professionals, journalists, lawyer ...
hacker convention from 2011 to 2014. A robbery occurred in 2011, with $33,200 in casino chips stolen. Two men were arrested in connection with the robbery, and a third was apprehended nine years later. In 2013, a
norovirus Norovirus, sometimes referred to as the winter vomiting disease, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis. Infection is characterized by non-bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Fever or headaches may also occur. Symptoms usually devel ...
outbreak occurred among 100 people staying at the Rio for a youth football tournament taking place in Las Vegas. On the evening of December 28, 2016, water from a clogged sink overflowed into an
electrical conduit An electrical conduit is a tube used to protect and route electrical wiring in a building or structure. Electrical conduit may be made of metal, plastic, fiber, or fired clay. Most conduit is rigid, but flexible conduit is used for some purpo ...
, in a service area of the Masquerade Tower. It caused a fuse to blow, cutting out power for 400 rooms located on the 22nd floor and onward. The blown fuse had also sparked a small fire in a service elevator, which was put out by sprinklers. However, the next morning, leftover sprinkler water trickled down and shorted out a fuse in the backup generator, which cut out power for another 500 rooms. Guests had to be evacuated to other hotels. Six guests received minor injuries during the evacuation. Power to the lower portion of the tower was restored within a day, and full power was gradually restored over the course of a week. In 2017, two guests contracted
Legionnaires' disease Legionnaires' disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any species of '' Legionella'' bacteria, quite often ''Legionella pneumophila''. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pains, and headaches. Na ...
during separate stays at the Rio hotel. The property's water systems were disinfected upon the discovery of ''
Legionella ''Legionella'' is a genus of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria that includes the species '' L. pneumophila'', causing legionellosis (all illnesses caused by ''Legionella'') including a pneumonia-type illness called Legionnaires' disease and a mil ...
'' bacteria. Additional cases of Legionnaires' disease were diagnosed among Rio guests later that year, in addition to 56 suspected cases of Pontiac fever, also caused by ''Legionella''. One of the infected guests sued Caesars Entertainment over the outbreak. As of 2019, Caesars had spent $600 million on renovations for various properties over the past five years, with the exception of the Rio, which now competed with older, low-budget resorts such as Circus Circus. Marnell, who was disappointed by the property's deterioration, speculated that it would need $300 million in renovations to be highly competitive once again.


Dreamscape ownership (2019–present)

In December 2019, Caesars sold the Rio for $516 million to New York-based real estate developer Eric Birnbaum. Under the deal, Caesars would continue to operate the Rio under lease for at least two years, paying $45 million a year in rent. The Rio is owned through Birnbaum's company, Dreamscape Companies LLC. His plans for a significant renovation were delayed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, which resulted in the state-ordered closure of casinos in March 2020. The Rio partially reopened on December 22, 2020, but with hotel operations limited mostly to weekends. Full operations resumed four months later. It was the last Caesars property nationwide to reopen. Because of the pandemic, Caesars and Dreamscape extended their lease arrangement, allowing Caesars to potentially operate the property into late 2023. Dreamscape plans to take over casino operations eventually. In March 2021, Dreamscape announced a partnership with
Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and va ...
, which would rebrand one of the hotel towers as a Hyatt Regency. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2023, with 1,501 rooms. The remaining rooms are also expected to be affiliated with Hyatt. The resort has 2,520 rooms, including the Palazzo Suites. Aside from the hotel portion, the property will maintain the Rio name and its theme. Because of his prior experience with the property, Marnell was hired as architect for the renovations, which are expected to begin in 2022.


Features


Restaurants

The Rio was particularly well known for its restaurants, five of which were listed in a top-40 list by
Zagat The ''Zagat Survey'', commonly referred to as Zagat (stylized in all caps; , ) and established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979, is an organization which collects and correlates the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, coverin ...
in the 1990s. Six new restaurants were added in 1997. Among them was Napa, which was overseen by chef
Jean-Louis Palladin Jean-Louis Palladin (May 7, 1946 – November 25, 2001) was a French-born chef who introduced French Nouvelle cuisine to the Washington elite at his restaurant, Jean-Louis at the Watergate, and influenced a generation of French and American chef ...
. The top of the Masquerade Tower featured a restaurant and lounge known as VooDoo. An Italian restaurant, Mama Marie's Cucina, was named after Rio founder Tony Marnell's mother. The resort also featured the new Seafood Village Buffet, a separate eatery from the Carnival World Buffet. As of 1999, the Rio's 15 restaurants served an average of 20,000 people each day. Its busiest eatery was the Carnival World Buffet, averaging 7,000 diners daily. The Rio hosted the annual
James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is a New York City-based national non-profit culinary arts organization named in honor of James Beard, a prolific food writer, teacher, and cookbook author, who was also known as the "Dean of American Cookery." The prog ...
benefit dinner for several years during the 1990s. The resort also hosted an annual Italian food festival. The property added four new restaurants beginning in 2002. Among them was Rosemary's, which replaced Napa after Palladin's death in 2001. Another addition was the Gaylord Indian restaurant, part of a worldwide chain. In 2006, musician
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
opened an Asian restaurant known as 3121 Jazz Cuisine, named after his recent album ''
3121 ''3121'' (pronounced "thirty-one twenty-one") is the thirty-first studio album by American musician Prince. It was released on March 21, 2006 (or, on 3/21). ''3121'' was released by NPG Records and distributed, under a "one-album deal", by U ...
'' In 2011, the Rio added a Burger King Whopper Bar. It seated 58 people, and was one of five Whopper Bars in the U.S. Unlike typical Burger King locations, it offered beer and included a hamburger bar with 30 toppings and sauces. A
dim sum Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuis ...
restaurant was added in 2012, with seating for 350 people. The Carnival World Buffet is frequently considered among the best in Las Vegas, and was the city's largest buffet as of 2011, with seating for 733 people. The Seafood Village Buffet was merged into the Carnival World Buffet in 2015.
Guy Fieri Guy Ramsay Fieri (, ; ''né'' Ferry; born January 22, 1968) is an American restaurateur, author, and an Emmy Award winning television presenter. He co-owns three restaurants in California, licenses his name to restaurants in New York City, Las ...
opened a Mexican restaurant, El Burro Borracho, at the Rio in 2016, replacing a seafood restaurant known as Buzio's.


Sapphire Pool

On May 30, 2008, the Rio opened the Sapphire Pool in conjunction with
Sapphire Gentlemen's Club Sapphire Gentlemen's Club is a chain of strip clubs. Las Vegas The Las Vegas club is located in Winchester, Nevada, United States, a part of the Las Vegas Valley. The enterprise includes 10 VIP sky boxes and three lounges, and is billed as the ...
. The daylight-hour, adults-only club surrounded one of the property's outdoor pools and featured dancers. It opened with a $30-per-male-customer admission price.John L. Smith
Rio-Sapphire joint venture an inevitable merging of casinos and strip clubs
''Las Vegas Review-Journal'', June 20, 2008, Accessed August 3, 2009.
Richard Abowitz

LATimes.com, June 20, 2008, Accessed August 3, 2009.
The venture was a high-profile joint venture between a casino company and a topless business, and was notable because the possibility of bringing in criminal activity at the club had caused the
Nevada Gaming Control Board The Nevada Gaming Control Board, also known as the State Gaming Control Board, is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of gaming and law enforcement of Nevada gaming laws throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming ...
to balk at previous collaborations; some in the media questioned whether the risk was worth the potential payoff for the hotel. In late July 2009, the Rio hotel asked the
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (also known as the LVMPD or Metro) is a combined city and county law enforcement agency for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is headed by the Sheriff of Clark County, ...
(LVMPD) to do a routine undercover investigation of the Sapphire Pool, as casino-resorts in Nevada are held responsible for the activities held on their premises. The request was a part of the resort's effort to show good faith to the Gaming Control Board.Recent Raids Have Casinos on EdgeArchived
KLAS, July 30, 2009, Accessed August 3, 2009.
The July 25 visit resulted in 11 arrests. Upon finding out the results of the investigation, the Rio immediately shut down the pool.Metro: Prostitution, drug activity found at topless Rio pool
''Las Vegas Sun'', July 29, 2009, Accessed August 3, 2009.
Richard Abowitz

LATimes.com, July 29, 2009, Accessed August 3, 2009.


Other attractions

From 1998 to 1999, the Rio hosted ''Treasures of Russia'', an extensive collection of historic Russian memorabilia totaling 1,150 items, most of them loaned from the
Peterhof Palace The Peterhof Palace ( rus, Петерго́ф, Petergóf, p=pʲɪtʲɪrˈɡof,) (an emulation of early modern Dutch "Pieterhof", meaning "Pieter's Court"), is a series of palaces and gardens located in Petergof, Saint Petersburg, Russia, commi ...
. The resort subsequently hosted ''Titanic: The Exhibition'', in partnership with RMS Titanic Inc. VooDoo Skyline is a 70-second
zip line A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bot ...
ride which opened in 2014. Riders start at the VooDoo Lounge atop the Masquerade Tower, and travel a distance of 845 feet, stopping on the roof of the Ipanema Tower. Riders are then pulled back to the Masquerade Tower with the use of a pulley system. KISS by Monster Mini Golf is a franchise of the
Monster Mini Golf Monster Mini Golf is a franchised chain of entertainment centers. The locations feature an indoor, 18-hole glow-in-the-dark mini golf course, video and redemption arcade games, three-dimensional animatronic props, an in-house radio station, part ...
chain. It is based on the rock band
Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
and includes an 18-hole miniature golf course, a rock and roll themed wedding chapel, the world's largest Kiss gift shop, and a museum featuring memorabilia from the band's career. It also hosts regular appearances by band members, both past and present. It opened in May 2016, in a space formerly occupied by the Seafood Village Buffet. In 2018, the Rio opened the first phase of an
esports Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional sports, professional players, individually or as ...
venue known as Wall Gaming Lounge.


Shows and entertainers

From 1991 to 1992, the Rio hosted ''Tropical Heat'', about a plane-crashed pilot who encounters Amazonian women. It briefly starred
Dana Plato Dana Michelle Plato (née Strain; November 7, 1964 – May 8, 1999) was an American actress. An influential " teen idol" of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Plato was recognized for her television work, for which she was included on VH1's list ...
prior to ending. In 1992, entertainment producers Eunice and Blair Farrington opened the ''Brazilia'' revue in a small lounge. It received a positive reception. Farrington Productions subsequently produced a Latin-themed dinner show, ''Conga!'', which opened in the Club Rio in 1994. ''Conga!'' was renamed ''Copacabana'' in 1995, and the Club Rio space was subsequently used solely as a showroom, undergoing a number of name changes through the years. Impressionist Danny Gans began entertaining at the Rio in January 1997, in the 730-seat Copacabana Showroom. During his three-year run, the Rio raised ticket prices several times against his wishes, prompting him to sue the resort. He ultimately lost the legal battle. Other notable performers during the Rio's early years included
The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...
,
Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her musi ...
,
Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...
, and Earl Turner. The 1,470-seat Pavilion Theater was built at a cost of $35 million, and was opened in April 2000. The three-floor theater was designed to accommodate a rotation of Broadway-style musicals, each on a short-term basis. The venue was renamed as the Samba Theatre shortly after opening. It opened with a tap-dancing show titled ''Tap Dogs'', by
Dein Perry Dein Perry is an Australian tap dancer. He is founder of the recurrent tap dance production 'Tap Dogs'. His film credits include work done on the Australian movie Bootmen, as well as choreographic work on Happy Feet 2. Early life and career Per ...
. A musical, based on the 1984 film '' Footloose'', also ran for 13 weeks in the new venue, closing in August 2000. Another showroom was built near the hotel's pool area and opened later in 2000, hosting the show ''De La Guarda'', which included aerial performers and flashing lights. ''At the Copa'', starring
David Cassidy David Bruce Cassidy (April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was best known for his role as Keith Partridge, the son of Shirley Partridge (played by his stepmother, Shirley Jones), in t ...
and
Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...
as nightclub singers, ran in the Copacabana Showroom from 2000 to 2001. Magicians
Penn & Teller Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette and Teller, are American magicians, entertainers, and scientific skeptics who have performed together since the late 1970s. They are noted for their ongoing act that combines elements of comedy with magic. The duo h ...
began performing at the Rio in January 2001, and have continued to entertain there ever since. In the mid-2010s, they broke the record for longest-running Las Vegas headliner at a single venue.
The Scintas The Scintas were a music and comedy variety group. The group began in 1977 as The Scinta Brothers, consisting of Frankie and Joey Scinta, brothers from Buffalo, New York. They got a job performing at the chain of Playboy Clubs, including a stint at ...
also started performing at the Rio in 2001, as did ventriloquist
Ronn Lucas Ronn Lucas (born 1954) is an American ventriloquist and stand-up comedian. Career Lucas grew up in El Paso, Texas; retrieved 2013-05-28. and graduated from Eastwood High School in 1972.; retrieved 2013-05-28. By the time he was 10, Lucas could s ...
. The following year, the theater launched ''Showgirls'', which chronicled the history of such performers. The Rio also debuted ''
Tony n' Tina's Wedding ''Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding'' is an "environmental/immersive theatre" event based on a traditional Italian-American wedding and reception, with warm and intrusive stereotypes exaggerated for comic effect. Audience members are treated as guests at ...
'', replacing the unsuccessful ''De La Guarda''. ''Tony n' Tina's Wedding'' continued its run there for seven years. In 2003, the Rio introduced their "Bevertainers," who worked as cocktail servers and as entertainers. When not serving customers, Bevertainers would dance in 90-second performances on one of five stages located across the casino floor. The Rio had more than 80 Bevertainers. Although the idea initially received skepticism, it would turn out to be successful. Chippendales shared the Scintas Showroom with the Scintas and Lucas for three years, before getting their own venue at the Rio in 2004. The Chippendales theater had seating for 400 people and included an ultralounge, as well as a women's boutique retailer. As of 2021, the group continues to perform at the Rio. In February 2005, ''Erocktica'' opened in the Scintas Showroom. It was initially a topless dance show accompanied by a live band which performed cover versions of rock songs. The show was closed six months later for revisions, which changed the choreography and removed the band in favor of recorded tracks. It reopened later in 2005. The Scintas departed the Rio in 2006.
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
subsequently turned the former Club Rio spot into the 3121 showroom, performing there from November 2006 to April 2007. The venue had capacity for 900 people, and was located next to his 3121 restaurant. After Prince vacated the venue, it sat unused for several years, eventually becoming ND's Fuego nightclub in 2009, through a lease agreement. It was also known as ND's The Club during its brief lifespan. It closed four months later, after its owner filed for bankruptcy. Darin Feinstein, an owner of The Viper Room nightclub in California, leased the space and reopened it as Crown Theater in 2010. It also operated as a nightclub. Until 2014, the Rio hosted tribute shows for the
Rat Pack The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business frie ...
and
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
. In 2015, the Crown Theater opened ''Duck Commander Musical'', based on the Robertson family and their television series ''
Duck Dynasty ''Duck Dynasty'' is an American reality television series that aired on A&E from 2012 to 2017. The series portrays the lives of the Robertson family, who became successful from their family-operated business, Duck Commander. The West Monroe, ...
''. Millions of dollars were spent to renovate the theater for the show, which included 11 actors and a live band. The show performed poorly in box-office revenue, and ran for seven weeks, closing in May 2015. ''
Rock of Ages Rock of Ages may refer to: Films * ''Rock of Ages'' (1918 film), a British silent film by Bertram Phillips * ''Rock of Ages'' (2012 film), a film adaptation of the jukebox musical (see below) Music * ''Rock of Ages'' (musical), a 2006 rock ...
'' ran in the renamed Rock of Ages Theater during 2016. It was replaced a year later by a new water-themed variety show titled ''Wow'', featuring numerous performers. The show was well received, and had given more than 1,200 performances as of 2021. The
Comedy Cellar The Comedy Cellar is a comedy club in Manhattan where many top New York comedians perform. It is widely considered to be the best comedy club in the United States. It was founded in 1982 by then stand-up comedian, and current television writer/ ...
, a comedy club in New York, opened a Las Vegas location at the Rio in 2018. ''
Raiding the Rock Vault ''Raiding the Rock Vault'' is a jukebox musical based on classic rock songs, featuring a cast of musicians from well-known rock bands. Since its debut in 2012, the show has appeared mainly at casinos in the Las Vegas area. History The concept ...
'' opened at the resort in 2020.


''Masquerade Show''

''Masquerade Show in the Sky'' opened in February 1997, and ran in the resort's Masquerade Village. The $25 million show featured costumed performers and took place on floats which traveled along a 950-foot track, located 13 feet above the casino floor. The floats represented showboats and gondolas. Each float weighed between 13,000 and 17,000 pounds. They traveled at a speed of three feet per second. ''Masquerade Show in the Sky'' consisted of three distinct shows, and a fourth was added in 1998. The show was free to spectators, and visitors could also pay to ride in the floats. The show was originally produced by Farrington Productions. The company's contract expired in 2001, and Dick Foster Productions was brought on to redo ''Masquerade Show in the Sky''. The company sought to make the show more adult-oriented, adding sexier costumes and dances. The show was scaled back in 2008, and remained largely the same during its final five years. It closed in March 2013.


In media

Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
filmed several episodes of his talk show, '' Live with Regis'', at the Rio's Samba Theatre in 2001. A year later, ''
The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also inc ...
'' filmed a special episode in the theater, marking the first time in the show's 30-year history that it was shot outside of Los Angeles. An episode for the second season of ''
Raising Hope ''Raising Hope'' is an American sitcom that aired from September 21, 2010, to April 4, 2014, on Fox. Following its first season, the show received two nominations at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Martha Plimpton was nominated for Outstanding ...
'' was filmed throughout the Rio in 2011. During the resort's closure in 2020, it was used as a secondary filming location for the second season of the American reality television series ''
Love Island Love Island may refer to: Film * ''Love Island'' (1952 film), an American film directed by Adam Lloyd starring Todd Wathen and Eva Gabor * ''Love Island'' (2014 film), directed by Jasmila Žbanić Music * ''Love Island'' (album), a 1978 album ...
''.


References


External links

* * {{Caesars Entertainment 1990 establishments in Nevada Caesars Entertainment Casino hotels Casinos completed in 1990 Casinos in the Las Vegas Valley Hotel buildings completed in 1990 Hotels established in 1990 Landmarks in Nevada Skyscraper hotels in Paradise, Nevada World Series of Poker