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Las Vegas

Stratosphere Las Vegas

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, by MultiMedia

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Stratosphere 2000 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, NV 89109

Number of rooms	2,444
Theme
Gaming space	80,000 ft² (7,432 m²)
Permanent show(s)	American Superstars
Signature attraction(s)	The Big Shot The High Roller Insanity the Ride XSCREAM
Notable restaurant(s)	Top of the World Lucky's Cafe Roxy's Diner Courtyard Buffet Crazy Armadillo Triple Crown Deli Fellini's Ristorante
Owner	American Casino & Entertainment Properties
Date opened	April 30, 1996
Casino type	Land-Based
Major renovation(s)	2003 (second hotel tower)
Previous name(s)	Vegas World Casino
Casino website	Stratosphere Las Vegas

The Stratosphere Las Vegas is a hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, owned by American Casino & Entertainment Properties which is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Real Estate Partners and operated by AREP Gaming. The hotel offers 2,444 rooms and an 80,000 square foot (7,000 m²) casino. The Stratosphere tower is the biggest observation tower in the United States.

The Stratosphere is the northernmost of the major Strip casinos and the only one actually in the City of Las Vegas. Following its completion in 1996 it was initially less popular than first envisioned due to its location on the extreme north end of the strip, far away from the most popular hotel casinos. But its low room prices and unique offerings (e.g., four different thrill rides on the top of the tower) eventually ensured its success. While many tourists consider its location to be inconvenient, others feel the location is an advantage since it is equidistant between the more popular strip casinos and the downtown area (which includes the Fremont Street Experience).

History

In the early 1990s, The Stratosphere was conceived by Bob Stupak to replace his Vegas World Casino. At the conception of the project, one of the planned rides was to be a giant ape that would carry riders up and down one of the tower's columns.

In 1995 Grand Casinos was brought on as an equity partner for the still privately owned project that was already under construction.

While construction was still progressing, the Stratosphere Corporation was formed as a public company with shares being offered to the public.

The Stratosphere opened on April 30, 1996. Shortly after opening, the Stratosphere Corporation was forced to file for bankruptcy. This caused construction on the second tower to stop with only a few stories partially built and allowed Carl Icahn to gain control through one of his companies by buying a majority of the outstanding bonds.

A major addition was completed in 2003 that included finishing the second hotel tower.

In the early 2000s, the company attempted to get approval for a roller coaster that would run from several hundred feet up the tower and, in the last proposal, across Las Vegas Boulevard. Part of that last proposal included an entry monument on the ride over Las Vegas Boulevard welcoming people to the City of Las Vegas. The City Council did not approve the project due to objections from the neighbors over possible noise from the enclosed cars on the proposed ride. This ride was intended as a replacement for the never built, but approved, ape ride.

Attractions

Insanity the Ride atop the Tower.

It is most notable for its tower, which at 1,149 ft (350 m) is not only the tallest building in Las Vegas, but also the tallest building in the United States west of the Mississippi River, surpassing Los Angeles' Library Tower.

The top of the tower has an observation deck, revolving restaurant and the following rides:

The Big Shot at 1,081 feet (329 m) is the highest thrill ride in the world;
The High Roller at 909 feet (277 m) is the second highest ride in the world and the highest roller coaster (slated to be dismantled in 2006 to make space for a new attraction);
Insanity the Ride, opened in 2005, at 900 feet (274 m) is the third highest thrill ride in the world, it dangles riders over the edge of the tower and then spins in a circular pattern at approximately forty miles per hour. Since its public opening, the ride has stopped twice upwards of an hour each time with passengers onboard, due to high winds that trigger a "safety mechanism" which shuts down the machine immediately without bringing the passengers back to the loading dock. The hotel is currently being sued by the first set of passengers who were trapped on the ride dangling over the edge.
XSCREAM at 866 feet (264 m) is the fourth highest thrill ride in the world. This ride also "drops" people over the edge, and has also stopped while people were on it, though it is not clear what triggered this ride's failure.

Gambling

The Stratosphere by night.

Casinos in less popular locations generally offer better gambling values than the most popular strip casinos in an effort to lure customers through their doors, and the Stratosphere is no exception. The Stratosphere offers slot machines with a 98% payback, video poker machines with paytables over 100%, and single-zero roulette -- all of which are extremely rare at Vegas strip casinos. The Stratosphere also offered $3 blackjack (the typical minimum at strip casinos is $5), but increased the minimum to $5 around 2004.

Hotel

The hotel frequently offers rooms for as little as $35 per night. The rooms are advertised at "$29.99" but there is a mandatory $5/night "resort fee".

Reference

John L. Smith, No Limit: the Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and Las Vegas' Stratosphere Tower (Huntington Press, 1997) ISBN 0929712188

External links

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