Las Vegas casino demolished in the most quintessentially Las Vegas manner
‘I hear that the Hotel Tropicana is quite comfortable,’ James Bond says in the 1971 film ‘Diamonds are Forever’.
In its heyday the gambling floors of its casino were a frequent haunt of Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong and Groucho Marx.
Tropicana’s past under mob rule also cemented its place in the lore of Las Vegas – but no more.
After welcoming guests for 67 years, the doors to the property were chained in April – and blown up today.
In true Las Vegas style, a spectacular show marked an end of an era before the two structures were brought down in a controlled demolition.
At least 555 drones and a fireworks display featured in the commemoration this afternoon.
Footage shows the iconic building from 1957 crumbling in what is the city’s first casino implosion in almost a decade.
555 drones and a display of fireworks were part of the show before the demolition of Hotel Tropicana (Picture: Getty)
Smoke envelopes the building before it was demolished (Picture: Getty)
The hotel was demolished 67 years after opening its doors for the first time (Picture: AP)
A total of 917,400 square feet were demolished. About 500 pounds of explosives were distributed across the steel-framed 23-story Paradise Tower to bring it down.
Meanwhile, the concrete-framed 23-story Club Tower had 1,130 boreholes filled with 1,700 pounds of explosives.
A total of 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord were used for implosion initiation in both structures at the end of the fireworks and drone show.
Hotel Tropicana was one of Las Vegas’ iconic venues (Picture: AP)
Actress Rhonda Fleming blossoms out as a singer and dancer in the first night club appearance of her career at the New Tropicana hotel (Picture: AP)
The demolition sequence began with the Paradise Tower, and the two structures collapsed within approximately 22 seconds after the implosion button was pressed.
It will make room for a $1.5 billion Major League Baseball stadium – part of Las Vegas’ latest rebrand as a hub for sports entertainment.
Charlie Granado, a bartender at the Tropicana, said back in April it is a bittersweet ending for the place he has called a second home for 38 years.
‘It is time. It has ran its course,’ he said. ‘It makes me sad. But on the other hand, it is a happy ending.’
A rendering shows a view of the proposed new ballpark at the Tropicana site (Picture: AP)
Bally’s Corporation chair Soo Kim, who owns the property, said in a press release: ‘It is fitting that this iconic site now represents the future of Las Vegas as we look forward to welcoming Major League Baseball, the Athletics, and an exciting new entertainment complex.
‘This moment in Las Vegas history represents more than just the next chapter – it is the evolution of the Strip, where legend meets innovation to create something truly unforgettable.
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