Tropicana reopens Thursday with safety protocols in place
By Mike Shoro Las Vegas Review-Journal
Gust of honor Cheryl Mercereau of Denver, Colo., flanked by show girls Ciara Cornett, left, and Kaleigh Jones, gambles after the reopening ceremony of the Tropicana hotel-casino, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Mike Thoma, interim general manager of Tropicana Las Vegas, greets gust of honor and the first gust Cheryl Mercereau of Denver, Colo., after the reopening ceremony of the Tropicana hotel-casino, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Mike Thoma, interim general manager of Tropicana Las Vegas, accompanies gust of honor and the first gust Cheryl Mercereau of Denver, Colo., after the reopening ceremony of the Tropicana hotel-casino, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Mike Thoma, interim general manager of Tropicana Las Vegas, speaks during the reopening ceremony of the Tropicana hotel-casino, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Gusts and employees wait as the Tropicana hotel-casino reopens to public, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Gusts arrive after the Tropicana hotel-casino reopens to public, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Gusts arrive after the Tropicana hotel-casino reopens to public, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Gusts lined up to check in after the Tropicana hotel-casino reopens to public, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Gusts lined up to check in after the Tropicana hotel-casino reopens to public, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Gusts, including Margaret Cook, right, and her husband Charles, visiting from Cedar Rapids, Idaho, gamble after the Tropicana hotel-casino reopens to public, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Gusts lined up at cashier booth after the Tropicana hotel-casino reopens to public, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Gusts gamble after the Tropicana hotel-casino reopens to public, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Rex Pierson watches as his wife Shelley, both of Las Vegas, gambles after the Tropicana hotel-casino reopens to public, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Show girl Kaleigh Jones, left, and Andy Swenson, vice president of marketing, chat as they prepare to greet gusts during the reopening ceremony of the Tropicana hotel-casino, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
The Tropicana opened its doors for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Nevada.
The Strip resort welcomed guests at 10 a.m. Thursday with many of the same health and safety protocols that are in place at other hotel-casinos.
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.
“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,” Tropicana assistant general manager Mike Thoma stated.
It’s been an eventful six months for the Tropicana since it closed in mid-March. The resort is looking for a buyer, and it delayed reopening to Thursday from a previously scheduled date of Sept. 1, with parent company Penn National Gaming Inc. citing COVID-19’s impact on demand for travel.
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.
