Tropicana on Las Vegas Strip informs employees of 18 to 24 months notice of closure

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The days of one of the longest-standing hotels in the Las Vegas Valley may be numbered.

The Tropicana on the Las Vegas Strip told its employees on Monday it plans to close within 18 to 24 months, at least temporarily, but will operate as usual until that point.

“For the past three years, we’ve been hearing about this being a possible location for the ballpark,” said Harry Basil, the General Manager of the Laugh Factory Comedy Club at the Tropicana.

Basil says after several years of chatter, he was relieved to hear the news last month that the Oakland A’s could move to a site on the west side of the I-15.

“Everyone at the Trop (breathed) a sigh of relief. Like, ‘Okay, we’re good.’”

But then came a memo from Bally’s, which owns the Tropicana, on Monday, saying it’s preparing to close in the next 18 to 24 months in preparation for a renovation.

“It would be sad to see it go,” Basil said. “Especially because I have a business here, but (also) just all the memories of this legendary property.”

Bally’s calls the project an “integrated casino hotel and resort and baseball park,” which hints at the plan for at least part of the Tropicana to remain.

Regardless of the fate of the hotel, Basil will likely have to find at least a temporary new home for his Laugh Factory soon. Still, he hopes he can come back in some capacity.

“If they continue to operate here and have a property, how exciting would that be to be on the site of the baseball stadium?” he asked excitedly.

A source that represents the Tropicana informed FOX5 no employees were terminated as a result of Monday’s announcement.

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