Why Are the Hotel-Casinos No Longer Theme-Oriented?

Why are the hotel-casinos no longer theme-oriented? Is it because it's politically incorrect? All the new hotels are cookie cutters. They all look alike.

It’s far more a question of fashion than politics, incorrect or otherwise, though the latter does rear its head on occasion, as you'll see.

Themed casinos represent a smallish slice of Las Vegas history, beginning with the Mirage in 1989 and ending with the ill-fated New Aladdin in 2000. (That Arabian Nights theme did, actually, become a political hot potato after 9/11.)

The theming trend roughly coincides with the era of family-friendly Vegas, about which you don’t hear much anymore. By the turn of the millennium, theming had been reduced to a sprinkling of exotic "atmosphere," as you see at Mandalay Bay and Bellagio.

The casino industry tends to operate by herd mentality and when Steve Wynn hit pay dirt with the Mirage, there was a rush to pump out themed casinos. The main imitator was Circus Circus Enterprises, which gave us Excalibur (1990) and Luxor (1993). Kirk Kerkorian also got into the act with MGM Grand, initially done in an Emerald City motif and heavily adorned with souvenirs of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie-studio’s history. Boyd Gaming’s The Orleans debuted in1996. One of the most heavily themed casinos, New York-New York, opened in 1997.

Then there was Sheldon Adelson’s Venetian (1999), designed in what the super-mogul described as “excruciating detail” in imitation of La Serenissima.

The problem with theming a casino is that, once the theme goes stale, it’s hellishly hard to remove. Just think of Circus Circus. Playboy magazine once termed Excalibur “tacky even by Vegas standards,” but how do you un-theme something that's been Camelot-ed to the nth degree?

There can, as noted in the question, also be unwanted cultural repercussions. The lion’s-mouth portal to MGM Grand had to be replaced, no doubt expensively, after international clients balked at using it. (In some cultures, entering the lion’s mouth equates with death.) Similarly, Luxor's pyramid was modeled on a tomb. Cultural problems ensued, resulting in the construction of a second more conventional hotel tower next door. When MGM added the Titanic and Bodies exhibitions to Luxor, it became Las Vegas’ only death-themed casino, more morbid connotations.

Also on the Strip, the wave of megaresorts that came limping through the Great Recession, mainly Aria and Cosmopolitan, were quite devoid of theming, preferring displays of public art and dramatic modernist architecture. And Resorts World was originally heavily Asian-oriented, but that was mostly stripped in the long planning and construction process.

Locals casinos also jumped onto the de-theming bandwagon. Station Casinos has been playing down its railroad theme for quite a while; Green Valley Ranch and Red Rock Resort did away with theming altogether.

The Mirage, of course, will be rethemed into a Hard Rock property, with its minimal rock 'n' roll orientation. And Fontainebleau will, at least according to the early glimpses we've seen, have a Miami aesthetic, but we'd hardly call it a theme.

As for all the old themed properties, as long as they continue to turn a profit, they'll continue to avoid a date with dynamite.

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Henry May-25-2023

Theme are not a "smallish slice"

“Themed casinos represent a smallish slice of Las Vegas history, beginning with the Mirage in 1989 ...” This is so incorrect that even the rest of the answer contradicts the claim by citing circus-themed Circus Circus of the 60s

Hotel & casino fantasy themes are as old as Las Vegas tourism. It begins with our first travel motto in 1939: "Las Vegas, still a frontier town." Las Vegas was never a frontier town but this Old West fantasy set the tone for all of the many Western-themed hotels, casinos, and wedding chapels of the 40s. Hotel Last Frontier was the biggest of them, including theme-gas station and actual "theme" park. In the 50s, Sahara and Dunes were Arabic-themed; New Frontier and Stardust were Outer Space-themed. In the 60s, what was Caesars Palace if not themed? The original MGM Grand was MGM Studios-themed.


It's fair to say themes slowed in the 70s & 80s before making a mega-comeback, but it did not simply start with The Mirage and Excalibur.

rokgpsman Jun-01-2023

Theming is great

I'm a fan of themed casino resorts, it makes each place distinctive and fun. Doesn't matter if it's over-the-top tacky or if it gets old, anything and everything goes in Vegas, including the absurd. Look at the how successful Disneyland and Disney World have been for decades, it's the very essence of theming. This is all part of the vacation experience. What's the fun in visiting a Howard Johnson hotel-casino? The Bellagio, the Paris and Venetian are all unique places that people from all over the world come to see, it's not the slot machines inside that's the big attraction.

William Nye Jun-01-2023

Agree

I must agree that theme is part of Las Vegas and the vacation experience for me.  My sons and I are coming out this Sunday as a 20 year Anniversary of our first trip to Las Vegas and we are again staying at the Excalibur!  How many trips since 2003, 50 plus for me and always enjoy the theme.  My vote is for keep the themes and the the 'vacation' fun.  We also have done the marathon since 2007 and dress as Elvis, so speaking of a theme.

Michael Taylor Jun-01-2023

Miss the themes

Themed casinos was/is what makes Vegas Vegas. Office buildings/hotels now all look the same. It was fun to see the pirates at Treasure Island (not TI), volcano at Mirage and the Sphinx at Luxor. Once inside the new casinos they all are the same. More flashy decor perhaps but a lot less fun. Kind of sad now

O2bnVegas Jun-01-2023

Wha???

I guess it depends one one's definition of "themed" as regards Las Vegas casinos.  I always thought of The Golden Nuggett and The Four Queens and others downtown as "themed", at least in their names, which made me want to visit just to see.  Mirage the first themed casino on the Strip?  What about the Dunes with that big genie-looking guy, Barbary Coast, Frontier, O'Shea's (Irish, right?) and others along the Strip as themed, though certainly Mirage's volcano and TI's pirate show were a step up in 'theme' entertainment.  Bellagio may have been the first non-themed fancy resort, on the Strip, though "Lake Como" gave it the Italian flavor, after which Wynn, well, Steve Wynn was/is the theme.

Anyway, like most, I liked/like theming and sad to see it going away.  When I read something about "Resorts World" or even "Circa" I have to stop and think...what/where is this place? 

Candy

[email protected] Jun-01-2023

Miss Themes

I agree with the other commentators.  When I brought family to LAS, we spent about 2 days just touring all the different themed casinos.  Now the new ones are nice resorts, but no different than what you'd see in any other destination city.  Maybe that's one reason theming is vanishing - there's really no need now to visit any resort other than the one where you're staying, since the rest all pretty much look alike.  Keeps the customers as more of a captive audience.

Like the others, I miss it.  It makes LAS a much less special place to visit.  Until some better VP reappears on the strip ($2 9/6 JOB, e.g.) I'll likely stay away after averaging 2 trips a year for many years.

Susan Johnson Jun-01-2023

miss themes too

What I see as a big downside of making the casinos look the same is that none of memorable.  I remember back in the days of walking the strip that I certainly remembered which casino I was in by the decor.  If I had fun there, wouldn't the execs want me to remember where I was?  
When The Orleans redid the buffet, it looked very well put together but it did not look like the Orleans at all.  In fact, it looked like the Wicked Spoon.  Nothing beat Paris for buffet theming!

Kevin Lewis Jun-01-2023

There's still a theme

That theme is "you lose."

Hoppy Jun-01-2023

Re: miss themes

The Paris Buffet theme . . . Oui!

Luis Jun-01-2023

Go Themed Hotel - Casinos!

I love themed Hotel Casinos over the steril, Corporate Hotels, The "older" themed places at least try to care about their customers, Newer places couldn't care less, unless you are a Whale, and even then, I've spent a pretty buck both in themed places as in unthemed, and call it luck, but I've received much better attention in the themed ones, the Concierges have offered me upgrades, free nights, even dinner, and the undiscript windowed buildings have not. So, I will be patronizing themed over non themed, love them, specially the locals like south point and Orleans ,they treat me very well ( thanks Mr. Gaughan )

alohafri Jun-01-2023

Excalibur

I always thought Excalibur should have jumped on the Game of Thrones popularity and modified the theme to be more adult oriented.

VegasVic Jun-01-2023

MGM

The Lions mouth entrance at MGM looked great! I also think Luxor and Excalibur still look great, on the outside at least.

Douglas Crawford Jun-01-2023

Theming is awesome

The pre-Harrahs Holiday Inn was corner The Ship on the Strip in a riverboat theme. That and Caesars Palace were the first to make impressions on me, along with the total tackiness that brightly themed Circus Circus.
I always appreciated those modeled after cities. Rio was an absolute wunderkind for years while both Venetian and NYNY st
hall forever be remembered as classics. Even places like Vegas World and Boardwalk should be fondly recalled.

David Jun-01-2023

A very lazy answer

So many themed casinos not mentioned in this answer but brought up by respondents in the comments. I mean c’mon …. Caesar’s? Circus Circus? Frontier?

Gregory Jun-01-2023

Themed slots

Another place I miss theming is with the machines themselves. MGM (pre-Bally's) had lots of slots with the MGM lion either on the reels or the belly glass. Many other casinos also did this. Most of Golden Nugget's machine's metal parts were brass plated "gold" instead of chrome.  Some casinos had custom art on the cardbacks on their video poker machines.  I think El Cortez might still have a couple of these left.  The Cal might too. I don't think I've seen a slot themed to a specific casino brand for at least 20 years.

churchiec Jun-01-2023

cardcounting / Cut

With deeper penetration being required for Blackjack Cuts in most casinos  (strip and local) can you still win money by card counting ?  The question applies to any number of deck(s) .. Not automated machines

Diane Crosby Jun-05-2023

To theme or not?

It seems to me that the choices casinos have are themed, fancy or retro. I like some of all of it. Themes do make for an entertaining visit. Of course, what is fancy today may become retro down the road (Golden Nugget, Hilton, Caesar's, for example)!

[email protected] Jun-07-2023

Mandalay Bay

The third and best Circus-Circus Enterprise property, Mandalay Bay is my favorite to this day.

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