These days the hotel is beloved more for its history and bargain value than for its opulence, not surprising given its mishmash of newly renovated and decidedly worn rooms.
Today most of the stars have moved on to richer climes, but the hotel's 41-year-old cabaret lives on, featuring scantily clad women strutting their stuff beneath enormous feather headdresses. In the early days, the hotel's theater and restaurant drew a steady stream of celebrities and their followers. At the time, the $15-million, 300-room complex was top-of-the-line, with its opulent interior and 17 acres of manicured lawns and gardens complete with a 60-foot fountain spouting in the center of the Olympic-sized swimming pool. One of the grande dames of Las Vegas, the Tropicana first opened its lavish doors in 1957 and was quickly dubbed the 'Tiffany of the Strip,' by the Saturday Evening Post.