'Bodies' exhumed from Tropicana, headed to Luxor

Late last year, tracking a hot story for the Buffet, I went to the Tropicana to spend the night to report on what the casino was like for a guest.

I wanted to see if there was any impact for customers on account of the parent company's financial and licensing issues in other markets. I was also following the Tropicana's status as the last casino on the Strip not to have settled on a new contract with the Culinary Union (excluding the non-union Venetian).

My visit found the casino a tolerable place to stay if you get a very, very good room rate and aren't concerned about the general shabbiness of the property.

The undisputed highlight of spending a night at the Tropicana was the controversial exhibit for "Bodies." Last December I wrote on the Buffet about the fascinating exhibit, "I have been hearing strong rumors for a while that next year 'Bodies' is planning to relocate to new digs at the far hipper Luxor." Yesterday, it was confirmed that the "Bodies" exhibit move to Luxor is official. The exact date has yet to be announced, but, as I had heard, it will be later this year.

Moving from Tropicana to Luxor is a huge step up for "Bodies." At the Tropicana, the experience of the exhibit was tainted by the problems of the host property in a variety of ways. For example, "Bodies" was reachable by a broken escalator, typical of the Tropicana property. At the time the escalator had been broken for almost a year, according to the staff in the box office. And guess what? As of today the escalator leading to the "Bodies" exhibition at the Tropicana remains broken. (I am guessing any escalator broken at the Luxor would be back in working order with a lot more speed.)

But the main advantage for "Bodies" of the move to the Luxor is that it places the exhibit in a resort more suited to the appeal of a sophisticated (not to mention controversial) look at human biology. And the arrival of "Bodies" comes at a good time for the Luxor, which has gone from hot buzz property to fending off stories about the temporary closure of new restaurant Cathouse due to construction issues and the IRS visit to the casino's new nightclub, LAX. It is an important reminder that LAX, Cathouse and now "Bodies" (not to mention Criss Angel's forthcoming Cirque show) have totally transformed the Luxor's image in less than a year. (photo by Sarah Gerke)