Riviera (hotel and casino)
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| Location | Winchester, Nevada |
| Address | 2901 Las Vegas Boulevard South |
| Opening date | April 20, 1955 |
| Closing date | May 4, 2015 |
| Theme | Mediterranean |
| No. of rooms | 2,100 |
| Total gaming space | 110,000 sq ft (10,000 m2) |
| Permanent shows | Crazy Girls |
| Casino type | Land-based |
| Owner | Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority |
| Operating license holder | Paragon Gaming |
| Renovated in | 1989, 1999 |
| Coordinates | 36°08′06″N 115°09′43″W / 36.135°N 115.162°WCoordinates: 36°08′06″N 115°09′43″W / 36.135°N 115.162°W |
| Website | rivierahotel |
Riviera (colloquially, "the Riv") was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada, which operated from April 1955 to May 2015. It was last owned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which decided to demolish it to make way for the Las Vegas Global Business District.
The hotel had over 2,100 rooms, less than half of which were located in a 23-story tower. The casino had 110,000 sq ft (10,000 m2) of gaming space.
The casino was first proposed by Detroit mobster William Bischoff as the Casa Blanca, and received a gaming license in 1952. Bischoff later withdrew from the project, which was taken over by Miami businessman Samuel Cohen. By March 1955, Cohen, identified as a member of Miami's S & G gambling syndicate, was no longer part of the investment group, though rumors persisted that he secretly maintained an involvement.Marx Brothers Harpo and Gummo held minority interests at the opening.
The Riviera opened on April 20, 1955 as the first high-rise and the ninth resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Liberace cut the opening ribbon, and became the first resident performer. The Riviera became one of the oldest and most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas Valley. The Riviera also broke new ground in its design: previously, Strip resorts resembled roadside motor courts.
The opening of the Riviera, along with The Dunes and the Royal Nevada casino resorts within a month were the subject of a famous issue of Life magazine, on June 20, 1955 with a Moulin Rouge showgirl on its cover. The headline was "Las Vegas—Is Boom Overextended?" and a story about how Las Vegas had built too many hotel rooms to be profitable.
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