The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod

History

In 1974, Bob Stupak opened a small casino in Las Vegas known as Bob Stupak's World Famous Million-Dollar Historic Gambling Museum and Casino, north of the Las Vegas Strip on land previously occupied by the Todkill/Bill Hayden Lincoln Mercury Dealership. The casino burned down two months later, and Stupak opened his Vegas World hotel and casino on the same property in 1979.

Conception

Stupak's concept for the Stratosphere began as a plan to construct a 1,012-foot (308 m) neon sign tower for Vegas World. In October 1989, Stupak submitted plans to the city for the approval of the neon sign tower, which would stand four times taller than the hotel. A few days later, he withdrew his plans to allow time for a revised version of the tower that would include an elevator leading up to an observation deck. Stupak, who wanted the tower to become a local landmark, said, "What I'm trying to do for Las Vegas is what the Eiffel Tower did for Paris, what the Empire State Building did for New York, what the Seattle Space Needle did for Seattle." Stupak's plans received widespread opposition, including from Las Vegas city staff, who drafted an ordinance that would have limited signs to 35 feet. The Las Vegas City Council rejected the ordinance, considering it a poorly drawn measure aimed specifically at stopping Stupak's project.

In February 1990, Stupak unveiled his revised plans for a $50 million, 1,012-foot (308 m) observation tower with a top floor that would include a revolving restaurant and four penthouse suites. It would be the tallest structure in Las Vegas and in Nevada. The tower was designed by architect Ned Baldwin, who also worked on the CN Tower in Toronto. Stupak's vision for the project was inspired by the Sydney Tower in Australia, where he once lived. In April 1990, the city council approved Stupak's tower, despite objections from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which said it was 200 feet (61 m) too tall. Nellis Air Force Base also opposed the tower. Stupak later said that "all sorts of people out there opposed" the tower, adding, "If it wasn't for the courage of the council, it would have never been built." Critics later called the project the "eighth blunder of the world" and "Stupak's shaft."

In October 1991, the city approved the tower's base and shaft; the pod atop the tower had yet to be approved. At the time, Stupak was trying to obtain financing for the now-$100 million project and was also under investigation by gaming officials over allegations that he used deceptive advertising to lure customers to Vegas World. The project was now planned to include the "world's first indoor African lion's park", consisting of a jungle habitat at the tower base; this feature was eventually scrapped.

Groundbreaking for the project, known as the Stratosphere Tower, took place on November 5, 1991. The start of construction had yet to be announced for the tower, which was still opposed by the FAA.

Construction

Construction of the $32 million tower began in February 1992, on property adjacent to Vegas World. Multiple architectural and engineering firms monitored the construction to ensure structural integrity. The tower was built directly north of the Las Vegas Strip and south of downtown Las Vegas, in an area known as Meadows Village, a crime-ridden neighborhood nicknamed Naked City. Shortly before its opening, a Stratosphere spokesman said, "We hope Stratosphere will be the catalyst that spurs redevelopment" in the area, while acknowledging, "We plunked down a half-billion-dollar project in the middle of one of the worst neighborhoods."

On August 29, 1993, around midnight, hundreds of customers at Vegas World were evacuated when the half-finished tower caught on fire. No one was hurt. The cause of the fire was never determined. Parts of the tower were blackened, but the fire caused no structural damage. The tower is made of concrete and steel. The fire delayed the opening, which had been planned for August 1994, by eight weeks. Stupak said the tower's first phase would still be ready in time with an accelerated construction schedule. A large crane atop the tower, used for construction, was also damaged in the fire. The next month, high winds prevented the scheduled dismantling of the crane, a process expected to take two days.

After the fire, Stupak had trouble financing the completion of the tower. To continue construction, Grand Casinos announced plans in November 1993 to purchase 33% of the Stratosphere and Vegas World by acquiring shares in Stupak's Stratosphere Corporation. Grand Casinos, owned by Stupak's poker friend Lyle Berman, ultimately purchased a 43% stake in the resort.

As construction continued in April 1994, the tower was over 700 feet (210 m) tall. That month, Stupak announced that he was considering an 813-foot (248 m) extension of the tower's height, which would bring it to 1,825 feet (556 m), beating the CN Tower by 10 feet (3.0 m) and making the Stratosphere the tallest structure in the world. This new height was opposed by the FAA, the Airline Pilots Association, and McCarran International Airport, on the grounds that it would force changes in air traffic patterns. The FAA said the tower would be an aviation hazard, but its developers argued that the height would make it a major tourist attraction.

Stupak and Grand Casinos developed a laser light show for the tower in case the city rejected the new height. A lawyer for the project said, "If we can't have the world's tallest tower, we'll have the world's most beautiful tower." The FAA also opposed the laser show, citing previous incidents around the country in which pilots were temporarily blinded by laser lights. In June 1994, the city rejected Stupak's new height proposal but allowed him to go up to 1,149 feet (350 m), higher than 1,012 feet (308 m) he had originally proposed. The tower was ultimately built out to the city's maximum height, though the FAA still considered it a hazard.

Opening

The Stratosphere was expected to employ 3,000 people, and began hiring for the remaining 2,400 employees in March 1996, a month before the opening. At the time, Stupak was the chairman of Stratosphere Corporation and owned 17% of the company. He was one of the corporation's nine directors, and would not oversee the company's daily operations.

Shortly before its opening, several daredevils expressed interest in performing stunts from the top of the tower, but they were declined for safety reasons. Smoke in the tower's pod restaurant forced an evacuation of workers on April 25, 1996, days before the opening. The smoke came from the pod's fifth-floor kitchen, one floor above the restaurant, due to a faulty ventilator in the air-flow duct system. The pod contained four tanks with 32,000 gallons of water for firefighters in the event of a fire, but they were not needed.

A film crew followed Stupak all day leading up to the opening. More than 8,000 VIP guests visited the resort for a premiere party on April 29, hours before its midnight opening. Stupak attended the event with singer Phyllis McGuire. Other attendees included Nevada governor Bob Miller and Las Vegas mayor Jan Laverty Jones. Media from around the world attended the event, which was broadcast live by CNBC as well as television stations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. A six-minute fireworks show, costing $50,000, began at 10:30 p.m. Doors in the tower's pod had been left partially open to accommodate television camera cables, and smoke from the fireworks filled the pod and set off fire alarms, resulting in the shutdown of elevators and stranding hundreds of VIP guests.

The $550 million complex featured 354,000 sq ft (32,900 m2), including 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) of entertainment and shopping space. A 97,000-square-foot (9,000 m2) casino was part of the resort's first phase, which also included 1,500 hotel rooms. The hotel was expected to open on May 7. Another 1,000 hotel rooms were expected to be finished in November as part of the second phase.

The resort had 3,100 employees. The casino had 2,600 slot machines and was decorated with a world's fair theme and bright colors. The casino was divided into three sections, each with its own international theme. The hotel included a bronze statue of Stupak, which he disliked and never approved, saying, "They spent $100,000 more for that statue than I spent to open my first place in 1974." Another statue, in the center of the casino, featured a couple riding a dolphin set upon a bronze globe. The Stratosphere had seven restaurants, and the top of the tower contained two thrill rides. Stupak said, "Anybody can build a tower. But if you build a tower and put a roller coaster on top—now, that's Las Vegatizing."

Financial problems

The Stratosphere was projected to attract at least 5.5 million visitors in its first year. Around the time of its opening, financial analysts were optimistic about its financial prospects. Revenue for the first five weeks was lower than expected. Stratosphere Corporation attributed the low results to the resort being partly unfinished, and said it would borrow $48.5 million from Grand Casinos to finance enhancements to the property, including the completion of the 1,000 additional rooms and the opening of unfinished retail shops. The resort's location away from the revitalized downtown and the mega-resorts of the Strip was another reason for its financial problems.

In addition, customer visitation to the tower was lower than expected, and many people did not stay to gamble in the casino. The casino was poorly designed, according to managers, as visitors to the tower were able to avoid the casino floor entirely. Berman said that weak marketing was also a factor in the poor revenue. Because the tower had already received so much publicity, Berman decided that a full marketing campaign was unnecessary. In the months after its opening, the resort continued to suffer financially. The unfinished hotel contained fewer rooms than most Las Vegas resorts, and occupancy was significantly below average for such a property. Another issue was that the two rides atop the tower had to be shut down whenever winds reached 35 miles per hour.

Stupak, who had already planned to move on to other projects, resigned as chairman less than three months after the opening, leaving Berman in charge. Explaining his departure, Stupak cited disagreements with a majority of the board members, saying that Grand Casinos executives ignored his advice and that he lacked influence considering his job title. Grand Casinos had agreed to keep Stupak as chairman only for the first 90 days after opening; his position was to be evaluated after that. Stupak's statue was removed after he resigned and displayed in a gambling museum at the Tropicana hotel-casino.

In August 1996, Leroy's established a temporary race and sports book in an effort to bring in more gamblers. The resort's second phase was halted later that month for financial reasons; the additional hotel building consisted of an unfinished 15-story structure of concrete and rebar. There had also been plans for a $30 million aquarium attraction, measuring 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) and set to open in 1997, but this never materialized.

Carl Icahn ownership

In June 1997, corporate raider and businessman Carl Icahn purchased 20 percent of mortgage bonds in Stratosphere Corporation, while Berman and other investors in Stratosphere Corporation sold off their shares. Grand Casinos remained as the largest shareholder in the resort. In July 1997, Icahn announced plans to sell shares in his company, American Real Estate Partners, to raise money to purchase the Stratosphere entirely. Icahn announced a new reorganization plan that was viewed more favorably than the latest one proposed by Grand Casinos. Berman and other board members of Stratosphere Corporation resigned, with Berman saying, "Grand wants to avoid being on the board when proposals such as Icahn's are being reviewed. I think it's difficult when your company has a proposal and another company is offering a better proposal."

In August 1997, Stupak made a plan to regain control of the Stratosphere by purchasing $1 million in mortgage notes. He also planned to air a half-hour video in which he criticized the board members who resigned, saying, "We have to save the Stratosphere. We have to save the shareholders. You have a duty, a fiduciary duty. I'm reminding you to do this." Stupak went on to say, "They lost more money than I ever heard of. So what did they do? They surrendered. They surrendered and left town." Stupak was also critical of Stratosphere Corporation for refusing to meet with him to discuss his own proposal for reorganization. A day after announcing his video, Stupak decided to shelve its airing, stating that he had already caught people's interest. He said the video was no longer necessary and that the timing no longer felt right. In October 1997, Grand Casinos confirmed that it would have no further involvement in the Stratosphere and its reorganization.

The Stratosphere owed $313 million to creditors. Icahn's reorganization plan was approved, and Stupak settled the lawsuit concerning vacation packages. Older shares in the Stratosphere were canceled. Lakes Gaming, formerly Grand Casinos, would later settle a lawsuit brought by former Stratosphere shareholders, and the company prevailed in a lawsuit brought by bondholders of the resort. Icahn's purchase received final approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission in August 1998, and the Stratosphere exited bankruptcy two months later. Icahn planned $100 million in improvements, including the completion of the additional hotel rooms. However, he inherited various lawsuits when he purchased the Stratosphere, and construction would not resume until such issues were resolved.

2008 sale and renovations

In April 2007, Icahn announced that he would sell ACEP and its properties, including the Stratosphere, to a Goldman Sachs affiliate known as Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds. The sale included 17 acres of adjacent, undeveloped land. Whitehall completed its purchase in February 2008, and the company planned to spend $25 million on improvements to the Stratosphere.

Many managers were fired and replaced under the new ownership, despite earlier assurances that such jobs would be safe from termination. Some employees complained about the firing of their managers, which occurred following the 2008 financial crisis in the United States. Other employees stated that the fired managers were inept or stealing money from the casino, and that they showed favoritism among workers. Under the new ownership, employees were given stricter work guidelines to follow, which was met with mixed reactions from workers and gamblers. Polly Esther's closed at the end of 2008. As a result of the ensuing Great Recession, the Stratosphere laid off workers in 2009, and continued to struggle into 2010.

A $20 million renovation project began in 2010. Improvements were made to the casino, the main entrance, the Top of the World restaurant, and other areas. A major aspect of the project was the renovation of 909 hotel rooms, out of 2,427. Other renovations continued into 2012, and included the addition of a new poker room.

For years, the Stratosphere sat alone as the sole resort in the area. The only other nearby resort, the Sahara, closed in 2011, causing a significant drop in pedestrian traffic for the Stratosphere. However, the Sahara reopened as the SLS Las Vegas in 2014, and the Stratosphere was expected to benefit from the increased visitation in the area. A British man became the 40 millionth visitor to the tower on April 21, 2014, and received a $2,500 prize package. In September 2014, a man, under the influence of drugs, crashed his pickup truck through the resort's front entrance and was arrested.

In 2015, the Stratosphere launched an advertising campaign targeting its middle-class clientele, while criticizing high-priced Strip resorts. The Stratosphere celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016. At the time, the resort had 1,600 employees. Most of its clientele consisted of tourists from southern California, as well as international locations such as Canada, Germany, and Great Britain. The resort's gaming revenue had yet to fully recover from the effects of the Great Recession, although other aspects of the property performed well.

Golden Entertainment

In June 2017, Golden Entertainment agreed to purchase ACEP. Golden Entertainment's $850 million purchase of the company, including the Stratosphere, was completed in October 2017. In March 2018, Golden Entertainment announced plans for a $140 million renovation of the Stratosphere that would be completed over three phases. According to management, some people were unaware that the Stratosphere was a resort, believing it to be merely an observation tower. The renovations were aimed at raising awareness of the resort amenities. Renovations were underway later in 2018. A new gaming pit was debuted, and 300 rooms were renovated, among other changes.

On February 1, 2019, plans were announced to rename the resort as The Strat, a common nickname among local residents. The transition to The Strat began with two commercials aired locally two days later, during Super Bowl LIII. The name change would become official at a later date.

A three-piece statue, created by local artists, was installed at the resort's front entrance in April 2019. The statue consists of three stainless steel figures staring at the tower. They range in height from nine to 15 feet, with the tallest one pointing at the tower. Blake Sartini, the chairman and CEO of Golden Entertainment, said the statue was a symbol of the resort's new branding.

Two areas for live entertainment – one on the casino floor and one in the former space of a lounge – were being added in June 2019, along with a new slot machine lounge. "STRAT" signage was installed in August 2019, and renovations on the south end of the casino floor were completed that year. Other renovations have included the resort's exterior and landscaping. The Strat also installed drone detection technology, alerting the property whenever illegal drones are flown near the tower.

The resort was officially renamed The Strat during a celebration held on January 22, 2020. Among the attendees to the event were Nevada governor Steve Sisolak, congresswoman Dina Titus, Sammy Hagar, Guy Fieri, and Rick Springfield. Renovations were largely finished at the time, with the exception of a self-check-in area and remodeling that was scheduled to begin on the casino's north side during the second quarter of 2020. The billboards on the tower were also renovated. Half of the resort's 2,427 hotel rooms had been remodeled, and future renovations would also take place on the remaining rooms. The 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m2) casino, considered dark before, was remodeled with a new color scheme and an open layout. A new William Hill sports book was also added.

Property overview

The hotel and casino facilities are located at the base of the observation tower. The Strat's location, in regard to the Las Vegas Strip, has been debated. Although the Stratosphere was considered north of the Strip at the time of its 1996 opening, it advertised itself as being on the Strip, with the slogan, "We define the top of the Strip." Frank Riolo, the CEO of AREP, said in 2011, "It's not Downtown, it's not the Strip and it's not a locals property. We try to run it as a hybrid."

Tourists and some local residents consider the Strat to be part of the Strip, which would make it the only Strip resort within city limits. However, Clark County considers the Strat to be several blocks north of the Strip. According to the county, the Strip does not officially extend into city limits. Golden Entertainment nonetheless advertises the resort as a Strip property, as did its predecessor, Stratosphere builder Bob Stupak.

Observation tower

The resort was named after the stratosphere in Earth's atmosphere, as a reference to the height of the tower. At 1,149 ft (350 m), it is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States, and the second-tallest in the Western Hemisphere, surpassed only by the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario. It is the tallest tower west of the Mississippi River, and also the tallest structure in Las Vegas and in the state of Nevada. Because the tower is not fully habitable, it is not considered a building, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Because of its visibility, the tower serves as a visual aid for some motorists in the Las Vegas Valley. The tower also presents problems for air traffic controllers, who have to guide certain planes to avoid the structure.

The tower is a popular draw for tourists, and is a notable part of the Las Vegas skyline. The top of the tower has two observation decks and a restaurant known as "Top of the World", in addition to lounges, four thrill rides, and a wedding chapel. An indoor observation deck is located on the 108th floor, while stairs lead to an outdoor deck on the 109th floor, both providing wraparound views of the Las Vegas Valley. The indoor deck was remodeled in 2019.

The tower elevators, among the fastest in the world, travel at a speed of 1,800 feet per minute (9.1 m/s). The tower also includes 1,455 steps leading up to the 108th floor, which rises 855 feet (261 m). Since 2009, the tower has hosted a fundraising event called Scale the Strat, which benefits the American Lung Association. Hundreds of people compete each year in the stair-racing event, in which individual participants race to the top of the tower for the best time, separated from each other by one-minute intervals. Aside from the races, the stairs are otherwise closed to the public.

The tower cost $70 million to construct. It weighs approximately 50,000 tons and has nearly 290 mi (470 km) of reinforced steel bars. The tower's pod includes the restaurant and contains 12 stories. The exterior of the pod has one and a half miles of criss-crossed fiber-optic cable with lights which alternate between eight different colors. A 149-foot (45 m) needle located on top of the pod consists of a 5-square-foot (0.46 m2) steel-beam frame with an internal ladder. Atop the needle frame are two four-inch beams which are laid out horizontally to form an "X". A special rig for window washers is situated around the pod windows. In 2005, local jazz station KOAS 105.7 (FM) installed an antenna at the top of the tower, becoming the first station to do so. KVGS 107.9 (FM) also has an antenna atop the tower.

Attractions

Rides at the Strat include:

Big Shot, opened along with the resort in 1996. The ride travels up and down the tower's needle. At 1,081 ft (329 m), it was the highest thrill ride in the world until the Sky Drop opened on the Canton Tower at 1,591 ft (485 m).

X-Scream, opened in 2003. At 866 ft (264 m), it is the fourth highest thrill ride in the world. It consists of a single car that rolls back and forth on a straight piece of track that slightly overhangs the tower and pivots vertically in a see-saw motion.

Insanity, opened in 2005. At 900 ft (270 m) is the third highest thrill ride in the world; it dangles riders over the edge of the tower and then spins in a circular pattern at approximately 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). In an incident shortly after opening, riders were left dangling several hundred feet for nearly an hour and a half when Insanity shut down; it was programmed to cease operation if a fault or problem is detected by the ride's control system. Strong winds caused the system to trigger the emergency stop.

SkyJump Las Vegas, opened in 2010. SkyJump is a controlled-descent, bungee jumping-like ride that allows riders to plummet 855 ft (261 m) attached to a high-speed descent wire. SkyJump had its 100,000th rider in 2013, and its 200,000th in 2015.

A previous ride, a roller coaster called the High Roller, opened with the resort in 1996. It rode around the top of the tower pod. It closed on December 30, 2005, and was dismantled. The ride was considered underwhelming and was poorly received in comparison to the other rides. However, it was a financial success and attracted nearly 4 million riders by the time of its closure. At 909 ft (277 m), it was the second highest ride in the world and the highest roller coaster.

Strat-O-Fair, a 17,000-square-foot (1,600 m2) midway themed after the 1963 World's fair, opened at the base of the tower in June 2000. Among its attractions were bumper cars and a Ferris wheel, measuring 45 feet in diameter.

In 2024, the Strat opened Atomic Golf, a four-story, 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) golf entertainment facility. The project, which cost $75 million, includes 103 hitting bays and several bars. It was built on seven acres – located directly north of the resort – that were leased out to developer Flite Golf & Entertainment.

Restaurants

Top of the World is a revolving restaurant, taking about 80 minutes to complete a full rotation. It is located on the 106th floor of the tower, providing overhead views of the Las Vegas Valley.

The resort has had numerous other restaurants, including a buffet, and a steakhouse known as McCall's Heartland Grill. Roxy's Diner had operated since the resort's opening. It eventually closed in 2018, replaced by the Strat Café.

A snack bar, 108 Eats, opened on the 108th floor observation deck in 2019. PT's, a local chain of bar-restaurants owned by Golden Entertainment, opened a location at the Strat in 2020, under the name PT's Wings & Sports.

Tower Shops

The Tower Shops is a mall on the second level. The elevators that lead up to the observation decks are only accessible in the mall. DeBartolo Realty Corporation, which owned a 50-percent interest in the Tower Shops, was acquired by Simon Property Group in March 1996, forming Simon DeBartolo Group. The Tower Shops were a joint venture between Simon DeBartolo Group and Gordon Group, under the name Strato-Retail. The Stratosphere leased the retail space to Strato-Retail, which then subleased it to retail tenants.

When the Stratosphere opened in April 1996, its retail area was still largely under construction and consisted only of vendor carts spread across three areas with their own theme: Chinese, French, and Manhattan. The mall was built by Missouri construction company McCarthy, which was finishing the first phase in May 1996. Because of the resort's financial problems, the next phase of the Tower Shops was halted in August 1996, leaving the mall with 69,000 sq ft (6,400 m2) of retail space. The second phase, scheduled for completion in December 1996, would have increased the mall to 160,000 sq ft (15,000 m2). The second phase would have included a Rainforest Cafe as its main anchor tenant. A Kids Quest child-care center was also planned as part of the second phase.

As of February 1997, the mall had 32 of 45 stores opened, with the remainder expected to open by the end of the second quarter. The mall had approximately 300 employees. As of October 1997, there were 36 stores, including a clothing store owned by Las Vegas mayor Jan Jones, who also owned shares in Grand Casinos. Approximately 85 percent of the retail space was occupied, and 98 percent was leased.

By 1998, retailers in the Tower Shops were experiencing financial difficulties and lack of customer traffic, which the retailers blamed on the resort's unfinished facilities. Strato-Retail filed suits against several of the mall's retailers, alleging non-payment of rent. Two retailers that were locked in for expensive, long-term leases filed suits against Strato-Retail. As of March 1999, the Stratosphere planned to add a new escalator which the resort said would lead up to the casino's showroom. However, Strato-Retail sued Stratosphere Corporation, alleging that the escalator would hinder business to the Tower Shops by allowing visitors to bypass the mall on their way to the top of the observation tower. The resort denied that the escalator could be used to access the tower. Strato-Retail won a permanent injunction against the escalator's construction.

Live entertainment

At its opening, the Stratosphere included the 700-seat Broadway showroom, and a 300-seat lounge called the Images Cabaret, which also hosted performers. The Stratosphere opened along with a celebrity impersonator show known as American Superstars, which initially ran in the lounge. Danny Gans also had a residency, which took place in the showroom. Gans' contract expired at the end of 1996, and he moved on to the Rio resort, after disagreements with the Stratosphere. Gans had wanted more advertising from the Stratosphere for his show, although the resort was financially unable to do so. The resort, meanwhile, wanted Gans to perform more often, which he declined to do. Following his departure, American Superstars moved into the showroom.

A small-scale afternoon show, Viva Las Vegas, opened in the Broadway showroom in October 1996, in an effort to improve the resort's finances. The show had previously run for five years at the Sands Hotel and Casino, until its closing earlier in 1996. Hypnotist Marshall Sylver opened a show in the Images Cabaret in 1997. Two years later, Images Cabaret was relocated elsewhere in the resort, as the original location was replaced by the new sports book.

As of 2001, Viva Las Vegas was the longest continuously running afternoon show in Las Vegas history. An outdoor stage, called the Outdoor Events Center, opened later that year. Built in the form of a grandstand, it offered seating for approximately 3,600 people. As an alternative to larger venues, the Outdoor Events Center offered low-priced events, which included boxing matches and musical performances. In 2004, the resort's Theater of the Stars showroom launched a topless vampire-themed show by Tim Molyneux called Bite, featuring rock and roll music. Viva Las Vegas closed in December 2006.

American Superstars closed in March 2011, as the producers and resort came to a mutual decision to end the show after a 15-year run. It was one of the longest-running shows in Las Vegas history. Later that year, singer Frankie Moreno signed a two-year residency. The Theater of the Stars showroom was renovated under the direction of Moreno, and was renamed as the Stratosphere Showroom. Tommy Ward was Moreno's opening act for nine-months. Bite ended its run in 2012.

David Perrico, with the band Pop Evolution, signed in 2013 for a monthly show. Claire Sinclair, a Playboy Playmate, starred in a burlesque musical show titled Pin Up, which launched in 2013 and ran for four years. Moreno signed an extension and eventually concluded his residency at the end of 2014. By 2016, the resort had begun offering a Michael Jackson tribute show called MJ Live.

In popular culture

In 1998, some filming took place at the Stratosphere for an episode of Chicago Hope.

The Stratosphere appears in the background of a 1998 King of the Hill episode Next of Shin as Hank, Dale, and Bill search for Hank's father Cotton in Las Vegas.

In 1999, scenes for the game show Real World/Road Rules Challenge 2000 were filmed involving contestants bungee jumping from the Stratosphere's tower.

The Stratosphere was also used in 1999 for filming of the television series The Strip.

The casino and tower are featured in the 2005 movie Domino, in which the owner gets robbed of $10 million and the top of the tower gets damaged in an explosion.

Merlin's Tower, a fictionalized version of The Strat, was used as a premonition setting in the 2005 Final Destination novel, "Dead Man's Hand".

The tower is the inspiration for the Vertigo Spire location/map featured in the 2006 video game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas.

The tower was featured in the Life After People 2009 episode "Sin City Meltdown". Three hundred years after people, the tower is one of the last recognizable things in Las Vegas, but an earthquake eventually brings it down.

The 2002 death of 16-year-old Las Vegas teen Levi Presley, by suicide from the observation deck, became the basis for John D'Agata's 2010 essay "What Happens There" for The Believer, and later D'Agata and Jim Fingal's 2012 book The Lifespan of a Fact.

The Lucky 38, a fictional tower casino featured in the 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas, partially resembles the Stratosphere.