The Stratosphere announced that it would be making many improvements to the property. I noticed several recent changes during a recent visit.
New parking spaces require permit
Guests that enter from the parking deck will notice that the row of handicap parking spaces by the pedestrian bridge to the casino are not longer there. It appears that some sort of VIP parking program is under development. A pass of some sort is needed to use these spaces. I have not seen any cars in these spaces during any of the three visits since noticing them.
Timeshare desk moved
The timeshare desk moved to the bottom of the escalators, narrowing the walkway. It is likely because space once used by the sportsbook, nearby bar, and a section of slots, is walled off. A sportsbook remodel and new restaurant were recently announced for this area. While the walkway is narrow during the sportsbook construction, I have not found these timeshare salespeople to be aggressive in any way. That goes for the old location, as well as the new one.
Sportsbook in temporary location
The sportsbook is in a temporary location at the top of the escalators by the table game pit. Seats and bar-top tables were set up in this area. It was once a ticket office for the tower.
There is no bar in the sportsbook right now. However, there is a bar on the other side of McDonald’s from it.
Drinks may be brought back into the sportsbook. Smoking is not permitted.
Poker room downsized
The poker room was downsized to four tables. It previously had 12 tables, according to Poker Atlas. The Stratosphere poker room will spread 10 tables when the remodel is complete. The area that hosted the missing tables has slots. Some of these games were previously by the sportsbook in the area being remodeled.
Las Vegas poker expert RobVegasPoker tweeted that Stratosphere will install a total of 10 tables once the casino’s remodel is completed. That must be why the poker room signage is still above an area currently occupied by slots.
Baccarat pit now open
There is a new baccarat pit by the party pit. It hosts six tables. Limits are $10 to $5,000. The video blackjack machine in this area was moved to the table games pit. I could not find the roulette machine that was once in this location.
Stratosphere is my favorite Las Vegas attraction
My wife and I visit Stratosphere several times a month. We are usually there for the shows at LA Comedy Club. It reminds me of the friendly, but anything goes attitude at the Riviera Comedy Club. It’s probably not a coincidence that the showroom furnishings are from the old Riviera Comedy Club.
I have always enjoyed going to the top of the tower. My wife and I did the SkyJump for our tenth anniversary. I try to get all our out of town guests to go up there. Most decline the offer. It has been a year since one accepted it. We rode the Big Shot and Insanity. There were no takers for X-Scream.
Gamblers will find $5 blackjack tables that pay 3-2. Make sure to look for those tables in the pits near the double deck blackjack games. There is also $10 craps with 10 times odds.
The only complaint about Stratosphere is the dining options. It needs a refresh. The new owners seem to be aware of this and have several dining changes in the works. I am sure my wife and I will try all of them out before and after comedy shows.
