What Happened to the Lucky Strike Lanes?
Last month when we ate at the Rio, something seemed off. Something small. No, not the time share people - they were still camped by the door with come-ons of "Would you like to see a show?"
Hold on. The entire bowling alley across from the buffet has disappeared.
I remember when it opened. Billboards everywhere. "Lucky Strike" with a vintage cutie posed. Yeah, like the cigarettes.
Lucky Strike is a little bowling alley by any standard, and certainly a pipsqueak compared to the 60+-lane beauties found at the locals casinos, but I suppose that's why press releases called it "boutique." These are the press releases I looked up today, after our trip to the Rio this weekend, the same ones that clued me in to what Lucky Strike was supposed to be: Yet Another Ultra-Lounge, with $300 Bottle Service. All ages until 9 p.m., then strictly bowling on the side.
Or: Yet another "We Love You, Paris Hilton!" product of the PURE Management Group that, while having done nothing wrong itself, is indicative of the marketing vibe that has worked so hard to exclude Joe and Susie Tourist for the past five years. Because Lindsay Lohan's entourage alone can support our local economy, right?
Or: Yet another export from Los Angeles.
But now, less than two years after it opened in March 2007, its gone. Its page on the Harrah's site is still up, with the last press release there dated from 2007.
But when did it close? About six months ago. You wouldn't know it from the Rio site.
The answer to the titular question isn't one I'm qualified to can give. I'd like to snarkily speculate that it's a combination of bad economy and too many ultra-lounges, except I have to admit that Lucky Strike had a fun concept. (Certainly more fun than "sitting in really low chairs, hoping you're fashionable enough not to be told to buy another bottle at 1000% markup or get out."
Maybe that was the problem. Maybe "just here to look pretty and spend a lot of money" and "bowling" don't mix.
Hold on. The entire bowling alley across from the buffet has disappeared.
I remember when it opened. Billboards everywhere. "Lucky Strike" with a vintage cutie posed. Yeah, like the cigarettes.
Lucky Strike is a little bowling alley by any standard, and certainly a pipsqueak compared to the 60+-lane beauties found at the locals casinos, but I suppose that's why press releases called it "boutique." These are the press releases I looked up today, after our trip to the Rio this weekend, the same ones that clued me in to what Lucky Strike was supposed to be: Yet Another Ultra-Lounge, with $300 Bottle Service. All ages until 9 p.m., then strictly bowling on the side.
Or: Yet another "We Love You, Paris Hilton!" product of the PURE Management Group that, while having done nothing wrong itself, is indicative of the marketing vibe that has worked so hard to exclude Joe and Susie Tourist for the past five years. Because Lindsay Lohan's entourage alone can support our local economy, right?
Or: Yet another export from Los Angeles.
But now, less than two years after it opened in March 2007, its gone. Its page on the Harrah's site is still up, with the last press release there dated from 2007.
But when did it close? About six months ago. You wouldn't know it from the Rio site.
The answer to the titular question isn't one I'm qualified to can give. I'd like to snarkily speculate that it's a combination of bad economy and too many ultra-lounges, except I have to admit that Lucky Strike had a fun concept. (Certainly more fun than "sitting in really low chairs, hoping you're fashionable enough not to be told to buy another bottle at 1000% markup or get out."
Maybe that was the problem. Maybe "just here to look pretty and spend a lot of money" and "bowling" don't mix.
The sign is gone (look up). The nifty door handles are still there (look down).
Press your face into the corner of the covered window and you'll see that the pins remain set up:
And what's this? The video screens above the lanes still run in the empty dark:
A perfectly good bowling alley, only used for 18 months, is sitting in the Rio. Surely that's not the end of the story.
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