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Las Vegas AdvisorTravel

Las Vegas Advisor: Project to add smoke-free casino area downtown

One of Las Vegas’ iconic facades is getting a makeover.

Downtown’s Plaza Hotel & Casino is adding a circular bar beneath its portico dome and a new casino annex.

The Carousel Bar will be a 2,500-square-foot outdoor venue that will look directly onto the Fremont Street Experience. The bar will connect to the new casino area that will be the downtown area’s first completely smoke-free gaming space.

An outdoor patio for Oscar’s Steakhouse will be built on top of the casino expansion, and a Pinkbox Doughnuts outlet is being built near the bar.

All of this comes on the heels of the opening of the Sand Dollar Downtown blues club at the Plaza last month. The new additions are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Oldest bar: Atomic Liquors, the oldest stand-alone bar (not part of a casino or hotel) in Las Vegas celebrated its 70th anniversary this week. Atomic’s tavern license, No. 00001, dates back to 1952. Atomic has been featured in several movies, including “The Hangover.” It’s located on East Fremont Street, a block away from downtown’s El Cortez.

Big-time soccer: The inaugural Soccer Champions Tour is coming to Las Vegas for two games at Allegiant Stadium. Juventus will play Deportivo Guadalajara on July 22 and Real Madrid will play Barcelona in a series known as El Clasico on July 23. Tickets start at $250.

Question: Is the Mirage closing?

Answer: It’s not official, but a prominent gaming analyst is predicting that the Mirage will close by the end of this year to facilitate the transformation to Hard Rock. Depending on the extent of the renovations, which will almost certainly include a razing of the volcano and possibly the existing hotel towers, the resort could remain closed until as late as 2025. As of now, though, it remains open.


For more information about current Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons, and good deals, go to LasVegasAdvisor.com.


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