Golden Phoenix Reno
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Golden Phoenix Hotel Casino | |
 |
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| Facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Address | 255 North Sierra Street Reno, Nevada 89501 |
| Opening date | 1978 |
| Previous names | Sahara Reno Hilton Reno Flamingo Hilton |
| Casino type | Land-Based |
| Owner | Vista Hospitality Co. |
| No. of rooms | 604 |
| Total gaming space | 45,000 ft² |
| Years renovated | 2002 |
Golden Phoenix, is a casino and former hotel in Reno, Nevada. The hotel portion is in the process of being converted into the Montage condominiums.[1]
[edit] History
The Virginia Street casino operated from 1955 until 1978 as the Primadonna. From 1989 to 1992, it was known as Pacos, before becoming part of the Flamingo Hilton and then the Golden Phoenix.
The main hotel/casino, on North Sierra Street, was originally opened in 1978 as the Sahara Reno. In 1981, the Sahara became the Hilton Reno, then renovated in 1989 and became the Flamingo Hilton. In early October, 2001, Park Place Entertainment agreed to sell the property to RFC Reno, LLC, a subsidiary of Capital One, LLC, with sale completion expected within about 30 days. Park Place Entertainment closed the Flamingo on October 23, 2001. The hotel was re-opened, by the new owners, as the Golden Phoenix, in April of 2002. The casino was finally re-opened in the Fall of 2002. The 2003 movie The Cooler was filmed there during the remodeling. While the Golden Phoenix's Virginia Street Casino remained open, the hotel tower and casino on N. Sierra Street closed in 2005 and are currently undergoing conversion to the Montage condominiums.[2]
As reported in the nationally syndicated gaming advice column written by Mark Pilarski, the Golden Phoenix was the site of the longest craps shooting roll in Nevada history. A shooter began his roll of the dice on Saturday evening, November 15th, 2003 at approximately 11 PM, and did not roll a "seven" (neither a seven "out" nor a seven "winner") until approximately 2:15 AM Sunday morning. This incredible turn cost the club a mere $70,000; however, due to the management's inability to keep an accurate count of their losses as they occurred, the table's boxman and the casino shift manager were terminated as a result of the players' good fortune.
The long roll broke the previous unofficial Nevada record established years earlier at the California Club in Las Vegas.
As of October 2006, the Virginia Street Casino was closed and is currently undergoing a remodel. First floor venders, including Subway Sandwiches, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, and Pizza Hut, all closed down with the casino. When business resumes after the completion of the remodel (expected to be in Summer of 2007), all food vendors will be placed in a smoke-free area on the second floor.[3] As of August 2007, the Virginia Street Casino has yet to reopen.
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Montage Reno Project. Downtown Makeover (May 28, 2006). Retrieved on November 28, 2006.
- ^ Golden Phoenix casino to rise again as condos. Reno Gazette-Journal (August 1, 2005). Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
- ^ Golden Phoenix slot parlor to be remodeled. Reno Gazette-Journal (November 18, 2006). Retrieved on November 26, 2006.
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