Scott, you do snarky far better than I could ever hope, and my guess is that the below comment will never see the light of day. Deeply disappointed in what Boyd did (or didn’t do) to the Suncoast. The only reason I keep going back is because it pretty much costs me nothing out of pocket. I’ve long since aged past the point of being excited by the Strip, and prefer the more relaxed pace up in Summerlin. If you don’t publish the below (and I won’t hold it against you if you don’t), you should at least visit the Suncoast for yourself and create your own post about how disappointing it is.

In case there were any doubters, it’s now quite apparent that Dreamscape isn’t simply slapping some paint on the Rio; they’re investing serious money into the renovations and plan to be a long-term player. The clearest indication that the Rio poses a competitive threat is that Boyd is investing money into updating the Gold Coast. I’m not saying Boyd is cheap (okay, I am), but if they were lost in the middle of Death Valley in August, and by some miracle stumbled upon a shack selling ice-cold bottles of water for a dollar, they wouldn’t fork out the dollar. Case in point, their Suncoast casino in Summerlin. A beautiful state-of-the-art facility when it opened in 2000 (I know, I was there). But for the next twenty-four years they invested exactly ZERO in keeping the place relevant. In its heyday the casino was always packed and pretty much every table in the pit was open. If you parked in the garage out back you were lucky if you managed to find an open spot on the third level of the garage, and it was not unusual to have to go up to the fourth or fifth (top) level to park. These days the casino is dark and dreary, and one half of the pit is permanently closed. The few tables that are still open are no longer available 24 hours a day – they’re closed during the overnight hours. Take your pick of parking spaces on the first level of the garage – it’s never more than 25% full, and the top two levels of the garage are now permanently closed. Hungry for breakfast? Tough nuggets. The bagel stand doesn’t open until 11am during the week. Want to treat yourself to a hot fudge sundae? Unless you’re there on Friday night, Saturday, or Sunday, you’re outta luck. How about a cool refreshing iced coffee on a hot summer day? Get there early because the coffee stand closes at 1pm. If you happen to be in the market for a vintage (over 25 years old) video poker machine, most people would head over to The Gambler’s General Store. Or you can head over to the Suncoast where many of the video poker machines installed in 2000 are still in use on the casino floor. Over these 24 years, while Boyd was doing nothing with the Suncoast, Stations managed to add Green Valley Ranch, Red Rock, Aliante (later sold to Boyd), and Durango to the Las Vegas skyline, and is already actively planning a new resort in Inspirada. The hip-n-happening crowd that used to call Suncoast home has now migrated just down the street to the Rampart, which is always hopping, and is significantly more welcoming. Boyd is finally opening the purse-strings and spending some money to update the Suncoast. They’ve closed the showroom (which previously hosted comedy legends such as Paul Reiser) and is in the process of converting it into a new sportsbook. Once the sportsbook relocates, the Bingo Room (currently on the 2nd floor), will move into the current sportsbook space. But don’t hold your breath waiting for this (you will surely pass out from the lack of oxygen), because according to the folks in the Bingo Room, they’ll be lucky if they relocate before the end of 2025. As old habits are hard to break, it appears that the pace of construction progress is entirely dependent on whatever day labor Boyd is able to find in the parking lot of the local Home Depot.

I was there yesterday. The lounge will open again, sort of as part of the restaurant. Doesn’t sound like it will be a nightclub.