Treasure Island Las Vegas (TI)

Gone are the distinctive skull-and-crossbones outdoor sign and the indoor pirate theme. Outside, the moat separating the casino from the Strip has been renamed from Buccaneer Bay to Siren's Cove. In perhaps the biggest departure, a nightly show that used to depict pirates and sailors fighting it out on mechanized ships has been re-choreographed as Sirens of TI, a show that revolves around scantily clad sirens who lure pirates into disaster. Has the change worked? The jury is still out, though the crowd appears to be older and more interested in booze. For now, we think the best assets of TI are Mystère, a Cirque du Soleil show, and Christian Audigier The Nightclub, a popular open-air bar. Of course the casino itself isn't too shabby, either.

The History

Treasure Island was opened by the MGM/Mirage in 1993 under the direction of Steve Wynn at a cost of $450 million. The initial plans called for the hotel to be nothing more than an additional tower at the Mirage, but later officials decided to build an entirely separate hotel casino resort. That first resort was a great place for kids, with a spacious video arcade and skull-and-crossbones flags everywhere. In recent years, however, as the casino has rebranded itself as "TI," the property has grown up, embarking on an ambitious renovation strategy that has included a new pool, new restaurants in the casino, and upgrades to every room in the place. The resort was sold in January 2009 to hotelier Phil Ruffin for $775 million cash.