treasure island.

Another big sign of shit times in Vegas: MGM Mirage is selling Treasure Island to the dude who used to own the Frontier. Here's the RJ story. Here's the Movable Buffet's take. This is not a huge disaster, it's just another odd thing to see for those who thought Vegas indestructible.

I have always had mixed feelings about Treasure Island. Steve Wynn opened the pirate-themed joint in 1993 and MGM Mirage has owned it since 2000. In 2003 things were changed quite a bit when they took down the skull and crossbones marquee, tried to hip it up by calling it TI and sexifying the pirate battle show, and painted the hotel a weird brownish red color. Bad moves, all.

I remember the place being one of the few hotel casinos on the Strip I wandered around as a high school kid. The tacky and useless Kahunaville restaurant used to be an arcade with carnival games that served as a funny little nerd date destination. Today, outside of the Mexican restaurant Isla and the once-hipster Social House, there is no good reason to eat here and really never has been. I've already expressed my disappointment with Canter's Deli. What was once a semi-interesting club, Tangerine, has been replaced with the pinnacle of Vegas douchebaggery, Christian Audigier The Nightclub. (Just typing the name of this place inspires throw-up-in-the-mouth.) And the only notable lounge at Treasure Island is the utterly unremarkable Mist. The hotel rooms, also, are nothing special.

No food, no cool boozing spots, no reason to be here. But, because the Strip and Spring Mountain intersection is where most of my Vegas action happens lately (Treasure Island, Fashion Show mall, Wynn Las Vegas, Palazzo, Venetian), I have spent too much time at this hotel. I don't know if a change in ownership will translate into any changes at the property; certainly not soon.