Just over a year ago, Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino burst onto the Strip scene with booming taiko drums, traditional lion dances and crackling fireworks. Earlier this month, the resort focused on providing an authentic Chinese cultural experience went quiet, as casino and restaurant operations were halted for reorganization.
"Effective immediately Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino is beginning the process of repositioning and, in doing so, will have a reduction in staff while it temporarily closes all gaming and restaurant operations," Lucky Dragon said via statement on Jan. 4.
The hotel, gift shop and a single restaurant, Cha Garden, will remain open, and, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, all 203 rooms are fully booked for CES, the annual consumer electronics trade show coming to Las Vegas Jan. 9-12.
Laid-off staff are welcome to rejoin the property when "gaming and additional restaurant operations resume within six months," the statement added.
When the resort opened in late 2016, it promised a unique alternative to other casino resorts on the Strip. Significantly smaller than most of its competitors, it focused explicitly on the Asian market with signage in Mandarin and English and a multilingual staff. Restaurants emphasized Asian cuisine and a tea garden offered a list of 50 teas curated by an in-house tea sommelier. The 27,500-square-foot casino floor, centered around a brilliant 23-foot dragon chandelier, emphasized games popular with Asian players, like pai gow and baccarat.
But those offerings apparently failed to entice locals and visiting gamers away from other properties. On Jan. 4, the hotel's outdoor spinning ball sculpture was shut off and a sign hanging on an exterior door read simply, "Casino temporarily closed."