Located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip the TI, formerly Treasure Island, opened in the fall of 1993. Steve Wynn designed and built the TI adjacent to his Mirage Resort. The pirate themed resort was primarily marketed to family vacationers as an upscale alternative to the adult oriented resorts. With a full size pirate sailing ship permanently docked in Buccaneer Bay, TI guests enjoyed free shows nightly when a British frigate sailed into the bay only to be hit by cannon fire and sink with all hands. During the grand opening festivities of Treasure Island the ship's crew fired the symbolic shot that knocked down the old Dunes Hotel in an implosion and fireworks display that at the time was the largest ever staged west of the Mississippi. A crowd of more than 200,000 crowded into Las Vegas to watch the spectacle and it was carried live on national television. Steve Wynn sold his Las Vegas resorts including Treasure Island to MGM in 2000. The new owners changed the name to the TI, sent the pirates back to the Caribbean and hired a crew of Sirens for the show out front. Inside the resort they added more adult attractions including two of the city's hippest nightclubs, Tangerines and Mist. The property shed the "Mirage alternative" role to become a stand alone destination resort that appeals to the younger, affluent crowd.
The hotel offers 2,885 rooms including 220 luxury suites. Visitors can make reservations online at the TI website. You can also browse through photo tours and detailed descriptions of accommodations and guest amenities at the site. Options for the hungry diner include upscale Italian fare at Francesco's, fresh seafood and aged steaks at The Steak House, south of the border fare at Isla Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, tropical island treats such as jerk chicken are found at Kahunaville, a full menu 24 hour coffee shop, the Buffet at the TI, Ben & Jerry's, Krispy Kreme, Sweet Temptations, Starbucks for the caffeine junkies and 24 hour room servce. Numerous bars and lounges are located throughout the property. The TI offers something for everyone from an unforgettable evening of romantic dining to a quick coffee and pastry.
Cirque du Soleil's Mystere show provides an evening of exotic and bizarre entertainment. This award winning stage show is a must see when visiting Las Vegas. Acts and sights you've never seen before provide a unique experience. Free entertainment is offered out front at Buccaneer Bay with the Sirens of TI show performed three times nightly.
An outdoor pool comes with a 50-person Jacuzzi while WET the Spa provides the weary traveler a quick rejuvenation or a totally relaxing all day stay. Fitness workouts are found at the Health Club in the Spa. The Wedding Chapels at Treasure Island offers a number of different packages for weddings. No need to leave the property to find a wedding ring, clothing or gifts. The TI experience includes shopping with stores offering a range from high-end through the $10 Boutique.
A 95,000 square foot casino is filled with more than 2000 popular slot machines including your favorites. Table games include Blackjack, Barracat, Roulette, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow, Spanish 21 and Craps. A Race and Sports Book lined with 10 big screens, 23 large plasma displays and seating for 150 beckons bettors to spend a few hours watching their favorite teams and ponies. Treasure Island opened with a large poker room that quickly became a favorite with tourist and locals, but the room was closed a few years. Two months ago the TI opened their new non-smoking poker room.
TI's 8 table poker room reminds me of a plush club. Tucked into an alcove at the bottom of the escalator coming in from the parking garage the room has a definite lounge-like feel and the tables have the sexiest covers in the business with some of the ladies from the TI Sirens show and some from Tangerines. TI poker operations are under the management of Christopher Coffin, a poker industry veteran with two decades of experience. Christopher came to the TI from the Mirage Resort and brought his core staff of experienced personnel to the operation. Christopher also attracts some well know names to the room so its not unusual to find Ming Ly sitting in a low limit hold'em game entertaining the players. Johnny Chan has been known to stop by and play in some of the big limit games. I spent a very pleasant afternoon with shift supervisor, Troy Horning, and was impressed with his knowledge of poker and a real dedication to providing the players with the very best poker playing experience anywhere. Tables are equipped with Shufflemasters and the room has a state-ofthe- art Genesis management system. Player's cards are swiped at the table and table keypads provides dealers a method of communicating with the podium without the typical disconcerting yelling across the room when seats are empty or fills are needed. Poker players should pick up a player's card before playing to be eligible for comps and promotions.
The TI poker room spreads limit hold'em with $2-$4 blinds and $4-$8 blinds. A full or half kill will be added if requested by the players. No-limit hold'em is offered $1-$3 blinds and a $100- $500 buy-in and $5-$10 blinds with a $500-no max buy-in. The poker room also spreads a "Tangerine Mixer" game that is a rotation of different variations of poker as requested by the players. The TI poker room will deal any limit or game providing there is enough players available to make up a table.
Tournaments are held three times a day seven days a week and all have the same format, no-limit hold'em with a $60 buy-in, no rebuys or add-ons. Players can buy back into the tournaments during the first hour. Tournaments are offered at 11:00 AM, 7:00 PM and 4:00 AM everyday. SNG's are also available 24 hours when ten players are present and buy-in.
Comps are given at the standard Las Vegas rate of $1 per hour of play but during the month of July the rate is doubled, $2 per hour of play with no daily maximum daily limit. Play 24 hours pick up a comp for $48, it's that easy. Food comps are redeemable at any TI food or beverage outlet. Poker players are also eligible for a casino rate on rooms and enjoy a substantial price reduction by playing a minimum number of hours. A daily high hand promotion rewards players making four-of-a-kind better with up to $600 in free play and the best of all the room does not rake pots for the bonus money. Another bonus for players is PPV sporting events including championship fights are shown with sound on the poker room's eight 42" plasma screens. Complete details of all promotions, spreads and tournaments are available in the poker room or you can call the room direct at 702.894.7291. Try the TI poker room for a taste of some extreme customer service, you can thank me later.
