Apr. 13, 2010--Owners of the Tropicana have begun a $165 million renovation of the aging Strip resort that will include a redesigned facade, new rooms, new restaurants and other attractions.

Work is expected to be completed in a year and will give the resort a South Beach Miami theme.

"We are changing everything," said Alex Yemenidjian, chairman and CEO of Tropicana Las Vegas. "This transformation will revitalize our brand."

The first of the new hotel rooms will be unveiled on April 23 in the Paradise Tower.

The conference center has been remodeled to give the property 100,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Tropicana was bought last year by an investment group led by Canadian private equity firm Onex Corp. and Yemenidjian, a former MGM Grand Inc. executive.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at [email protected] or 702-477-3871.

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