Spa suspected of acting as bordello in downtown shut down

Las Vegas booted the operator of a suspected bordello out of downtown Wednesday, revoking Paradise Spa owner Lucy Lou’s business license to operate in the city.

Lou, who has had some 71 business license infractions and dozens of prostitution-related citations at her massage parlor on Paradise Road, did not appear for a hearing on the license revocation.

She owes the city nearly $17,000 in unpaid fines and fees associated with those infractions.

Business license officials have spent two years looking to shut down Lou. The license revocation will see staff post a shutdown notice at her massage parlor, 2120 Paradise Road, immediately.

The city attorney’s office had offered to toss out Lou’s fines in an effort to potentially save the city some money on future litigation.

City leaders dismissed that idea out of hand, with Mayor Carolyn Goodman at one point even suggesting city staff “padlock” the premises.

“She should have been shut down yesterday,” Councilman Ricki Barlow added. “I don’t want her operating in this city for one more minute.”

Lou can still challenge Wednesday’s action. The city-approved license revocation stipulates she will not be able to reapply for a privileged business license in the city for one year and that officials will be required to inform other jurisdictions of her track record upon request.

Contact James DeHaven at jdehaven@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3839. Find him on Twitter: @JamesDeHaven.