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| The Ever-Changing Face of Las Vegas Hotels |
Las Vegas Strip Hotels: A History
Throughout the years, the Las Vegas Strip has seen the rise and fall and sometimes rise again of many a hotel, resort and casino. For a better understanding of the intricate fabric of the hospitality inhabitants of Glitter Gulch, look at this brief history by the decades as the stalwarts of yesteryear gave way to the mega resorts of today.
— 1940s
Although there are older hotels on Fremont Street and other areas of Las Vegas, the 1940s was the beginning of the area known as the Las Vegas Strip, now full of glitz and glamour and grandiose hotel-casino mega resorts, but its beginnings were humble. Starting with the El Rancho Vegas in 1941, this successful hotel lasted almost 20 years before being destroyed by a fire, but its success spawned the opening of the Hotel Last Frontier (1942), which enjoyed more than six decades of business before closing in 2007. The growing popularity of the gaming center attracted the notice of organized crime figures, which led to other resorts, most notably the Flamingo, which is the longest standing hotel brand in Las Vegas despite several slight name changes and extensive renovations in the 2000s.
— 1950s
Like many areas around the country, the Las Vegas Valley experienced a post-War boom of hotel construction, largely funded by the powerful organized crime syndicates and popularized by the crooning Rat Pack. The classic hotels of this era included the Desert Inn, Dunes, Hacienda, Sahara, Sands, Stardust, Riviera and Tropicana, most of which lasted well into the mid-1990s or early 2000s before making way for the newer, bigger mega resorts. The Sahara was the longest holdout, closing in only 2011. Of these 1950s stalwarts only the Riviera and Tropicana still have firm footholds as independent hotels operating today.
— 1960s
Hotel construction in Las Vegas largely stilled for much of the early 1960s as locals and visitors enjoyed the properties already there; however, mid-decade is when the two hotel conglomerates—now known as Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International—began developing their immense empires of hospitality offerings with the opening of Caesars Palace (1966) and Circus Circus (1968), respectively. Both properties are still on the Las Vegas scene and going strong. Also notable is the 1969 opening of the 1,512-room International Hotel, known today as the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, which was the first of the many mega resorts to come.
— 1970s
The 1970s saw the opening of many hotel resorts, such as the Marina, Holiday Casino and Nob Hill, which lasted into the early 1990s before being swallowed up by the hotel conglomerates and transformed into some of the mega resorts on the Strip today. MGM Resorts International also built the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in 1973, but it was destroyed in a devastating fire in 1980 and sold to Caesars Entertainment. The only true remnant of this decade is the Imperial Palace (1979), which also will end its reign in 2012 with the advent of the new Linq development still in the works and set to open in 2013.
— 1980s
Not much hotel construction occurred in the 1980s, but by the end of the decade the face of Las Vegas would change forever. In 1986, on the property of the destroyed MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Caesars Entertainment developed and opened Bally’s Las Vegas, which was poised to be the most significant addition of the decade until the advent of The Mirage (1989) by developer Steve Wynn. Setting a new standard for Las Vegas luxury and attracting tourists in droves, this development led to additional financing and an explosion of rapid growth in the 1990s.
— 1990s
Many classics from the 1950s and fixtures of the 1970s lasted until this fast-paced decade when developing newer and grander properties led to the “old” Vegas being transformed into the mega resort wonderland of today. This explosion of giant hotel-casinos gave rise to the far-reaching power of the massive hotel conglomerates MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment as well as some shining-star independents. MGM Resorts dominated the new landscape with the opening of seven distinct mega resorts: the Excalibur (1990), Luxor and the new MGM Grand (1993), Monte Carlo (1996), New York-New York (1997), Bellagio (1998) and Mandalay Bay (1999). Caesars Entertainment also saw steady growth with three new properties: Rio (1990), Harrah’s Las Vegas (1992) and Paris Las Vegas (1999). Notable independent additions were Treasure Island (1993) and The Venetian (1999), which replaced The Sands but retained that name for its attached expo and convention center.
— 2000s
The early 2000s felt a lull in construction with the exception of the independent Palms Casino Resort (2001). MGM Resorts International was conservative early in the decade, with its only new venture being a separation of space and rebranding at Mandalay Bay with the tower rooms and suites of THEhotel in 2004. Other independent hoteliers did make a big mark on the scene in this decade, particularly Steve Wynn with his dual-pronged introduction of Wynn (2005) and Encore (2008) as well as The Palazzo, an Alliance property. Caesars Entertainment sat dormant much of the decade until 2007 when it changed two pre-existing properties into the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon. By far, the biggest development in the decade was the 2009 introduction of expansive complex called CityCenter, which is anchored by MGM’s Vdara and ARIA hotels as well as the independent Mandarin Oriental.
Throughout the years, the Las Vegas Strip has seen the rise and fall and sometimes rise again of many a hotel, resort and casino. For a better understanding of the intricate fabric of the hospitality inhabitants of Glitter Gulch, look at this brief history by the decades as the stalwarts of yesteryear gave way to the mega resorts of today.
— 1940s
Although there are older hotels on Fremont Street and other areas of Las Vegas, the 1940s was the beginning of the area known as the Las Vegas Strip, now full of glitz and glamour and grandiose hotel-casino mega resorts, but its beginnings were humble. Starting with the El Rancho Vegas in 1941, this successful hotel lasted almost 20 years before being destroyed by a fire, but its success spawned the opening of the Hotel Last Frontier (1942), which enjoyed more than six decades of business before closing in 2007. The growing popularity of the gaming center attracted the notice of organized crime figures, which led to other resorts, most notably the Flamingo, which is the longest standing hotel brand in Las Vegas despite several slight name changes and extensive renovations in the 2000s.
— 1950s
Like many areas around the country, the Las Vegas Valley experienced a post-War boom of hotel construction, largely funded by the powerful organized crime syndicates and popularized by the crooning Rat Pack. The classic hotels of this era included the Desert Inn, Dunes, Hacienda, Sahara, Sands, Stardust, Riviera and Tropicana, most of which lasted well into the mid-1990s or early 2000s before making way for the newer, bigger mega resorts. The Sahara was the longest holdout, closing in only 2011. Of these 1950s stalwarts only the Riviera and Tropicana still have firm footholds as independent hotels operating today.
— 1960s
Hotel construction in Las Vegas largely stilled for much of the early 1960s as locals and visitors enjoyed the properties already there; however, mid-decade is when the two hotel conglomerates—now known as Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International—began developing their immense empires of hospitality offerings with the opening of Caesars Palace (1966) and Circus Circus (1968), respectively. Both properties are still on the Las Vegas scene and going strong. Also notable is the 1969 opening of the 1,512-room International Hotel, known today as the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, which was the first of the many mega resorts to come.
— 1970s
The 1970s saw the opening of many hotel resorts, such as the Marina, Holiday Casino and Nob Hill, which lasted into the early 1990s before being swallowed up by the hotel conglomerates and transformed into some of the mega resorts on the Strip today. MGM Resorts International also built the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in 1973, but it was destroyed in a devastating fire in 1980 and sold to Caesars Entertainment. The only true remnant of this decade is the Imperial Palace (1979), which also will end its reign in 2012 with the advent of the new Linq development still in the works and set to open in 2013.
— 1980s
Not much hotel construction occurred in the 1980s, but by the end of the decade the face of Las Vegas would change forever. In 1986, on the property of the destroyed MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Caesars Entertainment developed and opened Bally’s Las Vegas, which was poised to be the most significant addition of the decade until the advent of The Mirage (1989) by developer Steve Wynn. Setting a new standard for Las Vegas luxury and attracting tourists in droves, this development led to additional financing and an explosion of rapid growth in the 1990s.
— 1990s
Many classics from the 1950s and fixtures of the 1970s lasted until this fast-paced decade when developing newer and grander properties led to the “old” Vegas being transformed into the mega resort wonderland of today. This explosion of giant hotel-casinos gave rise to the far-reaching power of the massive hotel conglomerates MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment as well as some shining-star independents. MGM Resorts dominated the new landscape with the opening of seven distinct mega resorts: the Excalibur (1990), Luxor and the new MGM Grand (1993), Monte Carlo (1996), New York-New York (1997), Bellagio (1998) and Mandalay Bay (1999). Caesars Entertainment also saw steady growth with three new properties: Rio (1990), Harrah’s Las Vegas (1992) and Paris Las Vegas (1999). Notable independent additions were Treasure Island (1993) and The Venetian (1999), which replaced The Sands but retained that name for its attached expo and convention center.
— 2000s
The early 2000s felt a lull in construction with the exception of the independent Palms Casino Resort (2001). MGM Resorts International was conservative early in the decade, with its only new venture being a separation of space and rebranding at Mandalay Bay with the tower rooms and suites of THEhotel in 2004. Other independent hoteliers did make a big mark on the scene in this decade, particularly Steve Wynn with his dual-pronged introduction of Wynn (2005) and Encore (2008) as well as The Palazzo, an Alliance property. Caesars Entertainment sat dormant much of the decade until 2007 when it changed two pre-existing properties into the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon. By far, the biggest development in the decade was the 2009 introduction of expansive complex called CityCenter, which is anchored by MGM’s Vdara and ARIA hotels as well as the independent Mandarin Oriental.
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