Old Las Vegas Hotels – Must-Visit Casino Resorts for Gamblers
Are you looking to learn about the old Las Vegas hotels? If yes, then you are at the right place. In this piece, we will tell you about some of the most iconic casino resorts in the world’s gambling capital. Read until the end to find interesting details about some of the oldest hotels on the Strip.
We will begin with a ranking of the oldest gambling establishments in Sin City, followed by an overview of each of the old hotels in Las Vegas. Here, you can also read about some of the historic casino resorts that were demolished in recent decades. In addition, we have prepared interesting facts about some of the landmark buildings in the city. Lastly, you can find answers to the most popular questions on the topic.
List of Old Hotels in Las Vegas
Golden Gate Hotel and Casino – Established in 1906
Originally known as Hotel Nevada, the Golden Gate is the oldest still-operating hotel in Las Vegas. It opened on 13th Jan 1906 and was considered the birth of Las Vegas. It is the very first gambling establishment built on Fremont Street – the founding site of Sin City.
The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino has just over 100 rooms, making it the smallest hotel on the Fremont Street Experience. Its casino floor spreads over 12,243 sq. ft., where you can find over 100 slot machines and many table games. At the Golden Gate, visitors get a taste of Las Vegas history, something you can’t experience even at the best online casinos in the USA.
El Cortez Hotel and Casino – Established in 1941
The El Cortez is the longest continuously-running hotel and casino in Las Vegas, even though the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino was established before that. Moreover, this was the first major resort in Downtown Las Vegas, built in 1941. El Cortez has a little over 350 rooms and a casino floor that spreads on 41,842 sq. ft.
Photo: Wiki Commons. All rights reserved. 2022Shortly after its opening, the El Cortez Hotel & Casino changed ownership and was sold to a group of infamous mobsters – Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum and Moe Sedway. In 1952, one of the oldest hotels in Las Vegas received an external facelift, and the large roof sign that you see today was added.
The New Frontier Hotel and Casino – Established in 1942
Formerly known as the Last Frontier and The Frontier, The New Frontier Hotel and Casino is one of the oldest hotels in Las Vegas. It opened in 1942 as the second casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Initially, there were just over 100 rooms. Today, there are more than 980. Plus, the total gaming space at The New Frontier is 41,325 sq. ft as of 1998.
Photo: Wiki Commons. All rights reserved. 2022In 1931, the property was a dance club called the Pair O’ Dice, but it was sold in 1941 to a wealthy family. In the 1940s, The Last Frontier was the last stop between California and El Rancho, hence, the name. This casino resort hosted the first Las Vegas appearance of the King of Pop, Elvis Presley. In 2007, The New Frontier Hotel and Casino closed its doors for the last time.
The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino – Established in 1946
Our list of the oldest hotels in Las Vegas continues with the Golden Nugget. The establishment welcomed its first guests in 1946 and continues to do so to this day. During the 1940s, it was the flashiest and the largest casino in the world with nearly 2500 rooms and 38,000 sq. ft casino floor area.
It is part of a small casino hotel chain with establishments in Biloxi, Atlantic City, Laughlin, and Lake Charles. Like many of the original Las Vegas old Strip hotels, the Golden Nugget had ties with many mobsters. Besides that, the hotel was featured in many movies, like the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971).
Flamingo Casino Hotel – Established in 1946
The Flamingo is the first modern architecture casino hotel on the Strip. It opened in 1946 and featured an art deco Miami-style décor. At that time, the rest of the old Las Vegas hotels were inspired by the Old West. The Flamingo Casino Hotel has close to 3500 rooms, and its casino floor spreads on 72,299 sq. ft.
Several iconic movies were filmed at this casino resort. You can see glimpses of the Flamingo’s unique and vibrant décor in Elvis Presley’s 1964 film, Viva Las Vegas, and Ocean’s 11 (1960), which features Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, among others. Since the 1940s, the Flamingo hosts some of the hottest performances in town.
Desert Inn Casino Hotel – Established in 1950
Desert Inn had a Miami-style Bermuda pink and green interiors. It was built in 1950 by Wilbur Clark – a San Diego bar and hotel operator. Unlike some of the old hotels in Las Vegas, the hotel had many rooms, 715 to be exact, and a total gaming area of 35,000 sq. ft.
Photo: Wiki Commons. All rights reserved. 2022The Desert Inn was the first casino hotel to have a fountain show with the water rising and falling in tune with the music while being illuminated by lights in different colours. After multiple ownerships, Steve Wynn purchased the casino resort in 2000 and demolished it to build The Wynn Las Vegas, which is one of the best casinos in the USA.
Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel – Established in 1951
In 1932, Hotel Apache opened as a place for workers. In 1951, Benny Binion bought it and established Binion’s Horseshoe (now Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel). The hotel had 366 rooms until it closed in 2009. In 2019, it reopened as a boutique hotel under its original name – Hotel Apache.
Photo: Wiki Commons. All rights reserved. 2022Some guests have reported seeing ghosts and believe it to be hunted because it was one of the hotels in old Las Vegas. Some customers make such claims to get a discount, while others genuinely believe it. However, one thing is certain; this gambling establishment has left a mark on Las Vegas history.
Sahara Las Vegas – Established in 1952
Originally known as Sahara, the hotel welcomed its first guests in 1952. At the time, it had the largest swimming pool on the Strip and the dinner theatre with the highest seating capacity. This Moroccan-desert-themed casino resort also had life-sized camels on-site, more than 1500 rooms and a total gaming area of 50,662 sq. ft.
Photo: Wiki Commons. All rights reserved. 2022During the 1960s, the hotel opened a 14-story tower that turned into the tallest building in Nevada at the time. A decade later, Sahara’s charms had faded away, and it started to lose popularity. In 2013, the casino hotel was closed. In 2019, the Sahara Las Vegas reopened after a rebranding and renovation. Today, it is one of the cheapest hotels in Las Vegas.
Dunes Casino Hotel – Established in 1955
The Miracle of the Desert, better known as Dunes, was an Arabian Nights-themed casino hotel built-in 1955. It was the tenth casino resort to appear on the Las Vegas Strip. Originally, it had 200 rooms, but the number reached 1300 in 1993. That same year Steve Wynn bought the property and demolished it.
Photo: Wiki Commons. All rights reserved. 2022The explosion even aired on national TV in 1993. Today, the Park MGM, the New York New York, and the Bellagio are situated over the same plot of land. Sadly, this is the fate of some of the iconic hotels in old Las Vegas.
Tropicana Hotel and Casino – Established in 1957
The Tropicana was the most expensive Las Vegas casino resort by 1957 and earned its nickname as The Tiffany of the Strip. Like other historic gambling establishments on the Strip, it had ties with the mob in its early days. Now, Tropicana has more than 1000 rooms and a casino floor that spreads on 50,000 sq. ft.
This historic casino resort has been the shooting site for many movies throughout the decades. Mr Bond stays at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in the 7th film of the iconic spy series. The Godfather’s sequel was also shot here. In addition to that, a number of game shows like Dealer’s Choice were filmed at Tropicana.
Demolished Old Las Vegas Hotels
Las Vegas has been a playground for property developers for over a century. The Strip has changed the most over the years. Many historic casino resorts and buildings were imploded to make space for some of the grand properties in town. Here is a list of some of the most popular old Las Vegas hotels that got demolished:
| Hotel Name | Demolished in |
|---|---|
| 🌴 The Dunes | 1993 |
| 🏛️ The Landmark | 1995 |
| 🏜️ The Sands | 1996 |
| 👑 Hacienda | 1996 |
| 👳 Aladdin | 1998 |
| 🤠 El Rancho | 2000 |
Each of these buildings was a piece of Las Vegas history. However, people’s needs change and with that, the outlook of Sin City. These casino hotels were demolished to open up space for newer and better gambling establishments in the gambling capital of the western world.
Interesting Facts About the Oldest Hotels in Las Vegas
Some of the USA’s most luxurious and sought-after casino hotels are developed on the soil of some of the oldest hotels in Las Vegas. Let’s take The Sands, for example. It opened in the mid-1950s, and many celebrities such as Frank Sinatra spent time there. This gambling den closed its doors in 1996 when it was demolished so that The Venetian could be built. Here is a list of the most interesting facts about the oldest hotels in Las Vegas:
- 🦩 The Flamingo was named after Bugsy Siegel’s girlfriend. Her nickname was the Flamingo because of her long legs.
- 🏎️ Bugsy Siegel’s car is buried under The Flamingo after his murder in 1947.
- ☎️ The first telephone in Las Vegas was installed in the Golden Gate Hotel.
- 🎲 The Golden Nugget was the first building in Las Vegas with a stand-alone casino
- 🦐 The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino is the birthplace of shrimp cocktails.
We cannot discuss old Las Vegas hotels without mentioning the Starburst Resort. It welcomed its first guests in 1958, and its framed sign became an iconic symbol of Sin City. It was big and with so many lights that you could have seen it from miles away. In 2006, this casino hotel was permanently closed and taken down with explosives and fireworks.
Popular Questions
Our piece about the old Las Vegas hotels focused on talking about some of the most iconic Las Vegas old Strip hotels. We hope that it has helped you learn about the topic. However, if you are looking to learn more, here are answers to the most popular questions:
