The Desert Inn Hotel & Casino in 1999

Early photo of the Desert Inn Hotel by the pool

The Desert Inn was a hotel/casino that operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. It was the fifth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The property included an 18-hole golf course. Locals nicknamed the resort “The D.I.” or just “D.I.”.

The Desert Inn’s most famous guest, businessman Howard Hughes, arrived on Thanksgiving Day in 1966, renting the hotel’s entire top two floors and then later bought the resort when asked to vacate.

The Desert Inn has appeared in many movies including: The 1960 film version of Ocean’s 11 and last use in the film Rush Hour 2.

Photo by: LasVegas360.com and UNLVspecial collections

The D.I. Was imploded on  November 16, 2004. to make way for the Wynn and Encore resorts.

Tags: history, hotel, On this date, Strip