Category: Vegas

On this Date September 3, 1954, The Showboat Hotel & Casino Opened on Boulder Highway

September 3, 2018

 

"Showboat Hotel and Casino 1961" by Ferris H. Scott of Santa Ana, CA - Scan of a 1961 postcard,

“Showboat Hotel and Casino 1961” by Ferris H. Scott of Santa Ana, CA – Scan of a 1961 postcard,

The Showboat Hotel & Casino opened on September 3, 1954, the hotel and casino was located at the north end of the Boulder Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. Orginally opened as the showboat (1954–2000). It was the first resort within Las Vegas city limits, it had 100 rooms on two floors.

n 1998, Harrah’s Entertainment bought Showboat, Inc. for $1.15 billion. Harrah’s interests were primarily in the Atlantic City and Chicago markets, however; the Las Vegas property did not fit with the company’s strategy. They sold the Showboat in 2000 for $23.5 million.
Castaways (2000–2004)

Harrah’s refused to sell the Showboat name, not wanting the Las Vegas property to be confused with Showboat Atlantic City, so they renamed it as the Castaways. The hotel consisted of a 19 story tower containing 445 rooms, a 80,000-square-foot casino and an adjacent RV park. Demolition began in July 2005, and the hotel tower was imploded on January 11, 2006.

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On This Date: September 1, 2011 the Plaza Re-opened in Downtown Las Vegas

September 1, 2018
Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas

Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas

On this Date, September 1, 2011 the Plaza re-opened.

The original hotel, the Union Plaza, opened on July 2, 1971 with the owners including local businessmen: Sam Boyd, Frank Scott, Howard Cannon and Jackie Gaughan. Its original name was Union Plaza, in reference to the Union Pacific railroad station that originally stood at the site. But the hotel portion closed on November 11, 2010.

Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas

Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas – Sunrise

The hotel is famous In the 1971 James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever, the construction of the Union Plaza is visible in the background. In the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II, a model of the Plaza serves as the hotel tower.

The Union plaza closed on November 11, 2010 and re-opened about a year later on September 1, 2011 as the Plaza.

Photos by: LasVegas360.com

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On This Date: September 1, 1999 Paris Las Vegas Opened on the Strip

Paris Las Vegas

Paris Las Vegas opened on September 1, 1999

On this date, September 1, 1999 the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino opened. Paris Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip. The property is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp. As its name suggests, its theme is the city of Paris, France; it includes a half scale, 541-foot tall replica of the Eiffel Tower, a sign in the shape of the Montgolfier balloon, a two-thirds size Arc de Triomphe, a replica of La Fontaine des Mers, and a 1,200-seat theatre called Le Théâtre des Arts. The front of the hotel suggests the Paris Opera House and the Louvre. The Paris Las Vegas sits across the street from the famous Bellaigo.

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On This Date: August 30, 1946 The Golden Nugget Opened

August 30, 2018
Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas

Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas

On August 30, 1946 the Golden Nugget opened, making it one of the oldest hotels in Las Vegas. The Golden Nugget is located in the orginal downtown area of Las Vegas on Fremont Street. The area is  also known as Glitter Gulch as apposed to the famous Las Vegas Blvd, aka the “Strip”. The Golden Nugget is the largest casino in the downtown area, with a total of 2,345 deluxe guest rooms and suites.

Displayed in the Golden Nugget lobby, is the world’s largest gold nugget, the Hand of Faith. It weighs in at 875 troy ounces. The gold alone is worth $1.2 million at todays prices ($1400 per oz.)

The Golden Nugget has had many famous owners, including: Jackie Gaughan, Steve Wynn and Kirk Kerkorian. Landry’s Restaurants are the current owners and operators of the Golden Nugget today.

Photo By: LasVegas360.com

 

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On This Date: August 20, 1964 -The Beatles Performed in Las Vegas

August 20, 2018
The Beatles at the Las Vegas Convention Center August 20,1964

The Beatles at the Las Vegas Convention Center August 20,1964

On This Date: August 20, 1964, The Beatles played at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Originally slated to play at the Sahara Hotel, but the venue could only hold 600 people, so it was moved to the nearby Las Vegas Convention Center. Over 8000 fans saw the shows and The Beatles earned $30,000 for their two performances.

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On This Date: August 18, 2000, The Aladdin Re-opens

August 18, 2018
Aladdin

Aladdin Hotel in 2008

After being closed since November 25, 1997, The old Hotel and Casino was imploded and a new $1.2 billion hotel and gaming complex was built on its 35 acres of land. The Aladdin re-opened on August 18, 2000 after a 24 hour delay due to fire inspections.
The hotel was sold in bankruptcy on June 20, 2003 and remain open under its new owners, and on April 17, 2007, After the casino was renovated, it was reopened as: “Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino”.  The casino changed hands again, on February 19, 2010, the hotel was sold to Caesars Entertainment and remains open today as Planet Hollywood.

The funny thing is that “Planet Hollywood restaurant” is not located in the Planet Hollywood Hotel, it is located in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.

Photo Taken Sept 21, 2008
Photo By: Wikipedia.org

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