Vanished in Vegas

What happens in Vegas might stay in Vegas – but many of its once-iconic hotels and casinos haven’t been so lucky. In a city that thrives on reinvention, outdated or underperforming properties are swiftly swept aside, often reduced to rubble in spectacular fashion to make room for the next big thing.

Click through this gallery for a stroll down memory lane, as we revisit some of Las Vegas’ most memorable hotels that no longer exist...

Aladdin Hotel and Casino

Formerly the Tallyho and the King’s Crown, the Aladdin opened in 1966 with an Arabian theme, eventually spanning 36 acres. Despite its grandeur, the resort was plagued by financial woes, legal troubles, and alleged mob ties.

After a series of ownership changes, the original Aladdin closed in 1997 and was demolished the following year. A new version opened in 2000 but faced similar struggles, until Caesars Entertainment stepped in and rebranded it as Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort and Casino in 2007.

Algiers Hotel

This themed hotel opened on the Strip in 1953 as a 110-room sister property to the adjacent Thunderbird Hotel and Casino. With its ‘vintage’ Las Vegas appearance, the Algiers featured in 1990s films Leaving Las Vegas and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

Located directly north of the eventual site for the Riviera and across the street from Circus Circus, it closed in August 2004, before being demolished a year later. In 2006, construction began on the Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort, which eventually opened in 2023.

Boardwalk Hotel and Casino

While its 1995 multimillion-dollar renovation added another tower to this Coney Island-style resort, the Boardwalk’s tackiness, with its faux-Ferris wheel façade, still stuck out like a sore thumb next to glitzy new neighbors, the MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, and New York-New York.

MGM acquired the site in 2000, and it stayed open for six years before being imploded to make way for MGM's Las Vegas CityCenter project that includes the high-end Aria, Waldorf Astoria, and Vdara resorts, as well as upscale shopping mall Shops at Crystals.

Bourbon Street Hotel and Casino

Originally named the Shenandoah, this doomed-to-fail resort opened in 1980 and was plagued with financial and gaming-license issues from the get-go. After just four years, the property filed for bankruptcy without ever opening the casino.

In 1985, a Canadian-based company reopened the property with the New Orleans theme of Bourbon Street, before it was ultimately acquired by Harrah's in 2005 and demolished. The space it occupied is now a parking lot located next to the Westin Las Vegas.

Klondike Hotel and Casino

The southernmost hotel on the Strip, the Klondike sat between the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and what is now Harry Reid International Airport. It began life in 1962 as the Kona Kai Motel, later becoming the Klondike Inn in 1976 with a casino added soon after.

The property closed in 2006 and was demolished two years later, with a Harley-Davidson dealership opening on the site in 2014. Film fans may recognize it from the 1997 comedy Vegas Vacation, where Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) tries his luck at a series of gambling games.

Clarion Hotel and Casino

Once home to shows backed by the only live orchestra on the Strip, the Clarion Hotel and Casino opened way back in 1970 as the Royal Inn and went on to adopt various identities – from the Royal Americana and the Paddlewheel to a stint as the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel.

Its final incarnation, as the Clarion, couldn’t keep the lights on, and the hotel closed in September 2014. Just five months later, it was reduced to rubble in a controlled implosion (pictured) to make way for a gleaming new development – one that, a decade on, still hasn’t appeared.

Desert Inn

Designed by architect Hugh Taylor with interiors by Jac Lessman, Wilbur Clark’s Desert Inn became the fifth resort on the Strip when it opened in 1950. A favorite among celebrities, it boasted an 18-hole golf course and a showroom that hosted legends like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Tina Turner.

In 1967, billionaire Howard Hughes famously purchased the hotel after management failed to remove him from their penthouse suites. Decades later, in 2000, developer Steve Wynn acquired the property and closed it to make way for his $2.7 billion flagship, Wynn Las Vegas.

The Dunes Hotel and Country Club

One of Las Vegas’ most iconic resorts, the Dunes opened in 1955, fronted by a towering 35-foot sultan. By the time it closed, both the sultan and the glamor of its 1960s heyday had faded – though it remained a part of Vegas lore, having hosted the weddings of stars like Mary Tyler Moore and Cary Grant.

The dramatic implosion of the Dunes on October 22, 1993, complete with a Hollywood-style pyrotechnic display, marked the end of one Vegas era and cleared the stage for the next. Its replacement, the $1.6 billion Bellagio, opened four years later and redefined luxury on the Strip.

El Rancho Hotel and Casino

When it opened in 1941, El Rancho Vegas was the first resort on the Strip, known then as part of Highway 91. It was conceived by Thomas Hull, who wanted to target motorists traveling from LA to Vegas, and is widely credited with introducing the all-you-can-eat buffet in the city.

In June 1960, a fire destroyed the El Rancho's casino, restaurants, and showroom, with the cause of the blaze never determined. Howard Hughes bought the property in 1970, and a Hilton Grand Vacations Club timeshare resort opened on the southern edge of the property in 2004. MGM Mirage purchased the remaining acreage three years later and eventually opened its Festival Grounds in 2015.

Fiesta Henderson

Gem Gaming announced The Reserve project in 1995, with an opening planned for July the following year. However, it wasn’t until February 1998 when Ameristar Casinos ultimately opened The Reserve, with an African safari/jungle theme.

The resort failed to generate a substantial profit, and in 2001, it was purchased by Station Casinos, who renovated and rebranded the hotel-casino as the southwestern party-themed Fiesta Henderson. After closing during the pandemic in March 2020, the hotel never reopened and was demolished in 2022 to make way for a new indoor community sports facility.

The Sundance Hotel/Fitzgeralds Hotel and Casino

The Sundance Hotel opened in 1980 on land owned by mobster Moe Dalitz. It became Fitzgeralds Hotel and Casino and later The D Las Vegas. The second tallest building in Downtown Las Vegas, Fitzgeralds had an Irish theme, complete with shamrocks and a leprechaun.

However, in 2012 brothers Derek and Greg Stevens, majority owners of the Golden Gate casino also in Vegas, completed a $22 million property-wide renovation and rebranding, with the D now standing for Downtown, Derek’s nickname, and his hometown of Detroit.

Glass Pool Inn

This 22-room motel, located on the southern end of the Strip, initially opened as the Mirage Motel in 1952. An above-ground swimming pool was added in 1955, which was used in numerous films, including Las Vegas Shakedown, Indecent Proposal, Casino, and Leaving Las Vegas.

In 1988, the Mirage Motel was renamed as the Glass Pool Inn to avoid confusion with Steve Wynn's new Mirage resort. The motel was demolished in 2004, although its sign was left intact and donated to the city's Neon Museum, before going missing in 2012.

Hacienda Hotel Resort and Casino

Known as the 'gatekeeper into Vegas,' the Hacienda began as a modest 256-room motor lodge on the city’s outskirts, greeting travelers arriving from California. Over time, it expanded into a 1,200-room, family-friendly resort complete with a go-kart track and miniature golf course.

As glitzier mega-resorts began to dominate the Strip, the Hacienda struggled to keep up. It was demolished in style on New Year’s Eve 1996, its farewell marked by a spectacular televised fireworks display. The site was earmarked for a mysterious development known as 'Project Paradise,' which ultimately became the Mandalay Bay.

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

Dubbed ‘the world's first rock and roll-themed hotel’ when it opened in 1995, the Hard Rock included 1,506 rooms across several hotel towers, as well as music memorabilia, concert venue The Joint, and weekly pool party Rehab.

Virgin Hotels purchased the Hard Rock in 2018, and it was a frequent source of controversy, especially during the 2000s. Hard Rock chained its doors on February 3, 2020, following a four-day celebration labeled The Last Great Party. Virgin Hotels Las Vegas opened in its place in March 2021.

New Frontier Hotel and Casino

The New Frontier certainly had its share of historic moments. This was the hotel where Elvis Presley made his critically panned Vegas debut in 1956 and was also the starting place for Sin City icons Liberace and Siegfried and Roy. Until its implosion on November 13, 2007, the property was the last operating hotel owned by Howard Hughes.

The lot between the Fashion Show Mall and Resorts World was purchased by Steve Wynn in 2017, and his company had plans to build a new casino resort Wynn West, which were later shelved. The site still sits unused.

Fiesta Rancho

The first hotel-casino in North Las Vegas, the Fiesta opened its doors on December 14, 1994, and quickly became a local favorite, prompting two expansions that added a drive-through sportsbook, a remodeled buffet, and a larger casino. Station Casinos purchased the property in 2001 and rebranded it as Fiesta Rancho.

After closing during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it never reopened and was demolished in 2023. In early 2025, construction began on Hylo Park, a $380 million development that will transform the former casino site into a walkable community with housing, shops, restaurants, and a large sports village.

Riviera Hotel and Casino

The ‘Riv’ was the first skyscraper in the Las Vegas Valley, and the area's tallest building until 1956. In its heyday, Liberace was paid $50,000 a week to perform there, while several other entertainers made their Vegas debut at the Riviera, including Orson Welles in 1956, Barbra Streisand in 1963, and Engelbert Humperdinck in 1969.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) purchased the 26-acre Riviera site in February 2015, at a cost of $191 million, with plans to expand the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Riviera was imploded in 2016, with the new convention space built on the Riviera’s eastern portion.

Sands Hotel and Casino

The epitome of cool, the Sands is synonymous with the Rat Pack who regularly performed in its nightclub, the Copa Room, and its close ties to The Mob. Frank Sinatra began staying and performing at the hotel in the 1950s, while classic movie Ocean’s 11 was shot there in 1960.

Despite being renovated, the Sands’ appeal began to wane, and the hotel went through multiple owners, including billionaire Howard Hughes, who bought it in 1967 and proposed adding 4,000 rooms, but never did. The Sands staggered on for another two decades until it was eventually demolished in November 1996, making way for The Venetian and Palazzo.

Showboat Hotel and Casino/Castaways Hotel and Casino

The first resort hotel within the city limits, the Mississippi riverboat-themed Showboat was built in 1954, and after the addition of a huge bowling alley in 1959, became well-known for high-level competitions, along with wrestling and roller derby events. The hotel was sold to Harrah’s Entertainment in 1998 and became Castaways.

This new hotel didn't last long, filing for bankruptcy only three years later before ultimately closing in 2004. The hotel tower was demolished in 2006, with the aim of turning it into a casino-restaurant, but the plans were abandoned. Today, the site is home to the Showboat Park Apartments, which opened in 2021.

Tropicana Las Vegas

Once host to celebrities, criminals, and Sean Connery’s 007, the Tropicana opened in 1957 as the ‘Tiffany of the Strip, with more than 12,500 guests attending its lavish debut.

Over the decades it featured in films such as The Godfather and Diamonds Are Forever, and famously formed the backdrop to Robbie Knievel’s record-breaking motorcycle jump in 1998. Demolished in October 2024, the site will house a $1.5 billion stadium for the Oakland Athletics baseball team.

The Western Hotel and Casino

The ultra-cheap Western was part of Jackie Gaughan’s casino empire that also included the Las Vegas Club, The Plaza, the Gold Spike, and El Cortez. At the time of its opening on Fremont Street in Downtown in 1970, it housed the world's largest bingo parlor with 1,020 seats.

After being sold to internet entrepreneur and venture capitalist Tony Hsieh, the hotel portion was demolished in 2013, but the shuttered casino section remains standing.

Monte Carlo Resort and Casino

While the Monte Carlo offered good value and great location on the Strip, it never quite had a cohesive theme to compete with the other big casino resorts. However, its owners MGM had plans for it that didn’t involve demolition.

Following the opening of The Park, an urban oasis and pedestrian pathway to the T-Mobile Arena in the heart of Las Vegas Boulevard in 2016, they decided to splash out $450m on transforming the Monte Carlo into an eco-friendly and smoke-free resort Park MGM, which opened in 2018.

Bally's Las Vegas

Another hotel given a new name and lease of life is Bally’s. The site on the Strip was first occupied by Three Coins Motel, before Bonanza Hotel and Casino, and the original MGM Grand.

In 1986, Bally Manufacturing purchased the resort and renamed it Bally's Las Vegas, with a sister property, Paris Las Vegas, opening next door in 1999, and incorporating shopping mall Grand Bazaar 14 years later. Caesars Entertainment rebranded the property as Horseshoe Las Vegas in December 2022, naming it after the original Binion's Horseshoe casino in Downtown.

Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon

Dwarfed by the Strip’s huge super casinos, Bill’s offered an old-time Vegas feel with cheap rooms and steak breakfasts. It was originally opened as the Barbary Coast in 1979, before rebranding in March 2007 as Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon.

It was closed by Caesars Entertainment in 2013 but saved from demolition after reopening as The Cromwell a year later. The renovated property now includes a restaurant by chef Giada De Laurentiis, a rooftop pool, and a nightclub operated by film producer Victor Drai.

The Landmark Hotel and Casino

The Landmark’s explosive demolition lives on in pop culture as the Martian-destroyed Galaxy Hotel in Tim Burton’s 1996 film Mars Attacks!. Before it was cleared to make way for 2,000 new parking spaces for the Las Vegas Convention Center, the space-age hotel once hosted the likes of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. It was one of the last of six casinos owned by billionaire Howard Hughes, but financial troubles eventually forced it to close.

Stardust Resort and Casino

With just over a thousand rooms, the Stardust was the largest hotel in the world when it opened on July 2, 1958. Its colorful past and mob ties made it a major inspiration for Martin Scorsese’s 1995 movie Casino. Boyd Gaming closed the doors on the 48-year-old resort in 2006 with plans to build Echelon Place – a complex that would never come to fruition due to the 2008 economic collapse.

Instead, the space changed hands in 2013 and would eventually be home to Resorts World, which opened in 2021. You can see the original Stardust marquee at the Neon Museum.

Lady Luck Casino and Hotel

The Lady Luck was a staple of Downtown Las Vegas for over 40 years before the economic downturn that hit many gaming establishments finally forced it to close. The original business was a news stand and barber shop called Honest John's, which became a full-time casino in 1964.

It reopened as Lady Luck four years later, before expanding the gambling element in 1979. After closing in 2006, several investors tried to remodel and reopen the iconic building, but it sat vacant until 2013 when it was rechristened as the Downtown Grand following a $100 million renovation.

Westward Ho Hotel and Casino

Once upon a time, the Westward Ho was the last large motel-style property on the Strip and a financial success for decades. In 1988, the Hot Lava dance show debuted at the hotel, and the casino interior was featured in the 1996 film, Leaving Las Vegas.

However, following a series of financial struggles and much legal wrangling, the Western-themed resort closed nine years later and was demolished to make way for redevelopment, which failed to materialize. Instead, a branch of McDonald's opened on part of the old hotel's land in 2008.

Texas Station

When it opened with a fireworks show in the presence of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in 1995, Texas Station was the largest hotel-casino in North Las Vegas. Original owner and Lone Star native Frank Fertitta Jr chose the theme to appeal to customers from his home state.

When casinos began reopening after the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Texas Station (originally called Texas Gambling Hall and Hotel) remained closed, and most of its customer base relocated to the company's nearby Santa Fe Station. In July 2022, Station Casinos announced that it would demolish Texas Station, with the land being used for the new Hylo Park mixed-use neighborhood.

Key Largo

The Ambassador Inn was sold to new owners in 1981, seven years after opening. Despite being renovated in 1982, it later filed for bankruptcy, closing and reopening as the La Mirage Casino in January 1986. Eleven years later, the property was given another renovation and reopened with a south Florida theme and new name – Key Largo.

Despite its budget appeal, Key Largo closed in January 2005 and sat empty until a fire in 2013 prompted its demolition. The site is now used as an overflow parking lot.

La Concha Motel

Designed by renowned African American architect Paul Williams, La Concha Motel was a standout example of 1950s Googie architecture. Opened in 1961, it was one of the Strip’s larger properties and welcomed stars like Ronald Reagan, Ann-Margret, and Muhammad Ali.

Despite strong occupancy, the owners planned to redevelop the site in the early 2000s as part of the unrealized Majestic/Conrad project. The motel was demolished in 2003/04, but its iconic lobby was preserved and now lives on at the Neon Museum.