Are The Longest Standing Hotels On The Las Vegas Strip Worth Staying In?
Whether it's their iconic sign, the extravagant water features, or the flashing lights, the city of Las Vegas is filled with iconic landmarks that make it instantly recognizable to people from all over the world. While the spirit of Sin City has been maintained for the most part, it has gone through many aesthetic changes over the years. Places like The Neon Museum, The Pepper Mill Restaurant and Lounge, and The Mob Museum can give visitors a glimpse at the Vegas of yesteryear. But soon another long-standing institution of the Las Vegas Strip will only live in the signage graveyard and the old pictures and artifacts found in local museums.
In January 2024, Bally's announced that they would be demolishing The Tropicana to build a new baseball stadium for the soon-to-be relocated Oakland Athletics, per the Associated Press. The legendary resort known for its mosaic tiles, mahogany panels, and the tulip-shaped fountain at the entrance was among the first casinos to sprout up along the stretch of Nevada land that is now bursting at the seams with hotels, bars, restaurants, and other entertaining experiences.
Now, just a few days shy of its 67th anniversary, The Tropicana will close its doors to prepare for demolition to make way for the $1.5 billion Major League Baseball stadium set to open in 2028. With The Tropicana leaving the Las Vegas Strip landscape soon, how do some of the other long-standing establishments stack up? Let's see which ones are worth the cost of admission.
The Flamingo
While there are older hotels on and around Fremont Street (aka Old Vegas), the oldest hotel on the present-day Las Vegas Strip is The Flamingo. Founded by The Hollywood Reporter's Billy Wilkerson and notorious gangster Busy Siegel, this hotel and casino opened in December 1946. It was the first casino to eliminate clocks and windows, a controversial characteristic that has continued to be a feature that carries on today in casinos around the world, causing guests to lose track of time and stay at the tables and slot machines.
As luxurious as the property used to be in its heyday, it is viewed as more of a budget-friendly option these days. While the lavish animal sanctuary and exquisite views are favorable relics of the past that stir up nostalgia for the days of Jimmy Durante, Ella Fitzgerald, and the legendary duo of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, the mirrored ceilings and gold railings throughout the casino are outdated and cliche by today's aesthetic standards. But despite being a blast from the past, rooms are incredibly affordable. As of this writing, rooms are being advertised for $22 per night on their official website. But the real value comes with the location. Considering its placement at the center of the Strip, you would be right in the middle of all the action if you decided to stay here. With a short walk in either direction, guests have easy access to all the hot spots on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Sahara Las Vegas
The next oldest hotel on The Strip is Sahara Las Vegas. Embracing a Moroccan motif before themed hotels like Treasure Island or Excaliber became all the rage, the hotel and casino opened in 1952 and became renowned for star-studded entertainment. After briefly closing in 2011, it reopened as SLS in 2014. Then, in anticipation of the property's 70th anniversary in 2022, the name reverted back to the Sahara in 2019 to continue the rich legacy of the resort. After a $150 million renovation that updated the casino floor, the entrance, the lobby, and the majority of the rooms, the entire place looks sleek and modern while still giving nods to the original African theming.
Some people look past the Sahara due to the perception that the north end of The Strip is a bit of a sketchy area with nothing to do. However, there are plenty of reasons to consider staying here. Rooms can clock in under $100 per night. If you want to get to the main drag of The Strip easily from here, the location is very convenient because of its proximity to the monorail. And the acclaimed steakhouse, Bazaar Meat By José Andrés, is located in the Sahara. So, booking a room on the property makes it convenient to have a bit of a food coma after one of the most decadent meals around. Plus, with the area experiencing a major glow-up right now, the rejuvenated Sahara will soon be at the center of major change.
The LINQ
Following the demolition of The Tropicana, The LINQ will become the third oldest hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. However, it didn't always go by that name. Back in 1959 when the property first opened, this hotel was known as The Flamingo Capri. It would later adopt the monikers of Imperial Palace, O'Shea's, and The Quad before ultimately landing on The LINQ Las Vegas Hotel + Experience.
But what makes The LINQ more of an experience rather than a resort? It's all about the promenade. While the rooms, casino, and sports book are all relatively small, they do the trick because this is the place to be when you want to be ballin' on a budget on The Strip since it has cheap drinks, cheap food, and plenty of places to enjoy both. O'Shea's (the bar, not the casino) might even still have beer-pong tournaments. Essentially, if you're in college or just looking to relive those days, The LINQ will definitely help you get there.
However, The LINQ is also the location of one of the coolest attractions in Las Vegas: The High Roller. This grand observation wheel will take you 550 feet above the center of The Strip and offer breathtaking views of the surrounding area. Whether you want to board the largest Ferris wheel in North America for the 360-degree view during the day or pregame for your night out with the 30-minute open bar package, The High Roller makes its home at The LINQ.
Planet Hollywood
While some may say that the fourth entry on the list doesn't count because none of the original structures are still standing, there has been a hotel at 3667 Las Vegas Boulevard since 1963. Back then, it was called The Tally-Ho. However, developer Milton Prell revamped it three years later to become the "Arabian Nights"-themed hotel known as The Aladdin. From 1966 to 2007, the genie's lamp was a mainstay of The Strip. But it would soon be lost to the Cave of Wonders (or the neon sign graveyard) as a whole new world would move into the space in the form of Planet Hollywood.
Today, rather than the A-list, star-studded experience that was advertised by the hotel spawned from the worldwide franchise restaurant that displayed cinematic artifacts all over their dining rooms, Planet Hollywood is a hotel and casino attached to a mall. To be fair, so is Caesars Palace, but the difference is that Caesar's has high-end brand names whereas The Miracle Mile has many of the same stores from your hometown mall. At this point, the only thing missing is a Hot Topic.
In terms of the hotel and casino, it bears a closer resemblance to a washed-up 80s hair metal band than a classic lounge act or headliners who sell out arenas. Interestingly, so does their resident magician Criss Angel. But with budget-friendly rooms, a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, and cheap drinks galore, it's not all bad. Plus, the 24-hour Walgreens really comes in handy.
Caesars Palace
Speaking of Caesars Palace, they now round out the top five list of oldest hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. Considered the first truly themed resort in Las Vegas, Caesars was opened in 1966 by Jay Sarno. His goal was to recreate the sheer opulence and excess of the Roman Empire. Since then, it has maintained a reputation of being the peak of luxury in Vegas thanks to world-class amenities like the previously discussed Forum Shops, the first celebrity chef restaurant in town Wolfgang Puck's Spago, the renowned Bacchanal Buffet, the Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis, and the iconic theater called The Colosseum featuring the biggest names in entertainment.
The resort offers nearly 4,000 rooms across five hotel towers. Of these rooms, more than 300 are suites, so rates can range from $100 per night to $1,000 per night. Due to this wide range of affordability, Caesars can accommodate an eclectic group of clientele at any given minute. However, as visitors began to make plans for Super Bowl LVIII and receive their booking confirmations, TikToker @vegasstarfish reported that Caesars was canceling these reservations, many of which were made by their loyal rewards program members. In place of the rates that were allegedly a website error, the resort offered to move guests to the Flamingo or LINQ for a much higher cost. This relatively last-minute change caused visitors to scramble. Hopefully, this isn't an everyday occurrence, but maybe this situation could color the perceptions of potential future guests.