Las Vegas is largely renowned thanks to The Strip, a large section of the Las Vegas Boulevard South that is home to many of the world’s largest resorts and casinos. It’s recognized for being a city always illuminated by the bright and vivid colors that abound throughout the entire city. A place where fun is the priority, reason why it is also known as the Sin City; amusement parks, restaurants, casinos, hotels, live performances, shows… Las Vegas is filled with these.

Which are Las Vegas’s oldest hotels?

However, how did Las Vegas reach such acknowledgement? Most of its fame is thanks to the hotels that have been built in the zone. That’s why we’ll analyze some of the oldest hotels to ever be built in Las Vegas – more specifically, in The Las Vegas Strip – independently if they are operational or not.

El Rancho Vegas

El Rancho Vegas was officially the first hotel to ever be built in The Las Vegas Strip. Its inauguration took place back in April 1941, approximately 80 years ago. By the time it was built, it had the largest dining room in the entire city. Some of the most interesting activities that El Rancho Vegas catered to visitors were a large swimming pool, horseback riding and frequent shows in its theater called popularly as the Opera House. Of course, it had its own casino, which counted with 4 table games and 70 slot machines.

Actually, this hotel is extinct. The Hilton Grand Vacations and Club Las Vegas Festival Grounds now occupy the space where El Rancho Vegas once stood.

New Frontier

It was also known as The Frontier and Last Frontier. After El Rancho Vegas, New Frontier was the second hotel in The Strip. It was opened publically in October 30, 1942, slightly more than a year after El Rancho Vegas was inaugurated. Its Western style attracted many visitors, which were eager to stay the night in one of the 986 rooms available. Even though it originally was intended to be a nightclub, it was remodeled to become the New Frontier Hotel. This hotel was the pioneer of the arrival of important persons to Las Vegas, because it hosted Elvis Presley’s first visit to the city, in 1956.

In our days, what used to be New Frontier does no longer exist. It was demolished in 2007, and the land it was built on will soon lay beneath the Alon Las Vegas.

The Riviera Hotel & Casino

The Riv, how it was colloquially known as, was inaugurated in April 1955. It set a record for the first high-rise building in the area, thanks to the 23-floor tower that was part of the hotel’s complex. It rapidly gained fame across the country and famous people started to visit this site frequently. Its innovative design and vivid colors that abounded in its facade rapidly caught people’s attention. In fact, until the day it was demolished, in 2015, it was a very interesting and striking hotel.

No trace of the Riviera is left, actually. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority demolished it to make place for the Las Vegas Global Business District.

Tropicana Resort & Casino

The Tropicana Resort & Casino first opened in April 1957. It is the oldest hotel in Las Vegas to still be operating. This resort was very impressive for the time it was built. It counts with a 21-story tower called “Paradise Tower”, built in 1979. The amount of rooms was also plentiful: 1878. It also offered 61.000 sq. ft. of gaming space, and until our days, the Tropicana casino is one of the most popular casinos in The Strip. Besides, entertaining shows are presented periodically.