Fallen Flags

The Sands was the beating heart of the Rat Pack era. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop performed here regularly in the Copa Room. Howard Hughes lived in the penthouse for years. The Sands was imploded on November 26, 1996, to make way for The Venetian. The Copa Room stage is gone, but the legend endures.

The Dunes opened in 1955 with a 35-foot Sultan statue on the roof. It was one of the first Strip resorts to offer topless showgirls (in the Lido de Paris show). Steve Wynn imploded the Dunes on October 27, 1993, as a publicity stunt for the opening of Treasure Island. The fireworks show was broadcast live on national television. The Bellagio now occupies part of the former Dunes site.

The Desert Inn was one of the most elegant resorts in Las Vegas history. Howard Hughes moved into the penthouse in 1966 and, when the hotel tried to evict him, he simply bought the entire property. Hughes lived there until 1970. Steve Wynn purchased the Desert Inn in 2000, demolished it, and built Wynn Las Vegas on the site.

The Stardust was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in 1958. It was the first Strip resort to offer a French showgirl revue (Lido de Paris). The Stardust was also the center of one of the most famous casino skimming operations in Vegas history — the mob-connected skim that inspired the movie Casino. It was imploded on March 13, 2007. The site sat vacant for years before Resorts World Las Vegas opened in 2021.

The Hacienda was imploded on New Year's Eve 1996 as a fireworks show that attracted an estimated 100,000 spectators on the Strip. It was one of the most watched implosions in Las Vegas history. Mandalay Bay opened on the site in 1999.

The Frontier was the second hotel to open on the Las Vegas Strip (after El Rancho Vegas). Elvis Presley performed his first Las Vegas engagement here in 1956 — and it was a failure. He returned to Vegas in 1969 at the International Hotel (now Westgate) and became the most successful Las Vegas performer in history. The Frontier was demolished in 2007.

The Riviera was the first high-rise hotel on the Las Vegas Strip — nine stories when it opened in 1955. Liberace performed at the opening. The Riviera hosted some of the most famous entertainers in Vegas history, including Dean Martin, Shirley MacLaine, and Joan Rivers. It closed in 2015 and was demolished in 2016 to make way for the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion.

The Aladdin is where Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu on May 1, 1967. The ceremony was held in a second-floor suite. The Aladdin went through multiple ownership changes and a bankruptcy before being demolished in 2003. Planet Hollywood opened on the site in 2007.

The Landmark was a distinctive 31-story tower with a flying saucer-shaped top that made it one of the most recognizable buildings in Las Vegas. Howard Hughes purchased it before it opened and it never achieved the success he hoped for. It closed in 1990 and was imploded in 1995. The implosion was used as a special effect in the movie Mars Attacks!

The Castaways was a mid-century modern resort on Fremont Street that operated for over 40 years. It was demolished in 2006. The site has remained vacant for nearly two decades — a common fate for demolished downtown properties.

The Imperial Palace was a Center Strip staple for over three decades, known for its Asian-themed architecture, bargain room rates, and the legendary Dealertainers show — celebrity impersonators who also dealt cards. It was one of the most visited hotels in Vegas despite its dated reputation. The property was rebranded as The LINQ Hotel + Experience in 2014 after a major renovation, and the iconic auto museum was shuttered. The kitschy pagoda facade is gone, replaced by a modern exterior — but the Dealertainers live on in Vegas lore.

The Barbary Coast was a Victorian-themed boutique casino wedged between Bally's and the Flamingo on the Center Strip — one of the last independently owned casinos on the Strip. It was known for its stained glass ceilings, 24-hour coffee shop, and a loyal local following. Boyd Gaming sold it to Harrah's in 2007, and it was rebranded as Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, then completely transformed into The Cromwell Las Vegas in 2014 — the Strip's first standalone boutique hotel-casino. The property is now set to become The Vanderpump Hotel, a collaboration with Lisa Vanderpump of Real Housewives fame.

Originally opened as the MGM Grand in 1973, this Center Strip property was the site of one of the deadliest hotel fires in American history — the 1980 MGM Grand fire that killed 85 people and led to sweeping changes in hotel fire safety codes nationwide. Bally's acquired the property in 1986 and it operated under that name for nearly four decades. In 2022, Caesars Entertainment rebranded it as Horseshoe Las Vegas, restoring the historic Horseshoe name to the Strip for the first time since Binion's Horseshoe downtown.

The Tropicana was one of the last original Rat Pack-era resorts on the Strip. It opened in 1955 with a Cuban-themed showroom and a reputation for glamour. Over the decades it went through multiple ownership changes, renovations, and attempted reinventions. The Tropicana closed on April 2, 2024, and was demolished in October 2024. The site at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue is now under construction as the future home of the Las Vegas A’s ballpark — a 33,000-seat retractable-roof stadium expected to open in 2028, surrounded by a mixed-use development that will include a hotel, retail, and dining. The Tropicana name is gone, but the corner it occupied will become one of the most-watched developments in Las Vegas history.

The Mirage was the resort that changed everything. When Steve Wynn opened it in 1989, it proved that a megaresort could be self-sustaining — profitable enough from its own amenities that it didn’t need to rely on the casino alone. The volcano out front, the white tigers, Siegfried & Roy, and Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles LOVE show defined an era. The Mirage closed on July 17, 2024, after Hard Rock International acquired the property from MGM Resorts. The transformation into Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is underway, with a guitar-shaped tower planned. The Mirage name — one of the most iconic in Vegas history — is gone.

Delano Las Vegas occupied the north tower of the Mandalay Bay complex — the same tower that previously operated as THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. MGM Resorts rebranded it as Delano Las Vegas in 2014, bringing the Delano brand (originally from South Beach, Miami) to the Strip. The property operated as an all-suite non-gaming boutique hotel within the Mandalay Bay complex. In 2024, MGM rebranded it again as W Las Vegas, part of Marriott’s W Hotels brand. The Delano name lasted a decade on the Strip.

The Hard Rock Hotel was the rock-and-roll alternative to the Strip's glitz — off-Strip on Paradise Road, but a magnet for musicians, celebrities, and anyone who wanted a different Vegas energy. It opened in 1995 with a guitar-shaped pool and a casino floor lined with rock memorabilia. The Joint was one of the best concert venues in Vegas. After years of declining fortunes, the property closed in 2020 and reopened as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Curio Collection by Hilton. The guitar is gone. The vibe is different. The memories remain.

NoMad Las Vegas opened in 2018 as a hotel-within-a-hotel concept occupying the top floors of Park MGM, operated in partnership with Sydell Group. The NoMad brand brought a New York-meets-Paris sensibility to the Strip: a library bar, a rooftop pool reserved exclusively for NoMad guests, and a restaurant helmed by chef Daniel Humm that earned serious critical attention. It was one of the more genuinely distinctive hospitality concepts Las Vegas had seen in years — a boutique identity carved out inside a major MGM property. NoMad Las Vegas closed in 2025 when MGM Resorts ended its partnership with Sydell Group. The space was rebranded as The Reserve at Park MGM — a more conventional luxury offering that lacks the independent editorial identity that made NoMad interesting. The NoMad restaurant closed with it.

SLS Las Vegas opened in 2014 on the site of the historic Sahara Hotel, which had operated from 1952 to 2011. The SLS brand — operated by Sam Nazarian’s SBE Entertainment — was positioned as a lifestyle-luxury concept with a heavy emphasis on nightlife, food and beverage, and design. The property featured Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, the Katsuya sushi concept, and a nightclub component. Despite the strong F&B lineup and genuine design investment, SLS struggled commercially — the north Strip location was a disadvantage, and the property never achieved the occupancy or gaming revenue needed to sustain the concept. SBE sold its interest and the property was rebranded as the Sahara Las Vegas in 2019, restoring the historic name that had defined the site for six decades. The Sahara brand has performed more consistently than SLS ever did.

THEhotel at Mandalay Bay opened in 2003 as an all-suite non-gaming tower connected to the main Mandalay Bay complex. The property was positioned as a quieter, more residential alternative to the main casino hotel — no gaming floor, larger suites, and a slightly removed atmosphere from the main resort energy. It was a straightforward luxury all-suite product that served a specific segment of guests who wanted Strip proximity without Strip noise. MGM Resorts rebranded the tower as Delano Las Vegas in 2014, bringing the Delano brand (originally from South Beach, Miami) to the Strip. The Delano name lasted until 2024, when it was rebranded again as W Las Vegas. The north tower has now carried three different brand identities in roughly two decades — THEhotel, Delano, and W Las Vegas — reflecting MGM’s ongoing experimentation with the non-gaming luxury segment.

The Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas opened in 2009 as part of the CityCenter development — the $8.5 billion MGM Resorts mega-project that also produced ARIA, Vdara, and the Crystals shopping complex. The Mandarin Oriental was a non-gaming luxury hotel occupying the upper floors of a tower at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue. It was one of the few genuinely non-casino luxury hotels on the Strip, catering to guests who wanted five-star service without a casino floor. The property earned strong reviews for its spa and its Sky Lobby on the 23rd floor. Mandarin Oriental Hotels ended its management contract in 2018, and the property was rebranded as the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas under Hilton’s luxury brand. The physical hotel is unchanged — only the flag has moved.

The Monte Carlo opened in June 1996 as a joint venture between Mirage Resorts and Circus Circus Enterprises, positioned as an affordable European-themed luxury resort on the Center Strip. The property was designed to evoke the grandeur of Monaco — ornate fountains, a formal porte-cochère, and a casino floor that felt more refined than the budget-tier competition of its era. The Monte Carlo was a consistent performer for two decades, offering solid value at a prime Strip address between the Bellagio and New York-New York. MGM Resorts began a comprehensive transformation in 2016, closing sections of the property for renovation. The Monte Carlo name was officially retired in 2018 when the property reopened as Park MGM — a lifestyle-oriented hotel with a strong food and beverage focus, anchored by the Eataly Las Vegas food hall and the NoMad hotel concept on the upper floors. The rebrand was a deliberate repositioning away from the casino-centric identity of the Monte Carlo era toward a more hospitality-driven, non-gaming-forward product. The Monte Carlo’s European façade and fountain plaza were preserved in the renovation.