Harrah's Las Vegas
| Company type | Hotel and casino |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality, gambling |
| Founded | February 1, 1972 in Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| Founder | Holiday Queen Land Corporation (partnership with Holiday Inn) |
| Headquarters | Paradise , United States |
Area served | Las Vegas Strip |
Key people | Claudine Williams (former chairwoman), Caesars Entertainment (management) |
| Products | Hotel rooms, casino gaming, entertainment, restaurants |
| Owner | Vici Properties |
| Parent | Caesars Entertainment (management) |
Harrah's Las Vegas is a hotel and casino situated on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The property is owned by Vici Properties and managed by Caesars Entertainment. It originally launched as a partnership with Holiday Inn. Construction commenced in April 1970, with the hotel opening its doors on February 1, 1972, under the name Holiday Inn Center Strip, followed by the casino debuting on July 2, 1973, as the Holiday Casino. Early investment came from Shelby Williams; after his passing in 1977, operational control passed to his wife, Claudine Williams. Holiday Inn acquired a partial interest in 1979 and completed full ownership by 1983, although Claudine Williams continued serving as chairwoman.
In 1990, ownership shifted to The Promus Companies, ending the Holiday Inn affiliation. The venue was rebranded as Harrah's Las Vegas in April 1992. Promus later changed its name to Harrah's Entertainment in 1995, which eventually became Caesars Entertainment. In 2017, the land was sold to Vici Properties, with Caesars maintaining operations of Harrah's through a 15-year leaseback arrangement.
Originally, the casino showcased a riverboat-inspired exterior, which was expanded during a $100 million upgrade in 1990. This motif was replaced by a Carnival and Mardi Gras theme following a $200 million renovation completed in 1997. The hotel comprises 2,542 rooms distributed across three towers: the initial 14-story structure, a 23-story tower added in 1982, and a 35-story tower finished in 1990; an additional 35-story expansion was incorporated during the 1997 refurbishment.
Amenities include a showroom and Carnaval Court—an outdoor bar and entertainment space. From 1995 until 2016, it hosted The Improv comedy club and featured performers such as Clint Holmes (2000–2006) and magician Mac King (2000–2021). Prominent productions have included Legends in Concert (2009–2013), Million Dollar Quartet (2013–2016), and Menopause The Musical.
History
The site was developed on land that previously housed the Tumbleweed motel (established in 1946) and the Pyramids motel (built in 1952), the latter being the inaugural project of Las Vegas developer Irwin Molasky. The Tumbleweed later became known as the Sand Dunes before it was destroyed by fire in 1968.
Holiday Inn and Holiday Casino (1973–1992)
In 1969, Holiday Queen Land Corporation revealed plans for a casino and hotel with a riverboat theme through a collaboration with Holiday Inn. Construction began in April 1970, culminating with the opening of the 520-room Holiday Inn Center Strip in February 1972 featuring a 14-story tower. That same year, the neighboring Pyramids motel was purchased and demolished to create additional parking space.
During construction, the casino was referred to as River Queen Casino but officially opened on July 2, 1973, as Holiday Casino. It launched with 320 slot machines and 20 table games aimed at middle-income guests. Key investors included Shelby Williams—former owner of the Silver Slipper casino—and Norman Jenson. Following Shelby Williams’s death in 1977, Claudine Williams assumed management duties—a notable leadership position for women within Nevada’s gaming industry at that time. By 1979, Holiday Inn had acquired a 40% interest in Riverboat, Inc., which owned the casino; Claudine Williams retained majority ownership at 60%.
An extensive expansion began in 1980 with construction of a new 23-story tower adding 494 rooms; this was completed by 1982, making it the largest Holiday Inn worldwide with a total of 991 rooms. The casino area also saw growth during this period. Holiday Inn purchased Claudine Williams’s remaining shares in 1983; she continued as chairwoman for several years thereafter.
In 1986, Marnell Corrao Associates constructed a $17 million three-level casino addition that added gaming space and a showroom; hotel rooms underwent renovations at the same time. As part of this project’s dedication, executives embedded obsolete gaming chips into the foundation symbolizing the property’s heritage.
Between 1989 and 1990, a $100 million renovation introduced a third tower containing 734 rooms, bringing total accommodations to 1,725 and preserving its status as the world’s largest Holiday Inn. The casino expanded from to , accompanied by the addition of a parking garage to accommodate increased patronage.
Harrah's Las Vegas (1992–present)
Holiday Inn purchased Harrah's, Inc. in 1980. After divesting its hotel division to Bass PLC in 1990, Holiday Inn established The Promus Companies to oversee the remaining brands, including Harrah's. By 1991, Promus discontinued its Holiday Inn franchise and officially rebranded the Las Vegas property as Harrah's, completing this transition in April 1992.
In April 1994, a group of gang members from Los Angeles executed a heist at Harrah's casino cage, which led to a police pursuit and eventual imprisonment for those involved. The stolen amount was roughly $100,000, which was never recovered.
Promus adopted the name Harrah's Entertainment in 1995. The company initiated a $200 million expansion and renovation of the Las Vegas location in 1996, incorporating an additional 30,000 square feet into the casino area and constructing a new 35-story tower. This development culminated with an official opening ceremony in October 1997.
A shooting incident occurred in September 2000 during an attempted robbery at the casino, resulting in one death and several injuries. Authorities arrested both individuals responsible.
In 2007, inspections uncovered unauthorized remodeling work at Harrah's Las Vegas conducted in 2006, prompting the temporary closure of approximately 600 rooms to address safety concerns. Fire hazards were mitigated, allowing most rooms to reopen by November. The resort’s chief engineer received misdemeanor charges; subsequently, Harrah's Entertainment shut down the remodeling subsidiary accountable for the unauthorized work. These charges were eventually dropped.
In 2010, Harrah's Entertainment rebranded itself as Caesars Entertainment. This was followed by a $25 million renovation of the casino floor in 2015 that included updates to flooring, furnishings, and slot machines.
Caesars sold the real estate of Harrah's Las Vegas to Vici Properties for $1.14 billion in November 2017 through a leaseback deal while continuing to operate the property. The transaction was finalized the following month.
A $140 million refurbishment of the 1,622-room Valley Tower was completed in 2018, marking its first major upgrade in over ten years. A larger-scale $200 million multi-year renovation concluded in June 2021, covering improvements to the casino floor and exterior features such as new purple neon signage. Additionally, a sky bridge was constructed to link Harrah's with the Caesars Forum convention center.
Features
In 1988, Holiday Casino became Nevada’s pioneer in introducing computerized bingo technology. Similar to other casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, Harrah's closed its poker room in 2000 due to reduced patron interest. The following year saw the introduction of blackjack tables limited to five seats—a distinctive offering on the Strip at that time. As of 2017, the casino encompasses . A prominent feature on the gaming floor is a statue depicting an affluent couple named Buck and Winnie Greenback along with their poodle Chip; this installation has become a favored spot for photographs.
The hotel provides 2,542 guest rooms and is known as an economical choice compared to larger neighboring resorts.
In 1990, Holiday Casino developed an outdoor shopping area inspired by New Orleans’ Jackson Square. During the 1997 expansion, an outdoor entertainment and retail space called Carnaval Court was added, featuring a bar and live music venue that complements the property's emphasis on live performances.
Design
Architect Homer Rissman was responsible for the design of both Holiday Inn and Holiday Casino. Following Holiday Inn's instructions, Rissman created the hotel as a simple white structure to clearly distinguish it from the casino. The casino's exterior drew inspiration from the Robert E. Lee steamboat, while its interior was modeled after the grand saloon found on the Grand Republic riverboat. In 1975, an addition to the casino introduced an old-fashioned excursion boat façade connected to the original riverboat-themed building.
By 1990, the riverboat motif was significantly expanded into a 450-foot Mississippi-style vessel featuring an 80-foot paddlewheel and two smokestacks, each standing 85 feet tall, extending along the Las Vegas Strip. This $30 million upgrade was intended to enhance the property's appeal to visitors.
The 1997 overhaul led by Henry Conversano replaced the riverboat exterior with a theme inspired by Carnival and Mardi Gras. This included installing a striking mural measuring 30 by 90 feet alongside large jester statues covered in gold leaf, each weighing approximately 22,000 pounds.
Restaurants
The 1997 refurbishment introduced several new dining options and revamped existing ones. Among these was The Range, a 12,000-square-foot steakhouse overlooking the Las Vegas Strip, boasting an extensive wine list. Additionally, a new buffet and café were added during this renovation phase.
In 2004, Harrah's collaborated with country artist Toby Keith to launch Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill, part of a restaurant chain named after his 2003 hit "I Love This Bar." The resort also debuted a popular oyster bar in 2006. That year featured further updates including renaming the Fresh Market Buffet to Flavors, The Buffet.
Between 2010 and 2015, chef Kerry Simon operated Kerry's Gourmet Burgers (KGB) within the casino. In 2013, The Range was replaced by Ruth's Chris Steak House, which accommodates nearly 400 guests. A food court known as Fulton Street Food Hall was added in 2014.
February 2020 saw the opening of PizzaCake by Buddy Valastro, offering pizza and desserts. By late 2021, Bobby's Burgers began operations in Fulton Street Food Hall. Early in 2022, Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux launched its first west coast location at nearly 12,000 square feet, replacing Toby Keith's restaurant which closed in 2020; it also introduced a breakfast menu.
Chef Gordon Ramsay opened Ramsay's Kitchen at Harrah's in 2022.
Shows and entertainers
Over the years, the resort has been home to numerous performances and artists. During the Holiday Casino period, producer Rocky Sennes staged three shows: Wild World of Burlesque (1974–1985), a comedy dance production; Roaring '20s, a tribute to that decade; and Keep Smilin' America in 1988. In 1992, Spellbound, a magic show, replaced Keep Smilin' America and enjoyed multiple extensions until its conclusion in 1999.
A branch of The Improv comedy club opened at Harrah's in April 1995 and operated as a secondary showroom for 21 years until closure by Caesars. In 1999, the Improv Showroom premiered Washington Sexcapades 2000, a political satire featuring Steve Rossi and Sandy Hackett.
Starting in 1999, Clint Holmes served as resident headliner at what became known as the Clint Holmes Theatre from January 2000 through September 2006 after performing over 1,800 shows. Magician Mac King began his residency at Harrah's in 2000 before moving to Excalibur in 2021. Other notable performers included Rita Rudner, The Righteous Brothers, Big Elvis, Ralphie May, and Tape Face.
The adult-oriented musical Skintight opened in 2000 with an "MTV meets Playboy" style featuring dancers such as Cynthia Brimhall. It ran for about seventy minutes in the Clint Holmes Theater until being succeeded by Bareback in 2006—a topless country music revue that had previously found success at Harrah's Reno and ran for five months on the Las Vegas Strip.
Legends in Concert, a long-standing tribute show, relocated to Harrah's from the nearby Imperial Palace in 2009 and remained for four years. The musical Million Dollar Quartet debuted in 2013, surpassing one thousand performances by 2015 before closing in 2016. Menopause The Musical began its run at the Improv Showroom in 2015 before moving to Harrah's Cabaret where it continued through at least 2021. Since 2016, Harrah's has featured X Country, an adult revue themed around country music.
From 2017 until 2019, British rock cover group Tenors of Rock performed at Harrah's Showroom before relocating to Planet Hollywood. Singer Donny Osmond commenced a residency at Harrah's in 2021. In June 2023, Hyprov, blending stage hypnosis with improvisational comedy, premiered at Harrah's Showroom where it remains active.