The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is a hotel and casino in Winchester, Nevada. It is owned by Westgate Resorts and operated by Paragon Gaming. It has 2,956 hotel rooms including 305 suites. It opened in 1969 as the International Hotel, and was known for many years as the Las Vegas Hilton, then briefly as the LVH - Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. It was renamed the Westgate Las Vegas on July 1, 2014. The hotel is 30 stories tall with a height of 114.30 meter / 375.00 feet. Located on 64 acres (26 ha), it has a 74,000 square feet (6,900 m2) casino and is also home to the largest sports book in the United States. The hotel is located next to the Las Vegas Convention Center and has its own 225,000 sq ft (20,900 m2) convention center, and a station along the Las Vegas Monorail.
Video Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
History
International Hotel (1969-1971)
The hotel site was previously part of the grounds of Las Vegas Park, a defunct racetrack. In 1965, the 400-acre (160 ha) track site was purchased by National Equities, a real estate development firm chaired by Marvin Kratter. Kratter announced development plans for the site to include a 40-floor, 1,500-room hotel, as well as a golf course and private homes. In 1967, National Equities sold a 65.5-acre (26.5 ha) portion of the site to Kirk Kerkorian for $5 million. Kerkorkian, who was known at the time as the chairman of Trans International Airlines and as the landlord of Caesars Palace, announced that he would build a 30-story hotel with 1,510 rooms, at a cost of $50 million. He hired Martin Stern, Jr., who had designed several noted Las Vegas high-rises, as the hotel's architect. Kerkorian's hotel would be named the International Hotel, matching the name of Kratter's International Country Club (now the Las Vegas Country Club). Construction began with an elaborate groundbreaking ceremony in February 1968.
With planning for the hotel underway, Kerkorian purchased the Flamingo casino, to serve as a training ground for the International's staff. Later, during the International's construction, Kerkorian formed a publicly traded company, International Leisure, to own the two casinos.
The hotel opened on July 2, 1969. Entertainment director Bill Miller was able to sign Barbra Streisand as the opening-night performer, along with Peggy Lee performing afterwards in the hotel's lounge.
On July 31, 1969, immediately following Streisand's engagement, Elvis Presley performed the first show of what would become a seven-year run at the hotel, encompassing 636 consecutive sold-out shows. Presley's appearances became a major part of the hotel's identity, and an iconic chapter in the history of Las Vegas entertainment.
Las Vegas Hilton (1971-2012)
In 1970 and 1971, Kerkorian sold his shares of International Leisure to Hilton Hotels, because of a cash shortage resulting from his acquisitions of Western Airlines and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The International was renamed in July 1971 as the Las Vegas Hilton. Hilton took complete ownership in 1972, acquiring all outstanding shares of International Leisure.
An east tower extension with 620 rooms was completed in 1975 at a cost of $20 million. In 1977, the hotel opened the Hilton Pavilion, a $7.5-million venue for sports and entertainment events, with a seating capacity of up to 5,000 people. A $23-million expansion added another 644 rooms to the north tower in 1979.
1981 fire
On the night of February 10, 1981, a major fire occurred at the Hilton. Philip Bruce Cline, a hotel busboy who was under the influence of drugs, set fire to a curtain in an elevator lobby on the eighth floor of the east tower. The fire spread to the exterior of the tower and then traveled up to the top of the building within 25 minutes. Eight people were killed, and approximately 350 were injured, including 48 firefighters. Among the victims treated for smoke inhalation was singer Natalie Cole.
Cline was convicted in 1982 of arson and murder, and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Hilton and other companies involved in the hotel paid a $23 million settlement to victims. The tragedy, in combination with the MGM Grand fire that had occurred months earlier, inspired major changes to Nevada's fire safety regulations.
1981-2012
Around the end of 1981, another extension to the north tower was completed, adding 391 rooms at a cost of $21 million. This made the Las Vegas Hilton the largest hotel in the world, with a total of 3,174 rooms. (The Rossiya Hotel in Moscow had more rooms, but was not deemed to be a larger hotel by the Guinness Book of World Records because many of its rooms were used as dormitories.) It held this title until 1990, when it was surpassed by the Flamingo.
In 1984, the hotel completed construction of the $10-million Hilton Center, a 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m2) convention and event space at the southwest corner of the property, west of the Hilton Pavilion.
In 1986, amid growing popularity of sports betting in Nevada, the Hilton opened the Superbook, the world's largest race and sports book, at a cost of $17 million.
In 1991, the Hilton was at the center of the Tailhook scandal, in which numerous United States Navy officers were accused of acts of sexual assault during a convention at the hotel.
The hotel completed a new 362-foot (110 m), $4-million marquee sign in 1994. Later that year, however, it was partially destroyed by a windstorm. The sign was reconstructed in 1997 for $9 million with a reduced height of 279 feet (85 m), making it the world's tallest free-standing advertising sign.
In 1995, the Hilton completed a $40-million renovation of its penthouse floor to construct three "Sky Villas" for high-end casino guests. The hotel also spent $12 million on a new room for baccarat, a favorite game of Asian "high roller" gamblers. The Hilton at the time was one of only four Las Vegas casinos able to compete for the business of the "whales", the top tier of high rollers.
In 1998, Hilton spun off its casino properties, including the Las Vegas Hilton, as Park Place Entertainment.
Hilton's timeshare arm, Hilton Grand Vacations, began construction of a complex at the northeast corner of the property in 1998. It opened in 1999 with 230 suites.
Around 1999, Park Place began seeking a buyer for the Las Vegas Hilton, because the company hoped to concentrate on its properties on the Las Vegas Strip, especially the newly acquired Caesars Palace. In 2000, Park Place agreed to sell the Hilton to Edward Roski Jr. for $365 million. Roski planned to transform the Hilton to shift its focus away from high rollers and toward convention attendees. The deal fell through, however, and the property was locked up in litigation between Park Place and Roski until 2003, when they settled their claims against each other.
In June 2004, Caesars Entertainment (formerly Park Place) sold the Las Vegas Hilton to Colony Capital for $280 million. Colony partnered in the purchase with Goldman Sachs, which also lent $200 million of the purchase price. In 2005, the Hilton was placed under the banner of Colony's newly formed casino affiliate, Resorts International Holdings, which was headquartered at the property.
The Hilton prospered in its first few years under Colony's management, but began losing money in the face of the Great Recession and an oversupply of hotel rooms in Las Vegas. In June 2011, the Hilton began defaulting on payments to Goldman Sachs on the loan. The same month, Hilton Worldwide opted to terminate its franchise agreement with the property, effective at the end of the year.
Goldman Sachs issued a foreclosure notice in September 2011. At Goldman's request, a court appointed a receiver to take control of the property.
LVH (2012-2014)
On January 3, 2012, the Las Vegas Hilton became the LVH-Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, as the contract to use the Hilton brand ended.
Colony Capital initially tried to fight against foreclosure of the property, but ultimately concluded that its equity in the LVH was worthless, and agreed to let the foreclosure proceed. Goldman Sachs formed a joint venture with Gramercy Capital to acquire the property. They bought the property at its foreclosure auction in October 2012, where they were the only bidder. The Navegante Group was retained to manage the LVH on their behalf.
In 2013, the LVH affiliated with the Leo Hotel Collection, a network of independent hotels newly created by Red Lion Hotels.
Westgate Las Vegas (2014-present)
On June 30, 2014, timeshare developer Westgate Resorts bought the LVH from Goldman and Gramercy for a price between $150 and $170 million. Westgate CEO David Siegel was hoisted to the top of the hotel's sign the following day to begin removing the letters "LVH" to make way for the property's new name, Westgate Las Vegas. Siegel stated that the company would spend at least $160 million on renovations, and that it would begin converting hotel rooms into timeshare units. According to Siegel, the timeshare conversion would take 15 to 20 years, and, even after its completion, at least 30 percent of the units would remain available as hotel rooms at any given time.
Westgate retained Paragon Gaming to replace Navegante as the property's manager in 2015.
Maps Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
Entertainment
International Theater
The property's main entertainment venue is the 1,607-seat International Theater. The venue hosts Barry Manilow's residency show, The Hits Come Home, and Soundtrack, a co-headlining residency show by singers Clint Holmes and Earl Turner. Both shows began in 2018.
One of the most famous engagements at the hotel was that of singer and pianist Liberace. A longtime mainstay of Las Vegas showrooms, Liberace debuted at the Hilton in 1972, and began appearing regularly in 1973. He performed in the showroom for as many as 17 weeks out of the year, earning as much as $175,000 per week. Liberace's shows were known for his flamboyant costumes and for his being driven onstage in a Rolls Royce limousine. He appeared at the Hilton as late as 1982. Hilton chairman Barron Hilton remembered Liberace as "one of the most popular entertainers ever to grace the stage of the Las Vegas Hilton showroom."
Singer Wayne Newton, another longtime Las Vegas star, headlined the Hilton showroom from 1987 to 1993. By the end of his run, he was performing there twenty weeks out of the year, and was described as the highest-paid entertainer on the Las Vegas Strip. Newton's shows were known for beginning with him descending onto the stage in a spaceship amid a laser show. He made over 950 performances in total.
In 1993, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Starlight Express opened in the main theater. The Hilton Showroom was renamed as the Hilton Theatre, and underwent a $12-million renovation to add bridges and embankments to accommodate the show, which features performers on roller skates. The opening of the show was cited as part of a trend in Las Vegas toward family-friendly attractions and away from individual headliner acts. The show was signed to a five-year contract, but closed early in 1997 amid lagging ticket sales.
In the early 2000s, the theater kept a rotating stable of headliners who each performed for ten weeks out of the year, including at times The Commodores, The Righteous Brothers, Sheena Easton, The Fab Four, Engelbert Humperdinck, and The Smothers Brothers.
Manilow began an extended run at the Hilton in 2005. His engagement was an early example of the trend of major recording artists establishing residency shows in Las Vegas, which was begun by Celine Dion in 2003. His show began as Manilow: Music and Passion, and was then revamped in 2008 as Ultimate Manilow: The Hits. The show ended in 2009.
During the summer of 2006, Reba McEntire performed her residency show, Reba: Key to the Heart, which ran for five non-consecutive weeks.
In July 2011, 10-year-old singer Ethan Bortnick performed at the Hilton, becoming the youngest headline performer in Las Vegas.
Purple Reign, a Prince tribute show, previously ran at the International Theater. The classic rock tribute show Raiding the Rock Vault opened at the LVH in 2013.
Westgate Cabaret
Smaller shows are hosted in the 400-seat Westgate Cabaret. This venue hosts the adult revue Sexxy, running since 2014, and, since 2018, comedian George Wallace and magician Jen Kramer.
Starting in the 1990s, the venue was known as The NightClub. Combining elements of a dance club and a traditional Las Vegas lounge, it helped pave the way for dance clubs to open in many Las Vegas casinos. It was renamed as the Shimmer Cabaret in 2004 when the Hilton came under the ownership of Colony Capital. In 2015, after the hotel was purchased by Westgate, the room was given its current name.
Previous headliners at the Westgate Cabaret include impressionist Greg London, funk band Cameo, and comedian Vinnie Favorito.
Star Trek: The Experience
In January 1998, Star Trek: The Experience opened. The casino added a space-themed casino, Space Quest, complete with high-tech table games. It served as the gateway to The Experience. Sometime prior to the summer of 2007 the casino was redone to largely remove the space theme.
On March 18, 2004, a new Borg Invasion 4-D ride was added.
On September 2008, Star Trek: The Experience closed and was completely dismantled the following January. It was planned to be moved to the Neonopolis mall, but as of 2011 it has not opened, and most props and costumes that were displayed have since been sold. Plans for the relocation have since been abandoned. Despite the closure, several of the "spaceship-style" wall panels in the Hilton installed for the experience are still there. On October 25, 2016 the Miss Grand International 2016 pageant was held in this arena.
Elvis performances and legacy
Elvis Presley was signed for a four-week engagement in 1969 as the second performer to appear in the International's showroom, following Barbra Streisand. It would be his first public stage appearance in eight years. Presley's first show proved so popular that the hotel immediately signed him to a five-year contract for two month-long engagements per year. He would go on to perform a total of 636 shows at the hotel from 1969 to 1976, with every show sold out. Presley's run of performances at the Hilton was cut short by his death in August 1977.
During his engagements at the hotel, Presley famously resided in the 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) Imperial Suite on the 30th floor. Years after his death, the suite was renamed as the Elvis Presley Suite. It was demolished in 1994 to make way for new high-roller villas.
Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, lived at the Hilton for several years after Presley's death, and was a fixture at the hotel as an entertainment consultant for much of the remainder of his life.
The hotel has recognized and capitalized on Presley's legacy in assorted ways through the years. A year after his death, a bronze statute of Presley was unveiled at the hotel; it has since occupied various spots around the property. Various festivals and conventions for Elvis fans and impersonators have been held at the hotel.
Elvis: An American Musical, a multimedia production incorporating archival footage with live songs and re-enactments, premiered at the Hilton showroom in 1988, where it ran for two months before going on a national tour. Elvis impersonator Trent Carlini performed at the Hilton in various runs, both on the main stage and in the cabaret, from 2000 to 2004 and again from 2010 to 2015.
"Elvis: The Exhibition" opened at the Westgate in April 2015 in the former Star Trek attraction space. The exhibit, developed in association with Elvis Presley Enterprises, featured 28,000 square feet (2,600 m2) of artifacts and memorabilia from the singer's life. In conjunction with the opening of the exhibit, the hotel's theater was renamed as the Elvis Presley International Showroom, and was set to feature rotating shows inspired by Presley, starting with The Elvis Experience. The show fared poorly in its two-month run, however, and the plans for further shows did not materialize. The exhibition closed suddenly in February 2016, leading to a protracted legal dispute.
In 2016, the Westgate successfully petitioned to rename the street leading from the hotel to Las Vegas Boulevard as Elvis Presley Boulevard.
Popular culture
Television
- Perry Como, Las Vegas Style, a 1976 NBC special starring singer Perry Como, was recorded at the Hilton.
- The game show Let's Make a Deal filmed its 1976-77 season in the Hilton Theatre.
- The Mrs. America pageant was televised from the hotel annually from 1977 to 1983, in 1986, 1987, 1996, and 1997, and from 2015 to 2017.
- Liberace recorded parts of two CBS television specials, 1978's Leapin' Lizards, It's Liberace and 1979's Liberace - A Valentine's Special, and the 1980 Showtime special, Liberace in Las Vegas, at the Hilton.
- The CBS New Year's Eve special, Happy New Year, America, was anchored at the Hilton's Grand Ballroom in 1979 and 1980, and included segments at the Hilton in 1981 and 1982.
- In 1980, singer Lou Rawls starred in two specials recorded at the Hilton, An Evening with Lou Rawls on HBO and The Lou Rawls Parade of Stars on CBS.
- On May 2, 1982 the National Cable Television Association held its annual convention in the ballroom of the Hilton for the inaugural telecast of The Weather Channel.
- Wayne Newton Live in Concert, a 1989 pay-per-view special, was aired live from the Hilton theater.
- Two episodes of Roseanne were taped here in 1991.
- Prime Time Country, a nightly talk show on The Nashville Network, came to the Hilton theater four times between 1997 and 1999, recording a week's worth of episodes on each occasion.
- The Oak Ridge Boys Live, a variety show starring country music group The Oak Ridge Boys that ran for one season on the Nashville Network, was taped over the span of two weeks in the Hilton Theatre in 1998.
- Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular, an FX variety show that ran for one season starting in 1998, recorded some of its episodes at the Hilton theater.
- In 1998, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2013, Wheel of Fortune was taped on location at the Las Vegas Hilton Theater.
- In 2001, the game show Jeopardy! taped two weeks of episodes in the Hilton theater, comprising one week of Celebrity Jeopardy! and one week of International Jeopardy!
- The Entertainer, a 2005 reality competition series on the E! network starring Wayne Newton, was set primarily at the Hilton, with contestants living in the Sky Villas.
- The 2006 PBS special Barry Manilow: Music and Passion was filmed during one of the singer's shows at the Hilton.
- Louis Theroux: Gambling in Las Vegas is a 2007 BBC documentary filmed mainly at the casino. It studies the lifestyle and merits of gambling and follows several of the hotel's regulars.
- The 37th and 38th Daytime Emmy Awards ceremonies were held in the Hilton's theater in 2010 and 2011.
Film
- In August 1970, it was the setting for the stage segment of Elvis Presley's concert documentary Elvis - That's The Way It Is.
- The hotel was used as the infamous "Whyte House" casino in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever.
- The hotel was also featured extensively toward the end of the movie Over the Top.
- Other notable appearances include the movie Indecent Proposal.
Music
- The Hilton is the setting of the song "Home on Monday" by the Little River Band on their album Diamantina Cocktail, starting with the lyrics, "Can you guess where I'm calling from? The Las Vegas Hilton."
Video games
- The Hilton becomes the target of a terrorist bombing in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2.
Sporting events
The Hilton Pavilion was the site in 1978 of Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks, where Spinks defeated Ali for the World Heavyweight Championship. In 1985, Donald Curry defeated Milton McCrory at the Hilton Center to unify and become the Undisputed Welterweight Champion. The success of the Curry-McCrory fight led the Hilton to begin pursuing more major matches, to challenge Caesars Palace as the premier boxing venue in Las Vegas. In 1987, the Hilton Center was the site of Mike Tyson vs. Tony Tucker, in which Tyson defeated Tucker to unify and become the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. By 1995, the Hilton had reportedly backed away from seeking to host the biggest fights, because of escalating costs.
The hotel was the venue for Evo 2014, a major competitive video gaming tournament.
Gallery
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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