“Ready, Aim, Fire”. And, in under ten seconds, another iconic building in Las Vegas is no more. That’s how Sin City discards its old buildings to create a new look. When buildings get old in Las Vegas, not all of them get renovated. They get imploded. The controlled demolitions happen under the watchful eyes of party enthusiasts and live television streaming worldwide. Already, at least fifteen Las Vegas hotels have been imploded since 1993. Here are ten of them: –
1. The Dunes Hotel & Casino, 1993
The Dunes Hotel & Casino was the first hotel to undergo an implosion in Las Vegas. The decision for the controlled demolition came after Steve Wynn’s Mirage Resort bought the hotel for $75 million. The new owners wanted to make room for the construction of the Bellagio Resort. The highly publicized demolition included a six-minute fireworks show and fanfare on a faux pirate ship at the newly opened Treasure Island resort.
2. Landmark Hotel & Casino, 1995
Established in 1969, the Landmark Hotel & Casino underwent bankruptcy in 1990 after failing to keep up with competition from upcoming mega-resorts. In 1995, the building was imploded. Its implosion was quite spectacular. The alien movie Mars Attacks used the footage in one of its scenes. Today, the space formerly occupied by Landmark Hotel is an overflow parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center.
3. The Sands Hotel & Casino, 1996
Since Sands Hotel & Casino opened in 1952, several famous entertainers, including Jerry Lewis, Rat Pack, and Frank Sinatra, have held their electric performances here. Over the years, the ownership of this seventh iconic fixture on the Las Vegas Strip changed hands several times. Finally, when Sheldon Adelson and his partners bought the property, he opted to demolish it and build a new resort. In turn, the Sands Hotel was imploded and demolished in 1996. Today, the majestic Venice-inspired Venetian Resort Las Vegas stands tall in its place.
4. The Hacienda Hotel, 1996
Hacienda Hotel was imploded on December 31, 1996, to make way for the construction of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. The New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacle coincided with the East Coast celebrations, attracting up to half a million spectators. The 4-minute fireworks that brought down the 900-room, 11-story hotel were broadcast live on Fox Network and other local media stations.
5. Aladdin Las Vegas Hotel, 1998
Aladdin Las Vegas Hotel began operating in 1962. It’s here that Elvis Presley married Priscilla in 1967. Then, after 36 years, the old resort put up a sign saying, “Out of the dust Aladdin rises anew. See you in 2000”, signaling its upcoming demolition. After the 1998 implosion, a new Aladdin hotel was opened in 2000. However, the hotel ran into financial difficulties. In 2003, Planet Hollywood bought the ailing resort and renamed it Planet Hollywood Las Vegas.
6. Desert Inn Hotel, 2001
Desert Inn Hotel was an internationally recognized resort whose implosion was in 2001 and 2004. The hotel had a rich history, including its purchase by billionaire Howard Hughes in 1966. Howard had been asked to check out of the penthouse to give room for New Year’s Eve preparations. Instead, he opted to buy the hotel and extended his stay by four years. When Steve Wynn had purchased the resort from Starwood for a whopping $270 million, he demolished it and planned to build his “Le Reve” resort. Today, Wynn Las Vegas and the Encore stand at the space formerly occupied by Desert Inn Hotel.
7. Castaways Hotel and Casino, 2006
Castaways Hotel and Casino was established in the 1930s on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel featured a casino, restaurant, and showroom with 228 rooms. It underwent several expansions and buyouts due to financial difficulties. Finally, the Castaways Hotel and Casino wrapped up operations in 2004. The hotel was imploded in 2006. Today, Showboat Park Apartments, a luxurious gated community on Fremont Street, thrives on the space left by the resort.
8. New Frontier Hotel, 2007
The New Frontier Hotel was the second iconic hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Here, Elvis Presley held his first-ever Las Vegas performance in 1956. Its controlled implosion was on November 13, 2007, 65 years after its construction, closing the curtains on the Hughes-era casinos. In 2017, Wynn Resorts announced its intentions to buy the 34-acre empty lot and expand its investments on the Las Vegas Strip. Wynn plans to build Paradise Park as an extension of its golf course resort.
9. Clarion Hotel and Casino, 2015
Clarion Hotel and Casino has had numerous name changes and filings for bankruptcy over its 50 years of existence. Hence, its demolition on February 10, 2015, at 3 a.m. was no surprise. The implosion was to make way for a 60-story hotel with no casino. And, despite using more than 4,000 pounds of explosives, the blasts failed to bring down the elevator core. Today, the construction of the $850 million Majestic Las Vegas resort is underway. Its completion and launch are scheduled for 2024.
10. Riviera Hotel and Casino, 2016
The demolition of the 60-year-old, 24-story Riviera Hotel and Casino was in two folds. First, on June 14, 2016, the Riviera Monte Carlo Tower came tumbling down. Then, the Riviera Monaco Tower followed suit on August 16, 2016. The initial plan was to replace the old resort with a series of outdoor exhibitions and parking areas for the Las Vegas Convention Center. Today, the space belongs to a real estate developer who is yet to build his planned new hotel and retail complex.
