El Cortez Hotel & Casino Photos, Tips and Details:
The El Cortez & Hotel Casino is “vintage” Las Vegas in a good way. It opened in 1941 and Bugsy Siegel was part owner before he took over the Flamingo Hotel project. The hotel has 364 rooms and suites and the theme is “Western/Ranch”.
On April 1, 2022 the El Cortez became a 21-and-older-resort. This includes the hotel, casino and restaurants.
This hotel is one block from the Fremont Street Experience and one block from Container Park. It is located in the Fremont East Entertainment District. Several years ago, this area was very “sketchy”. That is no longer the case.
The El Cortez features almost 900 of the latest slot and video poker machines and many older ones that still take coins. In February, 2025 they completed a $20 million 10,000 square-foot casino expansion.
Table limits in the casino pit are some of the lowest in Las Vegas. Games include Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, 3-Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em and more. Tip: The El Cortez casino has some of the best (if not the best) odds in Las Vegas.
They have a High-Limit Slot Lounge with 43 gaming machines and a dedicated high limit table games room. The Race & Sports Book is operated by Station Casinos.
Tip: When gaming in the casino pit you can ask a Pit Boss to get you an ice cold beer. This is the only casino that offers this. They keep the beers on ice in the casino pit. They use the Club Cortez players card and are owned by Kenny Epstein.
The dining options include:
- Beers & Dogs (American)
- Eureka! (American)
- Hot Noods (Asian)
- Siegel’s 1941 (American) Tip: Great Prime Rib and other specials offered daily.
- Starbucks (American)
- Sushi Ichiban (Japanese)
They have several bars, including Roulette Bar, Lobby Bar, Parlour Bar & Lounge High Limit Bar and Show Bar that is equipped with a 20-foot video screen for sports and music videos, and a stage for live entertainment.
Tip: Be sure to look at the displays near the Club Cortez booth to see some Las Vegas history. The casino was remodeled in 2016, 2021 and 2024 and is as “old” Vegas as it gets (in a good way).
Fun Fact: In 1941, the El Cortez was built for $245,000 and was Downtown Las Vegas’ first major resort. Most of the exterior remains in its original 1941 condition. In 2013 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Free valet and self parking for hotel guests and visitors that gamble, dine or shop. See the Club Cortez booth for details. RTC Bus Route: DEUCE
El Cortez Hotel & Casino address: 600 E Fremont St, Las Vegas
