On Tuesday, July 2 the Westgate Resort & Casino celebrates 55 years in Las Vegas. In 1969, it opened as the International Hotel and became the Las Vegas Hilton in 1971. In 2012, they lost the Hilton branding and it was known as LVH (Las Vegas Hotel and Casino). Since 2014, it has been the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
The Westgate is not on the Las Vegas Strip. It is next to the Las Vegas Convention Center on Paradise Road. They currently have 2,956 rooms and suites in a 30-story Y-shaped hotel tower. Many rooms have been converted into timeshare units. Some consider the International as Las Vegas’ first “megaresort”.
They have a full casino with the latest slot and video poker machines. The casino pit features many of the most popular table games, including Black Jack, Craps, Roulette, Pai Gow Poker and more. They have a poker room and they use the WOW (World of Westgate) players card.
A highlight of this resort is the sportsbook, known as the SuperBook. The Westgate claims it is the world’s largest, but Circa Resort & Casino makes the same claim with their sportsbook. To solve this, just say the Westgate SuperBook is the world’s largest race and sportsbook (Circa does not have a racebook). Problem solved.
The Westgate has many dining options, including Edge Steakhouse, Fresco Italiano, Sid’s Cafe, Fresh Buffet, a food court and more. Since 1974, Benihana Village continues to operate at the resort.
The first entertainer to perform in the 1,607 seat International Theater was Barbara Streisand in 1969. From 1969 to 1976 Elvis Presley performed 636 consecutive sold-out shows at the resort. A bronze statue of Presley was unveiled at the resort in 1978, a year after his death.
Other performers over the years have included, Liberace, Wayne Newton, The Commodores, Sheena Easton, Engelbert Humperdinck, Reba McEntire and many more. Since 2018, the theater hosts Barry Manilow’s residency show, The Hits Come Home.
From 1998 to 2008, Star Trek: The Experience operated in the resort. It had a motion simulated ride, museum and Quark’s Bar. They also transformed a portion of the casino floor into the SpaceQuest Casino.
In 2016, the Westgate successfully petitioned to rename the street leading from the hotel to Las Vegas Boulevard as Elvis Presley Boulevard. The Las Vegas Monorail has a station at the Westgate and the Las Vegas Loop will have a underground Tesla shuttle service station at the resort, projected to open in late 2024/early 2025.
Happy 55th Anniversary to the Westgate Resort & Casino. A true Las Vegas legend!
Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino address: 3000 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas