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Casino Times
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Articles
17 August 2006
Las Vegas Hotels -
Hilton
The Las Vegas Hilton is
not located directly on the Strip but its expansiveness and
presence is felt way down the Strip. The Las Vegas Hilton is
the largest Hilton hotel in the world.
The Las Vegas Hilton is
undoubtedly one of the most impressive entertainment resorts
in the area of the Las Vegas Strip. While it is not located
directly on the Strip, its presence and influence is
certainly felt all the way down this exciting area of the
world. The Las Vegas Hilton is one of the largest hotel and
casino resorts in the area and is the Hilton's largest
hotel. The hotel boasts 3,174 rooms and is located on 80
acres of land with a 100,000 square foot casino
complex.
The hotel was built in
1969 by Kirk Kerkorian, a famous Nevada billionaire.
Kerkorian is known for his expansive purchases of land of
the Las Vegas Strip and subsequent selling off to investors
wishing to purchase land for hotels. The hotel opened up
under the name of the International Hotel and was, at the
time, the largest hotel in world.
The hotel's fame spread in
the very early days because of the superb performances which
were held at the complex. The opening night saw Barbara
Streisand performing and she continued to provide
entertainment at the hotel for a number of weeks. Following
Streisand's engagement, King of Rock 'n Roll, Elvis Presley,
took the stage and wooed the overflowing complex's audience
with 58 consecutive sold-out shows. Presley managed to break
all previously held Vegas records by attracting 130,157
customers in a one-month period. Presley continued to
perform at the Las Vegas Hilton on a regular basis, always
breaking his previous records – February 1970, August
1970, August 1972 and so on, until his final performance in
December 1976.
In 1971, International
Hotel was sold to the Hilton Hotel's Corporation and was
renamed the Las Vegas Hilton. Due to the growing popularity
and demand for more accommodation on the Strip, the Hilton
added on two more towers to cater for the need – the
east tower in 1975 and the north tower in 1978. One of the
hotel's major features is the race and sportsbook which was
added in 1996. The sportsbook is said to be the largest in
Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Hilton has
also had its share of problems with fires and collapsing
signs. On 11th February 1981, a fire broke out in the
entertainment complex, ironically while modern fire safety
equipment was being installed. The fire was well-controlled
due to experience gained in a similar fire a few months
previously at the MGM Grand Mirage. This fire only cost the
lives of 8 patrons, compared to 85 who died in the MGM's
fire. In July 1994, the hotel's famous sign collapsed in a
severe windstorm and was rebuilt a few years
later.
The hotel is now one of
the major attractions in the Strip area, currently featuring
signature shows such as Barry Manilow and Star Trek: The
Experience.
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Also see:
Las
Vegas Hotels - Caesars
Palace
One of the most impressive and famous hotels on the Las
Vegas Strip is the Caesars Palace. A brief history of this
stupendous hotel.
Las
Vegas History. The Story Of
Vegas
How a tiny desert town turned into the ultimate gambling
Mecca.
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