International Hotel, Las Vegas, Bella Ladies V-Neck Tee

Venue History

The hotel site, originally part of the Las Vegas Park racetrack, was purchased in 1965 by National Equities, a real estate development firm led by Marvin Kratter. Kratter planned a 1,500-room hotel, a golf course, and private homes but did not proceed with the hotel himself. Kirk Kerkorian, chairman of Trans International Airlines, then bought a 65.5-acre portion of the site in 1967 for $5 million, intending to build a 1,510-room, 30-story hotel at a $50 million cost. Some saw this as risky since the site was away from the Las Vegas Strip, but Kerkorian believed the hotel would create a “second Strip” on Paradise Road. Kerkorian’s hotel, named the International Hotel, matched the name of Kratter’s International Country Club. He acquired the Flamingo casino as a training ground for staff and formed International Leisure to own both casinos. Meanwhile, Howard Hughes, an eccentric billionaire with several Las Vegas casinos, viewed Kerkorian as a competitor. Hughes tried, unsuccessfully, to deter the construction through expansions of his Sands Hotel and false claims about nuclear test damage. Later, Hughes attempted to buy and stop the project but failed. Instead, Hughes bought and completed the unfinished Landmark Hotel and Casino across from the International, opening it a day before Kerkorian’s hotel. The International Hotel opened on July 2, 1969, as Nevada’s tallest building and largest hotel. Bill Miller, entertainment director, signed Barbra Streisand and Peggy Lee for performances. On July 31, 1969, Elvis Presley started his seven-year run of 636 consecutive sold-out shows, disappointing many performers who previously worked at the International. By late 1969, Kerkorian needed $29 million to pay off loans for stakes in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Western Airlines. He tried a stock offering, which the SEC rejected due to insufficient financial history from the Flamingo. This left Kerkorian financially strained, leading him to sell International Leisure shares in 1971 to Hilton Hotels, which renamed the property Las Vegas Hilton in July 1971. Hilton acquired full ownership in 1972. Today, the property is home of Westgate Las Vegas.