20th Century Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Description

20th Century Hotel & Casino was a short-lived yet intriguing property on Tropicana Avenue, operating from May 1977 to January 1979. Born from a former Howard Johnson’s motel (opened in 1973), the 300-room, mid-century-style resort aimed to capture the zeitgeist of its eponymous era. It featured a pool, casino floor, buffet dining, cocktail lounge, and live entertainment—typical cocktail-hour fare to evoke a sense of classically modern glamor. A New York investment group led by Andrew DeLillo purchased and rechristened the property in 1977. However, the venture struggled to establish a foothold amid a competitive Strip landscape filled with megaresorts. In January 1979, Herb Ross—owner of downtown’s Golden Goose and Coin Castle—became the new proprietor and rebranded the site as the Treasury Hotel & Casino, switching to a country-western theme. Under subsequent owners, including former NFL football player Gerry Philbin in 1982, the property briefly operated as a hotel only, with the casino shuttered due to licensing issues; it eventually entered bankruptcy. In 1985, the DeLillo family regained ownership and rebranded as the Pacifica Hotel, later becoming the Polynesian Hotel. Though its time as the 20th Century Hotel & Casino lasted under two years, the property’s meteoric series of reinventions reflects the volatile nature of mid‑to‑late‑20th‑century Las Vegas on the cusp of corporatization. Situated at 115 E Tropicana, it stands as a testament to the Strip’s ability to morph rapidly—daring thematic experiments and rebranding efforts to capture ever‑shifting tourist tastes. Today the property is home to OYO Hotel & Casino