Lotus Inn and Casino, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Venue History

Located at 1213 South Las Vegas Boulevard, the Lotus Inn & Casino emerged during the vibrant motel-and-casino boom of the 1960s and early 1970s along the Las Vegas Strip. According to historic listings, the property appears under the “Lotus Inn” name beginning around 1964 and continued into the 1980s. The Lotus Inn & Casino offered a unique blend of low-rise motel lodging, casino gaming, and roadside appeal, making it a typical example of independent Strip-era enterprises that catered to budget-conscious visitors. Its signage and branding included Asian motif references—the name “Lotus” and stylized characters appeared on the marquee—providing a distinctive look to stand out alongside larger resorts. On-site dining was also part of the mix: the postcard archive and motel listings show a “Sambo’s Restaurant” at the 1213 address, tied to the Lotus Inn marquee during the late 1960s. In its casino iteration, the Lotus Inn included slot machines and likely table games (though full documentation of its gaming license is limited). Its smaller scale placed it in the “neighborhood motel‐casino” category rather than the mega-resort class. It served the evolving Strip market at a time when independent lodging and play options co-existed with expanding resorts. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the property underwent branding changes. According to listings, the “Lotus Inn” name persisted until about 1985, after which the location was listed as “Monte Carlo Motel” in the 1979 phone directory. Later transformations of the address eventually led to incorporation into larger developments. The site thus provides a case study in how mid-century motels and gaming operations were absorbed, re-branded or replaced as Las Vegas matured. While Lotus Inn & Casino did not reach the legendary status of some Strip icons, its legacy lies in representing an era of independent motel-casino entrepreneurship, colorful roadside branding, and the transitional landscape of Las Vegas as it shifted from roadside lodging to integrated resort entertainment. Its presence reminds us that the Strip’s history includes many small, character-rich properties that helped pave the way for the larger resorts that followed. Today, the former Lotus Inn & Casino property is home to Super 8 by Wyndham.