Bonanza Lodge, Las Vegas, Bella Ladies V-Neck Tee

Venue History

The Bonanza Lodge Motel, located at 1808 Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, was a modest but meaningful example of mid-century motel lodging in the city’s historic gaming district. It opened in 1947, during the era when Fremont Street was still evolving into the “Glitter Gulch” of neon-lit casinos. In its early years the Bonanza Lodge operated as a small independent motor court, offering travelers simple guest rooms, on-site parking, and proximity to the growing entertainment and gambling scene of downtown Las Vegas. The property’s neon sign, which featured prominently by the mid-1950s, became a visual marker of the motel’s presence in the evolving streetscape. Over time, the Bonanza Lodge became part of a broader trend of reinvention in Las Vegas as small motels and lodges were absorbed into larger redevelopment schemes. By the late 20th century, the property’s identity had shifted, and in 2014 it was merged with the neighboring Purple Sage Motel and re-branded as the “Sterling Gardens” property. Though the Bonanza Lodge never reached the scale or fame of major Strip resorts, its legacy lies in its representation of downtown Las Vegas lodging during a transitional era. It catered to motorists and visitors seeking affordable, convenient accommodations within walking distance of Fremont Street’s neon canopy and historic casinos. Its existence underscores the layered lodging landscape of Las Vegas: from roadside motor courts to tourist mega-resorts, each stage played a role. In the photographic archive, the Bonanza Lodge’s signage continues to draw interest from historians of Las Vegas architecture and neon culture. One 1986 slide of the motel’s neon sign is preserved in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Special Collections. While the physical structure of the original Bonanza Lodge has undergone change and re-branding, the site at 1808 Fremont remains part of downtown Las Vegas’s built-history narrative. For those researching lodging, neon signage, and independent motels of early Las Vegas, the Bonanza Lodge offers a tangible touchpoint in the city’s evolution. Today, the property remains home to Sterling Gardens Hotel.