Desert Inn Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Venue History

Opened on April 24, 1950, Desert Inn hotel and casino was located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It was the Strip’s fifth resort, located between Desert Inn Road and Sands Avenue. Initially, the Desert Inn had 300 rooms, the Sky Room restaurant, and a 2,400 square foot casino, one of the largest in Nevada at the time. The nine-story St. Andrews Tower was added in 1963, and the 14-story Augusta Tower became the main tower in 1978, alongside the seven-story Wimbledon Tower. The Palms Tower was built in 1997 during the final renovation. Desert Inn was the first resort to feature a fountain at its entrance, and Frank Sinatra made his Las Vegas debut there in 1951, becoming its regular performer. The property featured an 18-hole golf course and hosted the PGA Tour Tournament of Champions from 1953 to 1966. After undergoing a $200 million renovation in 1997, Steve Wynn bought Desert Inn in 2000 for $270 million. The Desert Inn closed on August 28, 2000, and shortly thereafter all but two of its towers were demolished. In 2002, construction began on Wynn Las Vegas. Two remaining Desert Inn towers were imploded in 2004 to make way for Wynn’s other property, Encore Las Vegas. The Desert Inn golf course remains and is now part of the Wynn resort.