Glass Pool Inn, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Description

Glass Pool Inn was one of the most memorable and unconventional motels on the Las Vegas Strip, celebrated for its bold roadside presence and unmistakably vintage Vegas character. Located at 4613 South Las Vegas Boulevard, the property originally opened in 1952 as the Mirage Motel, at a time when the southern end of the Strip was still sparsely developed. In 1953, the motel was purchased by Bob and Betty Rosoff, whose family would become closely identified with the property for decades. What transformed the modest motor court into a Las Vegas landmark was the addition of its now-famous pool in 1955. Elevated above ground and fitted with large porthole-style glass windows, the pool allowed passing motorists and pedestrians to see swimmers underwater from the street. It was a brilliant piece of visual marketing—playful, cheeky, and perfectly suited to a city built on spectacle. Long before mega-resorts dominated Las Vegas Boulevard, the Mirage Motel had already mastered the art of catching attention. The motel also made its mark in film. It appeared in the opening scenes of Casino (1995), while its pool took center stage in Leaving Las Vegas (1995), where Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue shared a memorable underwater kiss. The property continued to draw filmmakers, hosting shoots for Luckytown in January 2000 and the Hong Kong feature Second Time Around in March 2001. Over the years, the venue also appeared in countless TV shows. For more than three decades, the property operated under the Mirage name. Then, in 1988, it was renamed Glass Pool Inn after Steve Wynn purchased the Mirage name in preparation for opening his new resort. The new name preserved the motel’s strongest claim to fame while marking the beginning of its final chapter. By then, Glass Pool Inn had developed a reputation that extended far beyond its size. It was known not only as a quirky Strip motel, but also as a rough-edged, adult-oriented relic of old Las Vegas. Its pool and exterior made it a favorite filming location, and the property appeared in movies, television productions, music videos, and photo shoots. The motel closed in September 2003 and was demolished in 2004 but Glass Pool Inn remains an enduring symbol of independent, offbeat Las Vegas. It’s fondly remembered for its glass-walled pool, its long life as the Mirage Motel, and its singular place in Strip history. Today the property stands as an empty, undeveloped plot, but based on 2025 reports, the property was acquired by Waterton and The NRP Group for the development of South Valley Apartments with scheduled completion in 2028.