Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Ladies Cotton Tee

Venue History

In 1970 and 1971, owner Kirk Kerkorian sold his shares of International Leisure to Hilton Hotels, and the International Hotel and Casino was renamed the Las Vegas Hilton in July 1971. Hilton took full ownership in 1972. Initially, the hotel performed inconsistently, but it soon became the most successful hotel in Las Vegas under Hilton’s management. Expansions included a 620-room east tower extension completed in 1975, the addition of the Hilton Pavilion in 1977 for sports and entertainment events, and another expansion to the north tower adding 644 rooms. A major fire occurred at the hotel on February 10, 1981, set by a hotel busboy named Philip Bruce Cline. The fire spread quickly, resulting in eight deaths and 350 injuries. The hotel reopened nine days later with partial capacity. Cline was convicted of arson and murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The fire led to changes in Nevada’s fire safety regulations. Another north tower extension was completed by the end of 1981, making it the world’s largest hotel with 3,174 rooms, a title it held until 1990. In 1984, the Hilton Center, a convention and event space, was completed, and in 1986, the Superbook, a race and sports book, opened, highlighting Nevada’s growing interest in sports betting. In 1998, Hilton spun off its casino properties into Park Place Entertainment. Around 1999, Park Place sought to sell the Las Vegas Hilton to focus on the Las Vegas Strip, leading to an attempted sale to Edward Roski Jr. for $365 million. However, the deal failed and resulted in litigation until 2003. In 2004, Caesars Entertainment sold the hotel to Colony Capital for $280 million, with Goldman Sachs as a partner. The Hilton came under Colony’s management, but faced financial difficulties during the Great Recession, leading to defaulted loan payments in June 2011. Consequently, Hilton Worldwide terminated its franchise agreement with the property. A foreclosure notice was issued by Goldman Sachs in September 2011, with a court appointing a receiver to manage the property. The Las Vegas Hilton closed in 2012 and today the property is home to Westgate Las Vegas.