Royal Palms Motel, Las Vegas, Bella Ladies V-Neck Tee

Venue History

The Royal Palms Motel was a quintessential example of the early Las Vegas Strip’s roadside era—a time when motor courts, not megaresorts, defined the travel experience. Built by father-and-son developers Nate and Jerome Mack, the property opened in 1953–54 on South Fifth Street (now Las Vegas Boulevard), just south of the soon-to-rise Dunes Hotel and Casino. With its neat row of low-rise rooms and prominent neon palm signage, Royal Palms captured the look and feel of mid-century highway culture. Unlike the casino-hotels that would later dominate the Strip, the Royal Palms Motel offered no casino, no table games, and no in-house restaurant. Instead, it catered squarely to motorists seeking clean, affordable lodging steps away from the Strip’s growing entertainment corridor. Amenities included air-conditioned rooms, private tiled baths, in-room telephones, and free front-door parking—all major selling points in the 1950s motel market. Travelers arrived by car, parked directly outside their rooms, and enjoyed convenient access to nearby restaurants and, later, the Dunes’ dining and gaming options. The motel’s original look evolved in the early 1960s when a stylish Googie-influenced office building—credited to famed architects Armet & Davis—was added to modernize its curb appeal. A new freestanding arrow sign also appeared, replacing the earlier 1950s neon palm design. These updates aligned the Royal Palms with the Strip’s rapidly modernizing aesthetic, even as its core identity remained modest and approachable. Shortly before opening, the Dunes Hotel acquired the property, absorbing Royal Palms into its larger footprint. Over the years, the motel transitioned from an independent motor court into Dunes overflow lodging and eventually Dunes parking as resort expansions accelerated. In 1980, the Royal Palms Motel was demolished. The land it occupied later became part of the redevelopment that produced the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, now one of the Strip’s premier luxury resorts. Though the Royal Palms itself is long gone, its story reflects a transformational moment in Las Vegas history—a bridge between the intimate, neon-trimmed motor court culture of the 1950s and the rise of the iconic world-class resorts that define today’s Las Vegas Strip.