Thunderbird Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Bella Ladies V-Neck

Venue History

The Thunderbird Hotel Casino opened on September 2, 1948, on Highway 91, now the Las Vegas Strip. It was owned by Marion Hicks, a building developer, and Clifford A. Jones, Nevada’s Lieutenant Governor. Hicks had earlier built the El Cortez hotel-casino, and Joe Wells, father of actress Dawn Wells, was also a partner in the Thunderbird. The hotel, initially called the Nevada Ambassador, was announced in March 1946 with a planned budget of $1 million, but construction exceeded $2 million. The Thunderbird featured 79 hotel rooms, a casino, and a bar, and was the fourth resort on the Strip. The resort showcased a Southwestern/Navajo theme with portraits of American Indians and featured neon Thunderbird statues at its entrance. In February 1949, a 78-room extension was planned, costing $750,000. By 1950, the hotel had 206 rooms. In 1953, the adjacent 110-room Algiers Hotel, a sister property of the Thunderbird, opened to accommodate overflow guests. The Thunderbird closed on January 1, 1977, and immediately became the Silverbird Hotel Casino owned by Major Riddle. Today, the property of the Thunderbird and Algiers is home to Fontainebleau Las Vegas.