Westward Ho Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, District Made Ladies

Venue Description

The Westward Ho Hotel and Casino, or “The Ho” as it was called by regulars, opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 1963, located between the famed Stardust resort and the future Slots-A-Fun Casino. The 15-acre property featured low-rise motel-style buildings with pools, surrounding a main casino building facing the Strip. It was owned by Dean Petersen and his siblings, who gave a respectful nod to 19th-century wagon trains in its name. By 1969, the Westward Ho had over 1,000 rooms, a 24-hour Denny’s, and a slot arcade. Dean Petersen died in November 1997, and shortly after, the hotel was put up for sale. Faye Johnson, Dean’s sister, continued operations until American Pastime West LLC announced a purchase. On September 14, 2005, it was announced the Westward Ho would close on November 17, 2005. At the time of sale, it had 650 employees and offered a casino of 35,000 sq ft. The new owner, Francis Zarro, had no immediate plans for changes. By July 2006, Harrah’s Entertainment had options to buy the Westward Ho property and started talks to sell it to Boyd Gaming in exchange for the Barbary Coast hotel-casino. The deal was done that year, valuing the Westward Ho land at $101.6 million. Boyd aimed to expand the footprint of the planned Echelon Place project but cancelled the project during the Great Recession. In December 2008, a McDonald’s opened on a small piece of Westward Ho land. Today, the remaining land is home to the massive Resorts World complex.