Plaza Hotel & Casino

In the heart of Downtown Las Vegas, the Plaza Hotel & Casino stands on a site full of history. This is where the Union Pacific train station built in 1906 once stood, the arrival point for many of the first settlers who founded the city. The hotel opened in 1971 under the name Union Plaza and was presented at the time as the largest casino in the world. Today it remains one of the symbols of old Las Vegas, with 995 rooms spread across two towers and a perfect location for exploring Fremont Street on foot. In April 2004, the Plaza became the stage for one of the most famous bets in casino history. A British man named Ashley Revell, then 32 years old, sold everything he owned in England — his car, his clothes, even his golf clubs — and ended up with about 135,300 dollars. His plan was simple and completely crazy: to bet it all on a single spin of the roulette wheel. In front of cameras, since the event was filmed for a British television show, he placed the entire amount on red. The ball spun… and landed on red 7. In a matter of seconds, he doubled his money and walked away with about 270,600 dollars. The moment was risky, dramatic, and unforgettable, and it helped build the legend of the Plaza. Right in front of you, the Carousel Bar, decorated with carousel horses, has become one of the most photographed spots in the neighborhood and even appeared in the music video “Atomic City” by U2 in 2023. On the roof you’ll find the largest rooftop pool deck in Downtown, with cabanas, a hot tub, and even thirteen pickleball courts, something quite unusual in Las Vegas. Pickleball is a racket sport that was invented in the United States and mixes elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. The Plaza also includes a showroom, a wedding chapel, and regularly hosts events and rodeos in its CORE Arena. The property has appeared in several films, including Diamonds Are Forever and Casino, and still captures the vintage, approachable spirit of Fremont Street. Just across the street, the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino tells an even older story. It opened on January 13, 1906 under the name Hotel Nevada and is considered the oldest hotel still operating in Las Vegas. In many ways, its story begins almost at the same time as the city itself: the first hotel, the first telephone — number 1 — and, after gambling was legalized in 1931, one of the very first casinos in the region. With just over one hundred rooms, the Golden Gate remains a small, human-scale property. It offers a true “Old Vegas” atmosphere, more intimate, a little rough around the edges, and almost frozen in time. In 1959, the Golden Gate popularized something that would become legendary: the 50-cent shrimp cocktail. The idea was simple but brilliant — offer a spectacular and extremely cheap deal to draw people in from Fremont Street. Inspired by San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, the cocktail was served in a thick glass sundae cup, filled with small shrimp and topped with a bold cocktail sauce. The incredibly low price made it an irresistible promotion, and the image of the overflowing glass quickly became associated with Las Vegas itself. For decades, the cheap shrimp cocktail symbolized this accessible, generous, and slightly over-the-top city. Even though the price has long since increased, the tradition remains one of the most recognizable pieces of Downtown’s culinary history. The casino itself recently made an unusual move by becoming the first in Downtown to operate entirely with electronic table games, without human dealers. The change divides regular players, some of whom miss the lively atmosphere of the past. Today the Golden Gate is owned by Derek Stevens, one of the key figures behind the revival of Downtown Las Vegas. It shares its loyalty program with the nearby Circa and continues to keep the straightforward, welcoming spirit that reflects the early image of Las Vegas.