Best Western Plus Casino Royale
Façade of casino, 2007
Best Western Plus Casino Royale is located in Las Vegas Strip
Best Western Plus Casino Royale
Best Western Plus Casino Royale is located in Nevada
Best Western Plus Casino Royale
Location Paradise, Nevada
Address 3411 Las Vegas Boulevard S
Opening dateJuly 1978 (July 1978)
ThemeEuropean
No. of rooms152
Total gaming space19,000 sq ft (1,800 m2)
Notable restaurantsOutback Steakhouse
Denny's
White Castle
Casino typeLand-based
OwnerTom Elardi
Previous namesNob Hill Casino
Casino Royale Hotel & Casino
Renovated in1991, 1993–1995, 2014
Coordinates36°7′14″N 115°10′18″W / 36.12056°N 115.17167°W / 36.12056; -115.17167
Websitecasinoroyalehotel.com

The Best Western Plus Casino Royale[1] (formerly known as the Nob Hill Casino and Casino Royale[2]) is a casino and hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The casino, measuring 19,000 sq ft (1,800 m2), caters to low rollers. The hotel includes 152 rooms.

The hotel portion originally opened in 1964, as the Caravan Motor Hotel. The casino portion opened as the Nob Hill in July 1978, and closed 12 years later, reopening as the Casino Royale on January 1, 1992. The hotel became part of the Best Western chain in 2012.

History

Nob Hill (1978-1992)

Before 1992, this property neighbored the Sands Hotel Casino and contained several motels, restaurants and casinos: Bill's Place, Bon Aire Motel,[3] Motor Inn Motel, Louigi's Charcoal Broiler, and Frank Musso's Restaurant.[4] In the 1960s, a Denny's restaurant was built on the site.[5]

What is now Casino Royale's hotel opened in the spring of 1964 as the Caravan Motor Hotel.[6][7] The 164-room establishment was developed by local construction firm Heers Bros, Inc.[7] By 1968, the hotel was affiliated with the Travelodge chain and was known as the Caravan Travelodge.[8][9]

In July 1978, the Nob Hill Casino opened between the Denny's and Travelodge.[lower-alpha 1] It was operated by a group of four partners who also owned the nearby Holiday Casino (now Harrah's), led by Claudine Williams. The Nob Hill became famous as a new smaller Strip casino with the lowest Strip limits at table games, including 25¢ craps, 10¢ roulette, and $1 blackjack. [10][12] In 1983, Holiday Inns purchased the operating business of the Nob Hill, as part of a package deal in which it also acquired full ownership of the Holiday Casino.[13][14] The Nob Hill closed on November 26, 1990, because the lease on the property expired.[15]

Casino Royale (1992-present)

Following its closure, the Nob Hill was remodeled by the Elardi family, who also owned the Frontier hotel-casino on the Strip.[16][17] On January 1, 1992, the former Nob Hill was reopened by Tommy Elardi as the Casino Royale, featuring 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of gaming space with 225 slot machines and 4 table games.[16] Elardi, the general manager and co-owner of the Frontier,[18][19] purchased the Nob Hill and adjacent hotel for $17 million.[20] From 1993 to 1995, he renovated the property, expanding the casino to 19,000 square feet (1,800 m2) and adding a parking garage. The casino, hotel, and Denny's were connected with a single facade,[20][21] consisting of Victorian/European-style architecture, giving the appearance of various connected buildings.[1][22]

From its opening, the Casino Royale was subjected to picketing by members of the Culinary Workers Union because of its shared ownership with the Frontier, where workers had been on strike since September 1991.[16][23][24] During 1994, the Elardis planned to build a space probe ride behind Casino Royale. However, the project was scrapped following opposition from the union, as well as nearby resorts, which said the ride would not fit in on the Strip.[25][26] By 1995, Casino Royale had established a surveillance operation to monitor the picketers as well as its own employees, the latter through listening devices installed in parts of the casino.[27] Picketing continued until 1998, when the strike was resolved by the Elardi family's sale of the Frontier.[28][29] Casino Royale remains one of the few non-unionized casinos in Las Vegas.[30]

An Outback Steakhouse opened in 2003, becoming the first location inside a casino.[31]

In December 2012, the property was rebranded as part of the Best Western hotel chain.[1][32] The hotel includes 152 rooms.[32][33]

In 2014, the Denny's at the north side of the building, which had been the restaurant chain's highest-volume location, was demolished and replaced with a two-story, $9-million addition, with a Walgreens drug store on the ground floor, and a new Denny's on the second floor.[34][35][36] The project also added a White Castle burger restaurant, which opened with great fanfare as the chain's first location in the Western United States.[37][38]

In June 2023, a document has been made by the FAA to build a 699 ft tall building for the Casino Royale site and it was approved in August of that year.[39][40]

Casino Royale is located at the center of the Strip,[41] between the Venetian and Harrah's resorts.[22][42] It is popular for its cheap amenities, including $3 Beers.[1][32][42]

Gaming

Casino Royale has 19,000 sq ft (1,800 m2) of gaming space,[43] including slot machines, video poker, and video keno.[41] The casino caters to low rollers,[1] and is known for its promotional slot play.[32] Timeshare promotions in Las Vegas often give out Casino Royale slot play, to be used at specific machines.

In the late 1990s, Casino Royale had the highest odds in Nevada at craps. The game was a 50 cent minimum bet game, which allowed a player to place 100 times more in the odd bet. It was not uncommon to see 50 cent bets with $25 to $50 odds bets. This was when the rest of the Strip was allowed double to 10 times odds. Around 2004, the Casino Royale became the first casino property on the Strip to install Geoff Hall's blackjack variant, Blackjack Switch. The success of Blackjack Switch at the casino led to the game spreading to many other casinos.[44] In 2016, Casino Royale opened its BarBook, a sports book and bar with two William Hill betting stations.[45]

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The county licensing board approved the Nob Hill's gaming license on June 30, 1978.[10] By July 5, the casino was being advertised as "Now Open".[11]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Forgione, Mary (9 January 2013). "Las Vegas: Casino Royale changes hands but not the funky facade". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ↑ "Architecture Studies Library - University Libraries". www.library.unlv.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-10-05. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  3. ↑ UNLV (4 November 2014). "1953 map". Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  4. ↑ Vintage Las Vegas (10 August 2016). "Las Vegas Strip: hotels, motels, casinos, race books".
  5. ↑ Vintage Las Vegas (4 November 2014). "Caravan Travelodge".
  6. ↑ "To manage new motor hotel". Las Vegas Review-Journal. May 21, 1964. p. 19. The 164-room Caravan Motor Hotel, providing the latest innovations in accommodations, will open later this month.
  7. 1 2 "Great Las Vegas future is anticipated". Las Vegas Review-Journal. June 28, 1964. p. 44. Recently [Heers Bros.] opened the Caravan Motor Hotel on the Strip of which they are also the landlords.
  8. ↑ "Three room burglaries investigated". Las Vegas Review-Journal. October 4, 1968. p. 2. Harry Emile Thiele, Jr. of Fergerson, Mo. told deputies $300 in cash was stolen from his wallet when someone entered his room at the Caravan Travel Lodge at 3419 Las Vegas Blvd. South while he was asleep.
  9. ↑ "Four seized in theft". Las Vegas Review-Journal. January 21, 1969. p. 2. Minutes later a man and his female companion climbed into the Western Cab of Allen Jones at Third and Fremont Streets and ordered him to drive to the Travelodge Caravan Motel, at 3419 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
  10. 1 2 "DeVille casino may open". Las Vegas Review-Journal. July 1, 1978. p. 2A. In other action, the board: Approved unrestricted class "C" gaming and two tavern licenses for the Nob Hill Casino ... In the casino partnership, Claudine Barbara Noe holds 37.5 percent; William W. Morris, 25 percent; Robert L. McDonald, 25 percent; and Michael S. Williams, 12.5 percent.
  11. ↑ "Nob Hill Casino advertisement". Las Vegas Review-Journal. July 5, 1978. p. 7A.
  12. ↑ "Holiday Inns wins first OK". Las Vegas Review-Journal. AP. August 16, 1979. p. 1A. Most of the remaining 60 percent interest [in the Holiday Casino] would be held by current owner Claudine Williams ... Other current owners who would retain their interest include Las Vegas attorney William "Wildcat" Morris and Reno lawyer Robert L. McDonald.
  13. ↑ Clyde Weiss (May 12, 1983). "Lowden, Ramada get OK for stock, bond issuings". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 5B. Holiday Inns Inc., was given approval to own the Nob Hill Casino on the Strip. The company bought out its partners in the adjoining Holiday Casino last year on condition it also buy the Nob Hill from the same group.
  14. ↑ "Former Holiday Casino exec to buy Landmark Hotel". Las Vegas Review-Journal. July 21, 1983. p. 1B. [Bill Morris] received additional profit from the sale of the Nob Hill Casino in June.
  15. ↑ "Nob Hill Casino closes doors". Las Vegas Review-Journal. November 27, 1990. p. 6B.
  16. 1 2 3 Jeff Burbank (January 1, 1992). "Union workers target Casino Royale". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 4A.
  17. ↑ "Question of the Day". Las Vegas Advisor. August 27, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  18. ↑ Jeff Burbank (February 1, 1992). "Frontier hotel ads draw concerns". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 1B. Frontier hotel general manager Thomas Elardi holds a giant copy of a newspaper ad ...
  19. ↑ Jeff Burbank (January 1, 1992). "Union workers target Casino Royale". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 4A. Tommy Elardi is a minority owner in the Frontier and was the chief negotiator for the Elardi family during contract negotiations.
  20. 1 2 "Casino Royale expands facilities". Las Vegas Review-Journal. January 16, 1995. p. 1D.
  21. ↑ John Edwards (November 14, 1993). "Tom Elardi quietly expanding Casino Royale on Strip". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 17E.
  22. 1 2 "Neon Survey: Sunset to Sahara". University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
  23. ↑ Gang, Bill (March 18, 1992). "Suit targets Casino Royale picketers". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  24. ↑ Marian Green (April 12, 1995). "Casino Royale loses bid with NLRB to halt union's picketing". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 7B.
  25. ↑ "Casinos debate ride". Las Vegas Review-Journal. July 31, 1994. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Commissioners rule space ride 'won't fit in' to sedate Strip". Las Vegas Review-Journal. August 5, 1994. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  27. ↑ German, Jeff (December 26, 1996). "Spying alleged at Casino Royale". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  28. ↑ Anthony Curtis (September 7, 1997). "SportsWorld joins the action". Arizona Republic – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "Nation's longest strike comes to an end". Las Vegas Sun. February 1, 1998. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  30. ↑ Komenda, Ed (May 6, 2013). "Union ties: The fates of Culinary and the Strip are inextricably linked". VegasInc. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Outback opens in casino". Las Vegas Sun. February 20, 2003. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  32. 1 2 3 4 Radke, Brock (September 10, 2014). "The renovating Casino Royale is a sliver of independence (and affordability) on the Strip". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  33. ↑ Horwath, Bryan (August 21, 2020). "Nearly 100 workers laid off from Strip property". VegasInc. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  34. ↑ Laura Carroll (January 2, 2014). "Denny's closes Strip location for reconstruction". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  35. ↑ Heidi Knapp Rinella (November 21, 2014). "Vegas Denny's a grand slam with diners". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  36. ↑ Susan Stapleton (January 3, 2014). "Nation's no. 1 Denny's reopens on the Strip". Eater Las Vegas. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  37. ↑ Katie Visconti (January 28, 2015). "White Castle reopens after closing to restock amid huge crowds". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  38. ↑ Stapleton, Susan (January 28, 2015). "Fans line up for hours to try Las Vegas' newest restaurant: White Castle". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  39. ↑ Schmidt, Ellen (June 2, 2023). "FAA document suggests redevelopment plans for Casino Royale". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  40. ↑ https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/construction-of-699-skyscraper-on-las-vegas-strip-clears-faa-study-no-hazard-casino-royale-federal-aviation-airport-southern-nevada
  41. 1 2 Krause, H. Scot (January 12, 2016). "Casino Royale a unique Vegas slot club". Gaming Today. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  42. 1 2 Ponte, Rob (March 31, 2008). "Casino Royale: Great deal on central Strip". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Listing of Financial Statements Square Footage (2017 data)". Nevada Gaming Control Board. March 6, 2018. p. 2. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  44. ↑ ThePOGG (27 November 2012). "ThePOGG Interviews – Geoff Hall – The creator of Blackjack Switch".
  45. ↑ Curtis, Anthony (February 26, 2016). "Las Vegas: 2 new sports books open". USA Today. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  46. ↑ Stein, Martin (November 25, 2004). "Playing Las Vegas". Las Vegas Weekly. Archived from the original on November 30, 2004.
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