Theme Carnival
Mardi Gras | No. of rooms 2,677 | |
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Location Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Address 3475 South Las Vegas Boulevard Opening date July 2, 1973; 43 years ago (July 2, 1973) Total gaming space 90,637 sq ft (8,420.5 m) | ||
Harrah's Las Vegas (formerly Holiday Casino) is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation. Harrah's has over 1,200 slot machines.
Contents
The hotel offers 2,677 rooms with an attached casino providing 90,637 sq ft (8,420.5 m2) of space. The hotel consists of 2 towers, Mardi Gras, and Carnival Towers, the tallest of which, Carnival, has 35 stories.
There is a Las Vegas Monorail stop, the Harrah's / The Linq station, at the rear of the property and a shuttle to the Caesars Entertainment Corp.-owned Rio.
Holiday Casino (1973–1992)
In 1973, Shelby and Claudine Williams, former owners of the Silver Slipper casino, opened the Holiday Casino, a small riverboat-themed casino in front of the Holiday Inn Las Vegas Center Strip.
In 1979, Holiday Inn bought a 40% share of the casino's parent company, Riverboat Inc. By 1982, the hotel had grown to over 1,000 rooms, making it the largest in the chain. Holiday Inn bought out the remaining 60% in 1983.
Harrah's Las Vegas (1992–present)
In 1992, the property was renamed Harrah's.
In 1997, Harrah's completed a renovation intended to make it the company's flagship property, replacing the old riverboat theme with a Mardi Gras and Carnival theme. They extended the 35 story tower by adding 986 rooms. Included in the renovations were six 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) 23-karat gold-leaf sculptures. Built from steel and glass reinforced polyester resin, the sculptures stand 32 ft (9.8 m) high and wear size 43 shoes.
At the grand re-opening Harry Connick, Jr. entertained at the Carnaval Court. Tino Wallenda, son of legendary tight-rope walker Karl Wallenda, walked 139 ft (42 m) across a 1-inch (25 mm) steel cable, 99 ft (30 m) above the ground. Celebrities also appeared included Sidney Poitier, Sandra Bullock, Minnie Driver, Stephen Baldwin, Lea Thompson, Dick Butkus and Steve Wynn.