Pictured about late 50s or so, it was one of the picturesque if extravagant new joints in town. Howard Hughes liked it so well, he took over the entire top floor, had elevators rigged so as to remain inaccessible. This was likely mid-to-late 1960s. I remember vividly standing one night at the bottom of the elevators shown on the end of the tower, looking up and thinking, "what must it be like to not heed orders": Management had ordered Hughes out needing the penthouse for high-bucks newcomers. Pissed Howard off to the extent he BOUGHT the Desert Inn (for an inflated price) and FIRED the management! THAT represented POWER! The ice cream story will be separate, if anyone asks for it. Hughes' health was in decline, and there he finally died.
When I first hit the strip with my boyfriend from CA back in 1954, The Flamingo was the first hotel casino followed by the Sands, Desert Inn and Dunes. Not in that particular order, but the Flamingo was first. I couldn't get over it. One minute were were driving in the desert and the next we were in the biggest theme park ever back then. What a great time we had that weekend. But, staying up for the entire time hitting every club in sight and then downtown, I was exhausted. However, he was full of pep and vim and said we had to go up to Hoover Dam. Well, all well and good and as I stated on another thread, I was in heels and more than cranky when he insisted we walk through the lower part of the dam which had yet to be pave over. But it was interesting to say the least. I was happy to say I was delighted to return to the scene of the crime with same beau 6 year later after my sojourn in the AF and found it all paved and in better shape. My reunion with the old flame fizzled out as we were on opposite sides of the country and only saw each sporadically. Meanwhile, I had met my husband to be. Amen.