Imperial Palace Lingers
January 27, 2006 | 7:33
am
Some casinos make you sentimental and others, well, you are just glad people get to keep their jobs. The Imperial Palace falls into this second category. The casino is best known for having to pay a, at the time, whopping $1.5 million fine in 1989, because its owner, Ralph Englestad (who died in 2002), was caught holding birthday parties for Adolf Hitler. Last year the casino hotel which opened in 1979 was purchased by Harrah's which already owns adjacent properties and so---since this is Las Vegas--- at some point is expected to build a bigger, newer place. However, for the short term, at least, that point has yet to arrive as the Imperial Palace website is taking reservations through all of 2006.
My first trip to Vegas was in '75. Back then this property was known as the Flamingo Capri. A weird
motel type facility, which apparently took care of
spill over from their much more upscale next door neighbor, The Flamingo. I remember the Flamingo's
Porte-cochere was way back off the street at that
time. Very cool before the addition, but too small
for Vegas standards.
Posted by: Frank Gillete | January 27, 2006 at 04:45 PM
How odd to find this post when I was just discussing this with my friends last night. We were commenting that out of all the strip properties, IP is the one we wouldn't mind seeing gone.
Posted by: Lafay | January 28, 2006 at 11:58 AM
This place doesn't even try to be anything but a dump. What ariving guest hasn't gotten off the elevators at their floor, looked around and made the mistake of thinking you had accidentally taken the freight elevator. The hallways are that dreary, dark & painted in industrial puke.
Posted by: RussBBinVegas | January 28, 2006 at 02:00 PM
Great location and a great value. It's not the Wynn and it doesn't try to be. The last of affordable Vegas. Will be missed.
Posted by: Mirmer | March 20, 2006 at 03:39 PM