Photo of the Union Plaza swimming pool from the 1970’s.
The Story Behind The Plaza Hotel Downtown Las Vegas
The Plaza Hotel
1 Main St
Las Vegas, NV 89101
The Union Plaza Hotel was opened in 1971. The Union Plaza hotel introduced the first women dealers which, at the time. was a very controversial move.
Original owners:
- J. Kell Houssels Jr., an attorney who followed his father into the industry
- Jackie Gaughan, who owned several downtown properties
- Frank Scott, a developer whose ties to the Union Pacific Railroad enabled them to obtain the land.
Plaza hotel replaced the Union Plaza Hotel which was built on the former site of the Union Pacific Railroad depot.
At twenty-two stories and 504 rooms, with a 66,000-square-foot casino—twice, the Union Plaza hotel was twice the size of the next largest, the Las Vegas Hilton. It was easily the largest downtown hotel-casino.
The second tower at the end of Carson Street added 521 rooms and convention space. Union Plaza became the first downtown hotel to pursue convention business.
in 1993, Gaughan became the main owner and changed the name to Jackie Gaughan’s Plaza. In 2002, Barrick Gaming bought the hotel which operates under the name of Tamares Group. The Tamares Group also owns the Vegas Club across the street and a small casino called the Western in a blighted section of downtown.
The Plaza began an extensive $35 million renovation project at the end of 2010 that included brand new guestrooms and suites, an entirely remodeled casino floor and lobby, all new restaurants, bars and entertainment options. The renovations includedy furnishings and materials purchased from the Fontainebleau resort after it suspended construction on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel and casino were reopened as of September 1, 2011.
Your Vacation Rep. Michele Stoute
