Las Vegas El Cortez Hotel Unveils $20M Renovation, Blends Historic Charm with Modern Upgrades
Get ready for a fresh facelift at Downtown Las Vegas’s historic El Cortez Hotel and Casino.
The property nears the end of its $20 million makeover involving renovated spaces while maintaining the building’s historic allure. Visitors can attend the much-anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony on February 20, 2025, for the official reopening.
“The showpiece of this [renovation] is behind me, the Show Bar,” general manager Adam Wiesberg told New3LV. This standout remodel catches the eye with its vivid 20-foot video screen showing sports and music, plus a stage for live entertainment.
Part of the renovation infuses classic charm with modern style while vintage mechanical slots keep spinning away. The nostalgia for the rare coin-operated slot machines enhances the casino’s appeal.
Arguably, “what really makes us special is the authenticity and the ownership change of El Cortez,” Wiesberg said during a sneak preview of the renovations.
Since opening in 1941, the El Cortez experienced notable ownership changes, including a brief stint with notorious mobsters Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky in 1945. Now situated in the Fremont East District, these renovations hope to attract younger crowds while preserving its historic charm.
Last summer, the El Cortez added a high-limit slot room, two new bars, a restaurant, and a coffee shop, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Wiesberg noted, “We have to stick to our history – we’ll be 83 this year [and] the young people want to be a part of that, so we have to continue to stay modern and exciting. These new bars will create a new energy.”Stay up-to-date on the El Cortez Hotel and Casino news and mark your calendar for its grand reopening on February 20.