Dunes Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Venue Description

The Dunes was a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, opening on May 23, 1955, as the tenth resort on the Strip. Initially owned by a group of businessmen, it struggled due to poor management and declining tourism. The Sands resort operators took over management shortly after, but they also failed to improve business and stepped down within six months. In 1956, Major Riddle took over and successfully turned the resort’s fortunes around, remaining involved until his death in 1980. The Dunes had ties to the Mafia, causing concern among state officials who suspected some of the Mob figures to be hidden owners in the resort. The Dunes originally had 194 rooms, and a 21-story tower, opened in 1965, increased the total to 960 rooms. The resort expanded in the 1960s with popular restaurants and added a second tower in 1979, bringing the total to 1,282 rooms. Financial difficulties arose in the 1980s, leading to various potential buyers, including casino owner, Steve Wynn. Japanese investor Masao Nangaku bought Dunes in 1987 for $157 million, and Wynn’s company, Mirage Resorts, later acquired it in 1992 for $75 million, planning to replace it with a new lake resort. The Dunes closed on January 26, 1993, with the original North Tower being imploded on October 27, 1993. The South Tower was demolished on July 20, 1994. Wynn’s new resort, the Bellagio, opened on October 15, 1998, at the former Dunes location.