Hotel
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El Cortez Hotel & Casino
Downtown's historic casino hotel on East Fremont Street, opened in 1941 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offering budget rooms and the Cabana Suites.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic budget casino hotel
- Area
- Downtown (Fremont East), Las Vegas, United States
- Price
- $ · Budget
- Official site
- elcortezhotelcasino.com
Good to know
- Historic 1941 property
- Cabana Suites
- Casino
- Several restaurants and bars
- Spa
Why we recommend it
El Cortez is the place to stay if you want a genuine piece of old Las Vegas. It opened on 7 November 1941, and as of 2013 it was described as the oldest continuously operating casino in the city. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in February 2013. The same sign has crowned the building since the 1940s, and the ranch-style Spanish Colonial Revival façade has survived for more than seventy years.
Its history reads like a Las Vegas novel. In 1945, Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky and partners bought the property, only to sell it back a year later. The casino owner Jackie Gaughan later ran El Cortez for decades and lived in the tower penthouse, and Kenny Epstein bought it from him in 2008. The hotel celebrates this past with a Las Vegas History Hallway, and a suite named after Gaughan.
The hotel has 364 rooms. Options include standard rooms, a category called the Original 47, and the Cabana Suites, a 64-room addition created in the former Ogden House in 2009. Dining and drinking include Alex Prime, Siegel's 1941, Hot Noods, Eureka!, Sushi Ichiban and bars such as the ShowBar, Roulette Bar and Parlour Bar. There is also a spa and a barbershop.
El Cortez suits budget travellers, history lovers and anyone who prefers character over luxury. Rooms are simple, and the hotel markets itself as budget-friendly, so do not expect the facilities of a Strip resort. The hotel advertises savings for booking directly. It celebrates its 85th anniversary in November 2026, with events planned for the occasion.
Even if you are not staying here, the casino floor and the Las Vegas History Hallway are worth a look on a walk along East Fremont Street. The rooftop sign has crowned the building since the 1940s, and the hotel's 85th anniversary in November 2026 is a reminder of how long it has been part of Downtown.
The hotel is in Fremont East, about a block from the Fremont Street Experience, with a pedestrian walkway from Las Vegas Boulevard. The bars and restaurants of Fremont East, including Atomic Liquors and PublicUs, are close by, and The Mob Museum and the Neon Museum are a short walk or ride away. The Strip is a short taxi or ride-share ride south.
El Cortez Hotel & Casino FAQs
When did El Cortez open?
On 7 November 1941.
Is it historic?
Yes, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 and has been described as the city's oldest continuously operating casino.
How many rooms are there?
364 rooms, including the Cabana Suites.
What are the Cabana Suites?
A 64-room addition in the former Ogden House, completed in 2009.
Does it have a spa?
Yes, the hotel lists the NV Spa among its amenities.
Is it a budget hotel?
Yes, it markets itself as a budget-friendly historic property.
Where is it?
At 600 East Fremont Street, about a block from the Fremont Street Experience.
Which restaurants are on site?
Alex Prime, Siegel's 1941, Hot Noods, Eureka! and Sushi Ichiban.