In a city known for demolishing its classic resorts, Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino still stands tall.

A Trailblazer and History Maker

Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino Turns 55

BY HEATHER TURK / PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WESTGATE LAS VEGAS RESORT & CASINO

Celebrating its 55th anniversary on July 2, Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino may have had a few name changes since its days as the International Hotel and the Las Vegas Hilton, but there’s no doubt the off-Strip property has become one of Las Vegas’ most iconic resorts.

A star in its own right, the legendary property has welcomed countless celebrities ever since Barbra Streisand opened its showroom in 1969. Although best known for being the theater where Elvis Presley performed 636 consecutive sold-out shows spanning seven years, the list of artists who have performed inside the International Theater over the decades reads like a “Who’s Who in Entertainment,” according to Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino’s Vice President of Public & Community Relations, Gordon Prouty. Johnny Cash, Wayne Newton, Suzanne Somers, Ann-Margret, Liberace, Tina Turner, and Reba McEntire are just some of the many names who have performed on the International Theater’s stage, with Liberace being the first Las Vegas performer to ever “fly” onstage. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Starlight Express” was also staged inside the International Theater from Sept. 14, 1993, until Nov. 30, 1997, marking the first permanent production of a legitimate musical theater show in the Entertainment Capital of the World’s history.

“Some of the best stories I’ve heard over the years come from team members and their recollections and memories of some of the entertainers and celebrities who have performed here or stayed here,” Prouty told Chic Compass. “Things like Elvis giving a team member a car, or Liberace walking with a team member and holding his umbrella over her head when it was raining and he saw her running to the entrance.”

Several movies and TV shows have been filmed at the property over the years, including the James Bond classic “Diamonds Are Forever,” “Indecent Proposal” and “Roseanne.” Scenes from the Emmy Award-winning “Behind the Candelabra” were also filmed in the resort’s opulent Verona Sky Villa, which at 15,400 square feet is one of, if not the, largest hotel room in the world.

Today, Westgate Las Vegas continues to acknowledge its rich entertainment history while simultaneously adding to its legacy. Last July, the resort welcomed “My Brother Elvis” to its entertainment lineup, a monthly event Prouty hosts that takes Elvis fans on a backstage tour of the International Theater. As cool as it is to walk into Elvis Presley’s dressing room and drink from the water fountain he once drank from, the highlight of the evening is when guests get to sit on the International Theater stage and listen to Presley’s stepbrother, David Stanley, tell stories about what it was like growing up with and later working for The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Stanley also takes a few questions from guests, guaranteeing that every “My Brother Elvis” experience is unique.

History continues to be made inside the International Theater, as last September, Barry Manilow surpassed Elvis Presley’s record for the most performances on the International Theater stage. Returning June 13 through 15, Manilow’s “The Hits Come Home!” remains one of Las Vegas’ best residencies. The toe-tapping production features the singer-songwriter performing his catalog of timeless hits, including “Mandy,” “Looks Like We Made It,” and “Copacabana (At the Copa).”

Manilow isn’t the only big-name act that currently calls the International Theater their home away from home. Both Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and legendary funk group Kool & The Gang kicked off their own residencies inside the venue last October, with Kool & The Gang scheduled to return to the International Theater stage on May 24 and 25.

While Westgate Las Vegas is home to several other can’t-miss acts—including magician Jen Kramer, who holds the honor of having the longest-running residency by a female magician in Las Vegas history—the property hasn’t been around for nearly 55 years based on its entertainment lineup alone. The resort also boasts some of the city’s best restaurants, including arguably the most beautiful Benihana in the world. Fresco Italiano is another primo dining pick deservedly rated as one of TripAdvisor’s top Italian restaurants in Las Vegas. Its ricotta-stuffed eggplant appetizer is absolutely scrumptious, and its Roasted Half Chicken Marsala is, as one of the restaurant’s servers recently described, “the chef’s kiss.”

The spa at Westgate Las Vegas is also one of the city’s best-kept secrets. Located on the resort’s spacious pool deck, Serenity Spa by Westgate features eight cozy treatment rooms and separate men’s and women’s whirlpools and saunas to enjoy before or after a treatment. Couples looking to unwind together can book a variety of side-by-side massages, like the soothing Aromatherapy Massage that uses warm towels and body and massage oil blends made with unadulterated essential oils from TARA’s Aroma Wellness collection to help relieve tension and leave guests feeling rejuvenated.

Although Westgate Las Vegas’ amenities, including a state-of-the-art fitness center, four tennis courts, and eight pickleball courts, are impressive, its extensive selection of hotel rooms is truly astonishing. Paying homage to the International Hotel, where each floor featured a Spanish, Italian, or French theme, Westgate Las Vegas offers several unique themed hotel suites.

Its 3,096-square-foot Country Club High Roller Suite, for example, features a billiards table and a long solarium-like balcony that overlooks the city. Over the past year, the property has unveiled several more playful suites, including a Christmas Suite with three fully decorated Christmas trees. There’s also a Plaid Suite with padded plaid walls and artwork featuring Elvis in a plaid jumpsuit, and an all-black Halloween Suite with hidden clowns behind closed closet doors and curtains (hi, Pennywise!) and a giant spider over the bed.

While more themed suites are on the horizon, Westgate Las Vegas has plenty of non-themed hotel rooms, too, including 132 luxurious one-bedroom villas with a kitchen, a spacious shower, and a jacuzzi tub with multicolored lights. The resort also recently finished $70 million worth of room renovations in its East Tower, ensuring every hotel room offers guests an experience fit for a king.

As Westgate Las Vegas gets ready to celebrate its 55th anniversary, several exciting giveaways and large events are in the works for the public to enjoy. The resort also plans to host a team member reunion to pay tribute to those it credits the property’s ongoing success.

“Sure, we’ve had outstanding entertainment, amazing restaurants, a variety of beautiful accommodations, the world’s largest race and sports book, state-of-the-art meeting and convention space, and ongoing investments in property improvements, but our people make the difference,” Prouty stated. “We have one team member, Angel Lopez Rosas, who has been here since day one and has always been an usher. We have three other team members who have been here more than 50 years: bellmen Earl Manson and Alonzo Langstaff, and Felix Morales, a server at Edge Steakhouse. We have more than 60 active team members who have worked at this property for more than 40 years, and they are all celebrated with their photo on the 40-Year Wall we have on property. Nearly 25 percent of our team members have been with us for 20 years or more, and they take great pride in providing the best possible guest experience and outstanding service. They really make the difference and are vital to our continued success.”

With transportation options continuing to develop, including Elon Musk’s Vegas Loop, which will soon have two Tesla tunnels at the resort, Prouty thinks the future continues to look bright for Westgate Las Vegas as the distinction between on-strip and off-strip fades away. Cami Christensen, Westgate Las Vegas’ president and general manager who started as an assistant hotel manager at the Las Vegas Hilton, couldn’t agree more.

“I fully expect 55 years from now, the property will be celebrating its 110th anniversary,” Christensen said. “I’ve been here for 23 years and always said this property has a special soul. It’s a legendary place that has survived and thrived through all the changes and challenges we’ve seen here in Las Vegas, and I fully expect that to continue in the years to come. It’s exciting to think about what the next 55 years will bring.”

For more on Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and its upcoming anniversary festivities, visit westgatelasvegas.com.