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Stardust Hotel Las Vegas History
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Stardust Las Vegas
Vegas Interactive Map
Original Stardust Hotel
Stardust Layout
Layout of the Stardust Hotel in Vegas
Stardust Las Vegas Hotel opened at noon on July 2, 1958 with its planetary-galatic theme, and ended up closing at noon on November 1, 2006.
The wide view picture of the Stardust at the bottom of the page shows its 1,000 rooms, lined up in five wing rows. The Aku Aku polynesian restaurant is seen in the middle and the 1955 Royal Nevada casino is seen at left.
The Royal Nevada Hotel was eventually purchased by the Stardust and became the Stardust Auditorium. An elevated walkway can be seen bridging the Stardust and the Royal Nevada. The Stardust Hotel in Vegas later extended its front to the end of the Royal Nevada location, while keeping the exact same pool and room wings until the day it closed.
The well known 1991 'half-circle entrance' of the Stardust was later located partly where the Aku Aku Restaurant sat and on the road to its left. The road became the pedestrian entry path into the hotel in 1991. The angled edge of the Royal Nevada building was incorporated into the front entrance.
The Stardust Founder
The Stardust Founder - Tony Cornero
Tony Cornero, the founder of the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas, was one of Las Vegas' most influential people. When gambling was legalized, in 1931, Cornero was among the first to open a casino. Except, instead of building downtown he chose to build on the Fremont Street Strip of road, that carried Boulder Dam traffic.
While downtown offered a grouped batch of pedestrian casinos (zoned to Main & Fifth) Cornero built out of the city limits at Fremont and Charleston and was the first casino owner to use roadside architecture to lure his mobile customers into his hotel-casino complex.
This 'roadside casino-hotel' concept was an idea 10 years ahead of the Las Vegas Strip's future El Rancho Las Vegas and 15 years ahead of the Flamingo's sophisticated approach.
Tony Cornero was the first to bring a new level of nightlife to Las Vegas . He presented a glamorized style of gaming not then found in the Las Vegas. Cornero was also the originator of the elegant 'supper-club gambling entertainment hotel complex' in Nevada.
Tony Cornero's Vision
Tony Cornero's Vision for the Stardust
Tony Cornero, like his good friend Billy Wilkerson (founder of the Flamingo) understood the potential of profiting from Las Vegas' gaming future. In the early fifties he developed a concept of providing a 'discount styled casino' geared towards attracting mid-income tourists who couldn't afford the higher prices of casinos like the Desert Inn Las Vegas Hotel and the Dunes.
In 1954, Cornero set to work on building his Super Motel...the biggest in the world with over 1,000 rooms.
His new casino (set to be named the 'Starlite') was nearly 70% completed when Cornero ran out of money in 1955. He died on July 31, 1955 (of a heart attack) at a craps table at the Desert Inn. His unfinished casino sat empty for two years until it was taken over by John Factor (brother of Max Factor the 'cosmetics mogul'). John Factor finished Cornero's dream and the Stardust opened in 1958.
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The Stardust Las Vegas Pictures and History
A Visual History of the Stardust Hotel and Casino.
The 1958 Stardust with its planetary-galatic theme.
Opened at noon July 2, 1958. Closed at noon November 1, 2006.
Stardust Implosion Video
1958 Promotional Stunt. 'Blasting Off - Into the Stardust'.
The last Stardust showgirl.
1958 - Las Vegas. Cowboys in the Space Age.
Wide View showing the layout of the Stardust. Refer to the top of the page for a detailed description about the layout.
The Stardust's Earth globe was placed in two different areas during the hotel's first 7 years. It is seen here set at the edge of the building, where the building slanted 45 degrees from the Strip. See image above. In 1965 it was mounted to the roof and set on a pedestal.
This view shows how Stardust's Earth globe was first set into the corner edge of the facade at the point where it angled 45 degrees, from the Strip, towards its 2 story, front room wing. This slanted face attracted the eye of north-bound travelers on the LA Highway.
The 1965 Stardust Remodeling. New Roadsign, New Building Sign,
Pedestal Mounted Globe, First Porte Cochere & New Facade.
Stardust - 1965.
Stardust - 1959. A Super-Motel of 1,065 rooms and 2,000 parking spaces.
The Stardust had the most rooms of any hotel in Las Vegas - until the 1969 opening of the International.
"Astronomical Luxury at Down-to-Earth Prices."
Nightlife
The French showgirls of Stardust's Lido De Paris arriving in Las Vegas, in 1958, being welcomed with hot dogs and champagne. The Lido Girls set a Las Vegas trend, followed by the Beauties of Japan, Hawaii, the South Pacific, the Mambo Showgirls of Havana and the Carnival Women of Brazil.
The Stardust 1961 Winter Show.
Stardust Shows.
1959 Stardust Advertising.
Stardust Advertising was awarded thru the 1950s'-60s'.
Miss Flying Saucer Contest.
Before the Curtain Closed.
The Stardust's Front. This view shows the new 1965 roadsign, facade, globe pedestal & covered driveway.
Pool-Side.
Wet Bar.
Stardust Pool Girls.
The Stardust 'Big Dipper' swimming pool was the focal point for the surrounding Restaurants & Lounges.
Pool, showing the 1964 nine-story room-tower in the background.
The Big Dipper pool, from the top of the Stardust Hotel Tower.
Stardust Weather.
Pool, Garden and Panoramic Windows.
Daytime Sun! Night Time Fun!! At the Stardust!!!
Food, Drinks, Slots, Shows, Dancing, Swimming and Gambling.
Stardust Underwater.
Quenching Desert Thirst.
The Realm of the Coin.
