Westward Ho Hotel and Casino

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For other uses of the name Westward Ho please see Westward Ho.

**Westward Ho**

Number of rooms		744
Theme		Western
Gaming space		56,000 ft² (5,000 m²)
Permanent show(s)
Signature attraction(s)		$1.49 3/4 pound jumbo hotdog
Notable restaurant(s)
Owner		Westward Ho Casino, LLC
Date opened		1963
Casino type		Land-Based
Major renovation(s)		1989
Previous name(s)
Casino website		Westward Ho memories page

The Westward Ho Hotel and Casino was a casino and hotel located on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, an unincorporated area of Clark County in the U.S. state of Nevada. The Westward Ho was the last large motel style property on the Strip. It was mostly two-story building with parking surrounding the buildings.

[edit] History

The Westward Ho was built and operated by siblings Dean Peterson, Faye Johnson and Murray Petersen, natives of Hyrum, Utah. It officially opened in 1963 and closed on November 17, 2005 following the sale of the property. Marketed as the friendliest casino in Vegas. It operated for 42 years, and was known as the world's largest motor inn.

According to the Clark County Assessors Office the property was sold to a Denver, Colorado company named C D P W H Acquisition, LLC (Centex Destination Properties a subsidiary of Centex Corporation) who reportedly intended to build high-rise condominiums. Voyager Entertainment had plans to build a large observation wheel on the property together with Centex Destination Properties but those plans have been canceled.

In January 2005 the Westward Ho opened an expansion casino simply called The Ho located at 2920 South Industrial Road, but unlike its parent property The Ho was strictly a gambling hall, convenience store and gas station geared primarily towards truck drivers and other transient travelers using the I-15 Interstate highway corridor. On November 25, 2005 eight days after the Westward Ho permanently closed their doors The Ho also permanently shut their doors.

In October 2006, Harrah's Entertainment purchased the site of the Westward Ho and then traded it with Boyd Gaming for the Barbary Coast Casino further south on the strip in Las Vegas. This transaction valued the land at over $15 million per acre. Boyd Gaming currently owns the Stardust casino, which is located next door to the former Westward Ho site. Boyd is planning on building its massive Echelon Place on the Stardust site. The former Westward Ho site will be available for future expansions.

[edit] Attractions

A 56,000 square foot Casino
744 rooms, though its press material frequently listed 777 rooms, 900 rooms, or over 1,000 rooms
Three outdoor pools
A 700 seat show room
Free shuttle to move those staying at the hotel around the property
The Megadog: 3/4 lb footlong hotdog for only $1.49

Driving along the strip, the golden umbrellas, polished gold brass fixtures, and mirrored facade were popular icons on the northern strip. The free-standing golden umbrellas (known as spectaculars in the lighting industry) stood over 80 feet tall and when installed in 1983, were revolutionary designs. These pylons were emulated both on the strip and Fremont Street (Golden Gate, Las Vegas Club, Bally's).

Inside the casino, the prevalent color scheme was brown and green, emphasizing the brass and dark Oak fixtures. There was also a faux-champagne fountain in the rear lobby, which poured water down a pyramid of stacked champagne flutes.

The Westward Ho was also famous for regular events, such as the "Grub-Steak Jamboree BBQ", "HO-waiaan Luau and Dinner", and the "Fabulous Doo-Wop Dinner" which included outdoor dining and party-atmospheres.

While other casinos on the strip featured table minimums at $5, $10, or $20 minimums, "The Ho" often had table minimums as low as $3, which made it popular with avid gamblers as well as locals.