PART 1    Original Renderings of Existing Resorts

PART 3    Recently Cancelled Projects (since 2005)

DREAMS  -  PART 2  (Old Dreams)
Dream Projects from the Past, that were Never Built
 Some cool - Some ridiculous

In 1982 architect  Martin Stern Jr. (the designer of the International and Xanadu) was commissioned to design a huge expansion for the Landmark.  However, Landmark's owner Ed Wolfram was convicted of embezzling $47 million from his brokerage firm, Bell & Beckwith. The Hotel was seized and put up for sale and we all know the rest (in peace).
Let's discuss this on the blog
 

In 1993, the Desert Inn was purchased by ITT/Sheraton. The Desert Inn had a large surface parking lot to the south of the resort (which now holds Wynn Las Vegas). Their first plans were a Balinese Resort called Desert Kingdom. This was to be an additional resort, complimenting the Desert Inn.
 
 

Planet Hollywood (first site)

ITT/Sheraton's second plan for the Desert Inn land (now under the Wynn complex) struck a deal with the dudes from Planet Hollywood  and came up with some crazy plans for a Planet Hollywood resort on the property.

The first (very conceptual) rendering (left) was pretty wild, gravity defying, and ugly. This was later refined (right) in to a more plausible plan with a 20-story sphere.

images courtesy LVCVA

Beverly Hillbillies Resort

Max Bear (who played Jethro on TV's Beverly Hillbillies) was planning a Beverly Hillbillies themed (yes I said themed) resort, complete with flaming oil derrick, Granny's kitchen etc. in North Las Vegas (at least it wasn't on the strip). He's been planning to open one in Reno for some time now and those plans are (allegedly) still in the works.  The rendering (left) is an old one from the Reno project. Gaming Control Board members approved the licenses required for the project. 

There's been no news on this for over three years, so it will live on the Dreams page until it comes back to life.

See the location on THE Area Map

 

London Resort and Casino

There have been two locations for the London Resort and Casino, and both of them have had a giant observation wheel (from the Giant Wheel Co.)  The resort was to include a Harrod's department store, Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, a Piccadilly Square shopping area and many other London themed attractions.

This rendering shows the original location, on the Strip directly across the street from the Luxor on a property now owned by MGM Mirage adjacent to the airport. See more about the wheel here

London Resort and Casino (second try)

This is the other location for the London Resort and Casino, on the old El Rancho site which is now the future home of the Fontainebleau Resort on the north Strip. Notice the Turnberry Place tower in the background.

Rio

The third failed location for a giant wheel (this time from the Voyager company) was at the Rio.  In 2003 Harrah's had promised an $86-million project that would have changed Las Vegas' skyline. The 600 foot (worlds tallest) observation wheel had a nightclub in the hub structure and an entertainment center in the base.

Voyager is still hell-bent on locating a wheel somewhere on or near the strip and is still searching for the perfect site.

Voyager has a cool website. Visit it here.

The Palace of the Sea

The fourth proposal for the wheel (second for Voyager) was on the now vacant, 27-acre Wet and Wild water park site.  The 3000-room The Palace of the Sea Resort and Casino looked very intriguing. The yachts in the harbor were to be high-roller suites. The Sky Wheel, would have been over 600 feet tall (another world record for Vegas). The casino/lobby building resembled the Sydney Opera House. The hotel weighed in at 60-floors and had a sail-like shape. Gee, I guess all themes aren't bad.

This land is now owned by LVTI who had (now cancelled) plans for a major resort, the Las Vegas Tower.

Voyager

The rendering (left) used the Westward Ho property as the location for the giant wheel, but alas, that property is now in Boyd's domain and being used for the second phase of Echelon Place.

The folks at Voyager insist that the wheel will be built and have three other possible (undisclosed) locations.

Read more about Voyager here

Addams Family Resort and Casino

Aimed directly at the baby-boomer demographic, The Addams Family Resort and Casino was another (really bad, ok, laughable) idea.

Xanadu

In 1975 Martin Stern Jr. proposed the Xanadu, an ultra luxury resort and casino, for the site now occupied by Excalibur. Stern was the designer of the International (now the L V Hilton) and the original MGM Grand (now Bally's).

Xanadu was  to have a soaring atrium (like the Luxor's), 1,730 rooms and many features which were then revolutionary (today's standard fare).   The project was approved by the county. The construction plans were then halted when it was discovered that the sewer lines in the area would not handle the output from such a large project. 

Read the whole story and see many more renderings and site plans at the Xanadu's website. Visit it here.

Stratosphere Ride

Protests from nearby neighbors helped to block construction of the original 800-foot (left) and the revised 510-foot ride at the Stratosphere. This Dream was proposed back in 2002. If it had been built, I'm sure that the Ivana, Allure and Liberty Towers would have chosen a different neighborhood.

The roller coaster would have dropped passengers from the hotel's tower and across Las Vegas Boulevard at top speeds of 93 mph.

Residents said the roller coaster would discourage new residents from moving in and contributing to the revitalization of the area.

Cascada

The Cascada resort has been on the books for 9 years. This five-star property was originally planed for the large parcel of land directly across the Strip from the Sahara. It appears that Steve Wynn must have seen this and liked what he saw as this model looks suspiciously similar to Wynn Las Vegas.

The Hilton Grand Vacation Timeshares already uses a piece of this land and MGM MIRAGE own the rest (and have future plans for the site).

WWF Resort and Casino

One of the concepts for the large property directly across I-15 from the Mandalay Bay was the WWF, which would probably draw a rather rough crowd.  The chances that this will be built are slim indeed.  There was talk of a "sports" themed resort for that location. The land is now owned by Starwood.

Playboy Hotel and Casino

Originally planned for the site where the Cosmopolitan is being built, the Playboy Hotel and Casino was an interesting design concept, with its slender triad of towers. Hugh Hefner opted for the top two floors of the new Palms Fantasy Tower complete with a Playboy Club.

Image courtesy Paul Steelman Group

Asia Resort and Casino

This is a weird (and rather ugly) concept called the Asia Resort and Casino. The concept must have been presented to Sheldon Adelson as an idea for the Palazzo site. Adelson seems to have made a much better choice with the Palazzo.

Image courtesy Paul Steelman Group

Harley Davidson Hotel and Casino

A giant exhaust pipe shaped hotel...hmmm...I hope not. This rendering of the Harley Davidson Hotel and Casino uses the site directly east of The Palms on Flamingo Road, which was also the home of the defunct VEGAS 888 project.  

Image courtesy Paul Steelman Group

Titanic

The Titanic resort, 400 feet long and containing 1,200 rooms, would have been one of the most heavily themed fantasy resorts in Las Vegas. The concept was  rejected by the Las Vegas City Council. This was proposed for the big lot across the strip from the Sahara.

( More photos of the Titanic resort )

City by the Bay

The San Francisco themed City by the Bay Resort and Casino was planned as a replacement for the New Frontier. 

Later, the plans changed to the Montreux (a Swiss and jazz themed resort). Those plans were cancelled and now The Plaza has big plans.

Moon

Michael Henderson came to Las Vegas with a dream, a scale model of his $5- billion casino resort called Moon and a video-tape pitching the idea.  That's a big problem, according to casino industry experts, who say the Vancouver, British Columbia, resident doesn't stand a chance of getting the money to build his 10,000-room, 250-acre lunar-themed casino.  Where the hell would he put it.           

(More photos of Moon)