A Flash of Modern Glamour: The 20th Century’s Brief Reign

The Las Vegas Strip has always been a place of reinvention, a canvas for dreams and spectacle. And sometimes, those dreams burn brightly—and quickly. The 20th Century Hotel & Casino, a relatively obscure entry in Las Vegas history, is a perfect example of this ephemeral nature. Operating for a mere 19 months between May 1977 and January 1979, it stands as a snapshot of a specific moment in time on the cusp of the megaresort era.

Before it became the 20th Century, the property, located at 115 E Tropicana Avenue, was a Howard Johnson’s motel, opened in 1973. This existing structure was purchased in 1977 by a New York investment group led by Andrew DeLillo. They envisioned a resort embodying the sleek, optimistic style of the 1920s and 30s – the “20th Century,” of course. It wasn’t about recreating the Roaring Twenties directly; it was about capturing that feeling of forward-thinking design and sophistication that defined the era.

A Mid-Century Aesthetic on the Strip

The 300-room resort aimed to be a classic cocktail lounge destination. It featured the standard amenities of the time: a casino floor, a buffet, a poolside oasis, and live entertainment geared toward the after-dinner crowd. The decor – though details are scarce – aimed to evoke a mid-century modern aesthetic. Think clean lines, maybe some avocado green and burnt orange accents, and a sense of optimistic futurism. It was a deliberate attempt to stand out from the increasingly elaborate (and expensive) themed resorts sprouting up along the Strip.

Challenges and Transformations

Unfortunately, capturing the zeitgeist wasn’t enough to guarantee success. The 20th Century struggled to find its footing in an increasingly competitive landscape. The grand, themed resorts like Caesars Palace and the MGM Grand were drawing the biggest crowds and the largest budgets. The 20th Century’s smaller scale and more understated style couldn’t compete.

In January 1979, the property was sold to Herb Ross, who dramatically pivoted the concept to a country-western theme, renaming it the Treasury Hotel & Casino. The transformation was swift and complete, reflecting the desperate measures often taken in the high-stakes world of Las Vegas casino ownership. This marked the definitive end of the 20th Century’s vision.

The subsequent years saw a flurry of ownership changes and further reinventions. It briefly operated as a hotel only, suffered licensing issues, and eventually declared bankruptcy. The DeLillo family did reclaim ownership later, renaming it the Pacifica and then the Polynesian Hotel.

A Legacy of Fleeting Moments

Today, the site is the OYO Hotel & Casino. While the 20th Century Hotel & Casino itself is long gone, its existence serves as a poignant reminder of the Strip’s constant evolution. It’s a testament to the fact that even well-intentioned ventures can be swept away by the tides of changing tastes and fierce competition. The property embodies the volatile nature of mid-to-late 20th-century Las Vegas, a fascinating period between the old-school glamour and the modern megaresort era. It’s a lost piece of vintage Las Vegas, easily overlooked but undeniably significant in the Strip’s sprawling, ever-changing story.