Vol. 9 No. 5 May 2008
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The Allure of Algiers
Casino was a true locals hangout on the Strip
The Algiers opened in 1953, as an adjunct to the Thunderbird casino next door. As the Thunderbird went through ownership changes, the Algiers emerged as a property in its own right, it remained under the ownership of Marion and Lillian Hicks, and later passed into the hands of their daughter, Marianne Kifer.
While other motels disappeared to make way for larger resorts or remodeled themselves into casino hotels, the Algiers kept its same look for decades, thanks to the patient leadership of longtime general manager Jack Walsh, who moved over from the Thunderbird in 1961 and lived on the property until his death in 1996. Walsh, who served as a member of the Nevada Gaming Commission from 1973 to 1985, was respected throughout the state for his integrity and concern for all Nevada citizens.
Though the Algiers didn’t have a casino, its bar, with video poker machines, was a favorite haunt for locals and savvy tourists alike, becoming the most unlikely of places—a genuine neighborhood watering hole on the Las Vegas Strip.
By 2001, the Algiers’ days seemed numbers, as plans to expand the property—or tear it down and build a Ferris wheel—circulated.
The Algiers managed to avoid the bulldozers until August 2004, when it closed to make way for the Krystal Sands, a 45-story condo-hotel. By the following spring, the Krystal Sands had been cancelled amid a round of lawsuits.
Today, the Algiers land is part of the Fontainebleau, a 3800-room, 63-story casino hotel that’s rising quickly and which is due to open in 2009. While the massive, stylish Fontainebleau will be a far cry from the homey Algiers, it is certain that the new hotel will make Nevada history in its own way. Still, the tiny Algiers will not soon be forgotten.
SOURCE: Neon Survey Collection, UNLV Special Collections
David G. Schwartz (www.dieiscast.com), is the Director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He is the author of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
