Flamingo Las Vegas (formerly the Flamingo Hilton) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The Flamingo includes a 72,299 sq ft (6,716.8 m) casino and a 28-story hotel with 3,460 rooms.

The resort was originally proposed by Billy Wilkerson, founder of The Hollywood Reporter, who purchased the land in 1945. Early the following year, he partnered with a trio of mobsters to obtain financing. Among his partners was Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, who proceeded to take over the $1 million project, to Wilkerson's dismay. Construction costs rose under Siegel's management, with a final price of $6 million.

The Flamingo's casino opened on December 26, 1946, followed by a three-story hotel on March 1, 1947. It is the oldest continuously operating resort on the Strip, and was the third to open there. Siegel was killed by an unknown shooter in June 1947, and numerous ownership changes would take place in the years to come.

Hilton Hotels Corporation bought the resort in the early 1970s, and renamed it the Flamingo Hilton, a name it would retain until 2001. The first 28-story addition was completed in 1978, and others would follow over the next two decades, with the final one finished in 1995.

The three-story hotel, the last remaining structure from the original Flamingo, was demolished in 1993, helping make way for the final high-rise addition. A portion of this property was also redeveloped as a new 15-acre (6.1 ha) pool area, accompanied by an animal habitat which includes flamingos. The resort has hosted numerous entertainers, including an 11-year residency for musical duo Donny and Marie Osmond that concluded in 2019.

The Flamingo occupies property originally owned by one of Las Vegas's first settlers, Charles "Pops" Squires. In 1944, Margaret Folsom bought his 40-acre (16 ha) tract for $7,500. In 1945, she opened and briefly operated a small motel on part of the land, known as Rancho Aloha. Later that year, Folsom sold 33 acres (13 ha) of the land to Billy Wilkerson, founder of The Hollywood Reporter. He also owned three popular nightclubs on the Sunset Strip: Cafe Trocadero, Ciro's, and LaRue.

Wilkerson was a heavy gambler and a frequent visitor to Las Vegas. He bought the land from Folsom for $84,000; the high asking price had been the subject of dispute during negotiations. Rancho Aloha was demolished to help make way for a new casino resort planned by Wilkerson.

Wilkerson lacked the money to finance the resort project on his own. In February 1946, he received a $1 million check from G. Harry Rothberg, in exchange for a two-thirds interest in the project for his mobster partners. They included Moe Sedway, Gus Greenbaum, and another individual Wilkerson would meet in March 1946: Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. The trio were already involved in the El Cortez hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas.

Construction on Wilkerson's resort project was underway by March 1946, shortly after the end of World War II. That month, the Civilian Production Administration issued a freeze order that prohibited new construction without its approval. This was done to conserve construction materials for veteran housing, although Siegel successfully argued that the hotel project had already begun construction prior to the order.

A few months after joining the project, Siegel made himself the on-site boss. With approval from mobster Meyer Lansky, an off-the-books financier, Siegel created the Nevada Projects Corporation. The company was formalized in July 1946, with the intent of building a resort to Siegel's specifications. Wilkerson was dismayed by this, and his relationship with Siegel soon deteriorated.

Originally planned as a $1 million resort, the project costs increased to $6 million due to mismanagement by Siegel. In addition to Lansky, Siegel would receive loans from other mafia figures such as Frank Costello. The resort was built by Del Webb Construction. The company's construction managers had a difficult time getting their pay, which prompted owner Del Webb to nervously ask Siegel for the money himself at one point. Siegel, in response, said, "You'll get paid, don't worry about it. We (mobsters) only kill each other."

Siegel was commonly credited as the project's original visionary until the 1990s, when Wilkerson's son set out to correct the record. Wilkerson's involvement is further chronicled in The Man Who Invented Las Vegas, a biographical book written by his son and published in 2000.

Historian Frank Wright of the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society said in 1996, "It was Bugsy who took over the building when Wilkerson ran short of funds. Bugsy finished it and opened it, so in a real sense, it was Bugsy Siegel's hotel." Hal Rothman, a history professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, also considered Wilkerson's involvement "more of a footnote," stating in 2000, "He had an idea but he wasn't able to pull it off. The Flamingo he envisioned probably was very different from the one Siegel envisioned."

By May 1946, the project had been named the Flamingo, although it is disputed as to who came up with the name: Siegel or Wilkerson. Mobster Lucky Luciano, in a purported memoir published in 1975 after his death, credited Siegel with the name. According to the memoir, Siegel had once owned an interest in Florida's Hialeah Park Race Track, which was known for its on-site flock of flamingos. Siegel purportedly viewed the bird as a good-luck charm. Lansky also supported this version of events. Another story says that Siegel named the Flamingo after his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, for her red hair and long legs. Hill would also blush with pinkness while consuming alcohol, further evoking a flamingo.

An early name, Hotel Wilkerson, was used prior to Siegel's involvement. Wilkerson's son stated that the Flamingo name was thought up by his father: "He had a particular liking for exotic birds and named several of his projects after them. After considering several ideas, all variations on exotic birds, he finally settled on the Flamingo Club. That was the main working title until Siegel entered the picture." Wilkerson's son attributed the claim to his father's attorney, Greg Bautzer. According to a 2013 biography of Bautzer, Wilkerson was inspired by prominent bars in New York such as the Stork Club and began thinking of birds, leading to the Flamingo name. Michael Green, a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada, said "The Flamingo name probably was Billy's, because he was modeling it along the lines of the Miami Beach hotels, and the flamingo idea was prominent down there."

Siegel debuted the Flamingo's casino on December 26, 1946. Opening ceremonies took place over several days, with various celebrities in attendance. Approximately 200 VIPs to the opening each received a hand-painted ceramic flamingo statue, gifted to them by Siegel.

The Flamingo was built on the Las Vegas Strip, known then as U.S. Route 91. It is sometimes credited as the first resort to open on the Strip, although it was preceded by two earlier properties: El Rancho Vegas in 1941, and Hotel Last Frontier in 1942. The Flamingo was, however, the first Strip resort to feature an upscale and modern design, in contrast to the western-themed El Rancho and Frontier. Of the three resorts, the Flamingo was the southernmost property at that time.

The Flamingo originally lacked a hotel, which was still under construction. The casino suffered financially because of this, as gamblers stayed at its two nearby competitors. The Flamingo's casino closed on February 6, 1947, to better coordinate preparations for the hotel section. The casino reopened on March 1, 1947, coinciding with the hotel's debut. Siegel forced Wilkerson out of the Flamingo less than three weeks after the hotel's opening, and Wilkerson rarely spoke of the property after that.

Siegel was killed by an unknown shooter on June 20, 1947. Shortly after his death, Sedway, Greenbaum and mobster David Berman took possession of the Flamingo. Berman ran a skimming operation at the resort, on Lansky's behalf.

In July 1947, businessman Sanford Adler paid $3 million to purchase the Flamingo, which had been struggling financially. Adler and other investors soon formed a new ownership company for the resort, Flamingo Club, Inc., later known as Flamingo Hotel Corporation. In 1948, real estate developer Morris Rosen stated that he was contractually entitled to shares in the company, accusing Adler of withholding stock ownership. Greenbaum and other stockholders bought out Adler later that year, and the case between Adler and Rosen was settled.

From 1955 to 1960, the property was operated by Albert Parvin of the Parvin-Dohrmann Corporation. Parvin owned 30% of the stock while businessman Harry Goldman owned 7.5%; other investors included singer Tony Martin and actor George Raft.

In 1960, the Flamingo was sold for $10.5 million to a group including Morris Lansburgh and Daniel Lifter, Miami residents with reputed ties to organized crime. Lansky allegedly served as middleman for the deal, receiving $200,000. The ownership group held the Flamingo for seven years. Lansky, Lansburgh, and others involved in the Flamingo would later be charged with federal tax evasion relating to the resort's income, years after selling the property.

A Japanese business group, led by millionaire Kenji Osano, agreed to purchase the Flamingo in 1967. However, due to his foreign citizenship, Osano would have faced a protracted investigation period before he could obtain a gaming license. The sale agreement was soon terminated.

American businessman Kirk Kerkorian acquired the Flamingo in 1967, making it part of his International Leisure Company. In 1970, Hilton Hotels Corporation bought a 44-percent interest in Kerkorian's company. The following year, Hilton increased its ownership stake further, and renamed the resort as the Flamingo Hilton. In 1972, Hilton bought out the remaining shares of International Leisure.

Hilton executive Horst Dziura served as the resort's vice president and managing director, and later became its president. He oversaw a transformation of the property during a nearly two-decade period, with various high-rise additions being made between 1978 and 1995. The original casino structure had been long demolished by 1991. The original low-rise hotel structure, including Siegel's on-site residence, was also demolished as part of the 1995 expansion, helping make way for a new pool area and animal habitat. A memorial plaque for Siegel was added to this area, and an entertainment venue was also named after him.

The 50th anniversary of Siegel's murder was not commemorated by the Flamingo Hilton, with a spokesman saying, "Although he was a founder of this property, he was certainly not a role model. We're talking about a murderer, thief and rapist -- all the things that society shouldn't aspire to be." By 2000, the resort's employee dining room had been named Bugsy's Backroom Cafe. A steakhouse bearing his name would open to the public two decades later.

The Flamingo name has been applied to gambling operations elsewhere in Nevada, including the Flamingo Hilton Reno (1989), and the Flamingo Hilton Laughlin (1990). The name has also been used for riverboat casinos, including one opened in New Orleans (1994), and another one in Kansas City, Missouri (1996).

In 1998, Hilton's gambling properties, including the Flamingo Hilton, were spun off as Park Place Entertainment (later renamed to Caesars Entertainment, Inc.). The deal included a two-year license to use the Hilton name. Park Place opted not to renew that agreement when it expired in late 2000, and the property was renamed Flamingo Las Vegas the following year. In 2005, Harrah's Entertainment purchased Caesars Entertainment, Inc. and the property became part of Harrah's Entertainment. The company changed its name to Caesars Entertainment Corporation in 2010.

Australian footballer John McCarthy, of the Port Adelaide Football Club, died on September 9, 2012, after falling 30 feet (9 m) from a rooftop of the hotel. The incident occurred at the start of a post-season holiday for McCarthy and other Port Adelaide players. They had arrived in Las Vegas only a few hours before the incident. After reviewing evidence, police said that McCarthy had attempted to jump off the roof onto a palm tree, but fell to the ground.

The Flamingo occupies 19 acres (7.7 ha) at the center of the Las Vegas Strip. Flamingo Road, the nearest cross-street, is named after the resort. Although its original buildings have been demolished, the Flamingo remains as the oldest continuously operating resort on the Strip. As of 2005, it had more than 4,000 employees.

Wilkerson originally hired George Vernon Russell to design the project, although Siegel was not impressed with him and instead hired Richard Stadelman as architect for the casino, restaurant, and shops. The hotel rooms were designed by Tom Douglas.

The Sands resort opened on the Strip in 1952, and was considered more luxurious than the Flamingo, which began a remodeling and expansion project in response. Work concluded in 1953, increasing the casino, bar and restaurant space. The project architect was Max Horowitz, of the firm Pereira & Luckman.

A $2.5 million renovation was launched in 1967, under Kerkorian's ownership. The project included more gaming space, extending the resort to the sidewalk along the Strip. The casino floor was remodeled in 1992 to feature a wider array of colors, better complementing the resort's exterior. According to the project's interior designer Zoltan Kovacs, "The casino had none of the vibrancy or brightness of what we promised on the outside." A $130 million expansion took place from 1994 to 1995, enlarging the casino further. As of 2017, the Flamingo includes 72,299 sq ft (6,716.8 m) of gaming space.

The Flamingo opened with 105 rooms. It was originally a three-story hotel, but included a fourth-story penthouse for Siegel, who oversaw construction of the on-site residence. Because he feared for his life, the suite included four-inch-thick concrete walls. He also had secret tunnels built into the residence, in the event that he needed to make an emergency getaway. After his death, the penthouse would be rented out to the public, and the original hotel structure would become known as the Oregon wing.

The first hotel addition came in 1958, with two buildings at the rear of the property. Designed by Douglas Honnold, they both were two stories and added 92 new rooms in total. In 1961, the Flamingo added 200 additional rooms in a four-story structure. The following year, construction began on another building with an equal height and the same number of units.

The first high-rise addition, rising 28 stories and built parallel with the Strip, was completed in 1978. An northward extension was finished two years later. By 1983, a third addition of equal height had been completed, giving the Flamingo Hilton a total of 2,250 rooms. This made it among the world's largest hotels. Two more additions, also 28 stories, were completed in 1988 and 1990; some of the property's older low-rise hotel structures were demolished to make way for the latter addition.

The final hotel expansion project required the demolition of the original Oregon wing. It closed on October 17, 1993, and was demolished two months later. The final high-rise building, with 612 rooms, was completed in January 1995. The high-rise additions were designed by architect Homer Rissman. A timeshare property, part of Hilton Grand Vacations, was also built on the Flamingo's rear acreage during the 1994-95 expansion. It includes a 17-story tower and two 8-story towers.

The Flamingo hotel includes 3,460 rooms. A 1,000-room renovation took place from 2000 to 2001, and 2,400 others were renovated in 2004. Another renovation of 2,300 rooms was completed in 2012, at a cost of $10 million. Further room renovations took place from 2017 to 2018. The designer, Forrest Perkins, used gold and pink in the upgraded rooms and described them as contemporary retro-chic with a focus on the 70-year history of the Flamingo.