The Linq (formerly Flamingo Capri, Imperial Palace and The Quad) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It opened as the Flamingo Capri on October 30, 1959, on property located directly north of the original Flamingo resort. The Flamingo Capri was a 180-room motel, owned by George E. Goldberg and Flamingo employee Bill Capri.

Ralph Engelstad purchased the Flamingo Capri in 1971, and added a casino the following year. He built additional motel buildings in 1974, and eventually added the 19-story Imperial Palace Tower in 1977. Engelstad renamed the entire property as the Imperial Palace on November 1, 1979, when a new casino facility opened on the site. The Flamingo Capri's casino was demolished to make way for the Imperial Palace's entrance, although some of the motel rooms would remain in operation for decades. The Imperial Palace was the first Asian-themed resort on the Strip. It was popular among middle-class and value-conscious guests. Long-running attractions included The Auto Collections, a car museum that operated from 1981 to 2017; and Legends in Concert, a show that ran from 1983 to 2009.

Engelstad added additional hotel towers from 1982 to 1987, increasing the room count to 2,637. It was among the largest hotels in the world. When Engelstad died in 2002, the Imperial Palace was the second-largest privately owned hotel in the world, behind the Venetian resort in Las Vegas. Following his death, operations were taken over by a group that included his wife Betty. Harrah's Entertainment (later known as Caesars Entertainment) purchased the Imperial Palace in 2005, for $370 million. The company considered partial or complete demolition of the resort, before deciding on a renovation instead. On December 21, 2012, Caesars renamed the resort as The Quad. The Asian theme was removed, and the property received a redesign.

The Linq Promenade – an outdoor collection of bars, restaurants, and retailers – was opened by Caesars in 2013. It was built along the Quad's southern edge. A signature feature of the promenade is the High Roller Ferris wheel, the second tallest in the world, only behind the Ain Dubai Ferris wheel. The Quad was renamed as The Linq on October 30, 2014, to match the new promenade. The name change was accompanied by a $223 million renovation, which modernized the resort in an effort to attract a new demographic of millennials. The Linq includes a 33,890 sq ft (3,148 m) casino and 2,250 rooms.

The property began as the $2-million, 180-room Flamingo Capri motel, owned by George E. Goldberg and Bill Capri. The motel was built directly north of the Flamingo Hotel and Casino, where Capri was an employee. The original Flamingo agreed to provide hotel services to guests at the Capri.

The motel began construction in May 1959, and opened on October 30 of that year. Douglas Honnold and John Rex, both of Beverly Hills, California, were the architects. Maurice N. Aroff of Beverly Hills was the general contractor. Capri departed the property soon after the opening, with Goldberg becoming the sole owner and operator. The Flamingo Capri Restaurant was added in 1964.

Ralph Engelstad purchased the motel in 1971, and added a casino in 1972. Prior to the addition of a casino, the motel had 250 employees. In 1973, four motel buildings from the Flamingo Capri were relocated and converted to become part of Engelstad's other property, the Kona Kai motel. Engelstad's construction company added a three-story wing at the east end of the motel, as well as a northern addition, both of which opened in 1974 along with the Shangri-la pool.

By 1976, the motel was being operated as part of the Best Western hotel chain, while retaining the Flamingo Capri name. An expansion project was underway in early 1977. It included the 19-story Imperial Palace Tower, which opened in July 1977, increasing the number of rooms from 300 to 650. A second phase of expansion began later in 1977, following the partial demolition of the Flamingo Capri motel. The expansion would include a new casino building and a showroom. There were plans to eventually rename the Flamingo Capri as the Imperial Palace. The Flamingo Capri's eastern motel structure continued operating for more than three decades under the Imperial Palace name.

The name change to Imperial Palace took place on November 1, 1979, with the opening of the new casino building. Demolition simultaneously began on the Flamingo Capri's casino building, clearing way for the Imperial Palace's entrance, which was expected to be finished within a month. The number of employees increased to 1,000.

Merlin J. Barth was the architect of the resort, which was themed after an Asian palace. Engelstad chose the Oriental theme for its uniqueness, as there were no other Asian-themed resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. Barth chose blue tile imported from Japan for the roof of the resort, having been influenced by Japanese temples. The interior heavily featured the Oriental theme as well, and included carved dragons and giant wind chime chandeliers. The Imperial Palace catered to a middle-class and value-conscious clientele throughout its history. The resort did little marketing, but still achieved high occupancy rates, due to its location on the Strip and its low room rates.

At the time of opening, the resort included Court of a Thousand Treasures, a four-story shopping arcade with 60 stores, overlooking the east end of the 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m) casino. An automobile museum, The Auto Collections, opened in 1981. A 650-room hotel tower opened in August 1982, bringing the total room count to more than 1,500. By 1982, the shopping arcade included the free Imperial Palace School of Gaming, for gamblers who did not know how to play. The school operated as a mini casino overlooking the main 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m) casino. It later operated on the main casino floor.

During the 1980s, the resort served as the starting and finishing location of the annual Imperial Palace Antique Auto Run. In 1985, the parking garage was expanded to include more than 1,000 additional parking spaces, becoming one of the largest parking facilities in Las Vegas. In December 1985, the foundation was laid for a 560-room hotel addition, which was completed in 1986, bringing the room count total to 2,100. The Imperial Palace became the seventh largest hotel in the world, and had more than 2,200 employees. The casino was expanded by 15,000 square feet (1,400 m), and convention facilities were increased from 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m) to 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m). A final hotel tower, standing 19 stories with 547 rooms, was completed in July 1987, bringing the total to 2,637 rooms. The tower was the former location of the resort's pool.

The Imperial Palace won several awards for its hiring of disabled people. Twice in the late 1980s, the Governor's Committee for the Handicapped named the Imperial Palace as "Employer of the Year". A few years later, the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities named the Imperial Palace "National Employer of the Year". The resort subsequently offered listening devices in its showroom for hearing-impaired audience members.

A three-phase expansion began in August 1987 and concluded in July 1989. The three-phase expansion included the addition of a new Olympic-size swimming pool, a heated spa, and a poolside bar. The final phase of the expansion – including a race & sportsbook, and fitness center – extended the resort to the sidewalk along Las Vegas Boulevard. The sportsbook was completed in September 1989, and a drive-through option was created in 1991. Located on Koval Lane behind the hotel, the drive-through became popular among customers. During the 1990s, the sportsbook also gained a reputation for posting more futures and proposition wagers than any other Las Vegas sportsbook.

In the early 1990s, the resort launched a weekly series of luau parties known as Hawaiian Hot Luau. It offered a buffet of Asian food and performances by hula dancers and fire eaters. In 1993, the Imperial Palace added a medical center for its employees and their families, as well as tourists. By the end of the decade, the resort partnered with Reno Air to provide guests with baggage check-in at the hotel, ahead of outgoing flights.

In 1984, a couple staying at the hotel were robbed, and the wife was also raped. They filed a security negligence lawsuit against the Imperial Palace, and later accused the resort of destroying records that were sought for the lawsuit. Casino executives later admitted to the destruction of such records. Several other lawsuits were filed during the mid-1980s, accusing the resort of sexual and religious discrimination.

In 1988, agents for the Nevada Gaming Control Board inspected the Imperial Palace and discovered that Engelstad had a "war room" there, containing a large collection of World War II Nazi memorabilia. Among the items was a portrait of Engelstad in the likeness of Adolf Hitler. The control board also found that Engelstad had hosted Nazi-themed parties at the war room in 1986 and 1988, celebrating Hitler's birthday. Following these revelations, state officials accused Engelstad of bringing discredit to Nevada and its gaming industry. He apologized for the parties and stated that the collection was purely of historical interest. Engelstad faced a possible revocation of his gaming license, but eventually agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine to the state, settling issues related to the Nazi controversy and the destruction of records. It was the second-largest fine in Nevada gaming history.

In 1997, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a sex discrimination lawsuit against the Imperial Palace, on behalf of six cocktail waitresses who worked there. The waitresses had become pregnant and their weight gain was considered unattractive by the resort, which gave them the option of taking lower-paying jobs or unpaid leave. The Imperial Palace eventually reached financial settlements with the women after three years.

James Grosjean, an advantage gambler, was briefly detained by Imperial Palace security in 2001. The Nevada Gaming Control Board viewed Grosjean as a person of interest, but later ordered that he be released. Despite the order, security continued to hold him for a period of time. Grosjean filed and eventually won a lawsuit against the Imperial Palace, alleging false imprisonment.

In the mid-1990s, Engelstad considered selling the Imperial Palace for $400-$500 million. At the time, the resort occupied 8.5 acres (3.4 ha), and Engelstad owned an additional 10 acres (4.0 ha) behind the resort. The casino measured 47,625 sq ft (4,424.5 m). As of 1997, the Imperial Palace was the 10th largest hotel in the world and the world's largest privately owned hotel. That year, Engelstad opened a second Imperial Palace in Biloxi, Mississippi. In 2000, Engelstad said that he would sell his properties in preparation for retirement. Analysts considered Harrah's Entertainment as a likely buyer for the Imperial Palace, given that the company's Harrah's Las Vegas resort was located on adjacent property.

Engelstad died of lung cancer in November 2002. At the time, the Imperial Palace was the second-largest privately owned hotel in the world, behind the Venetian resort in Las Vegas. The Imperial Palace had nearly 2,700 rooms and 2,600 employees. After Engelstad's death, his wife Betty oversaw operations with the help of his longtime attorney, his accountant, and the property's general manager. The four became co-trustees following Engelstad's death, and there were no immediate plans to sell the property, considering its popularity. In 2003, the casino added 600 new slot machines, and a monorail station was built, connecting with Harrah's Las Vegas.

In July 2004, an escalator fire sent smoke into the casino and upper-floor restaurants, forcing an evacuation. The fire caused $500,000 in damage, mostly to the escalator. The property reopened later that night, after two hours.

In June 2005, Harrah's Entertainment purchased Caesars Entertainment, Inc., which included the acquisition of the O'Sheas Casino and the Flamingo, both directly south of the Imperial Palace. Two months later, Harrah's announced plans to purchase the Imperial Palace for $370 million, giving the company a sizable and contiguous ownership of the center Strip. Harrah's had long wanted to acquire the Imperial Palace, and there was speculation that the company would demolish it for a new project. Harrah's chairman Gary Loveman said that plans were underway to develop the area for long-term success, stating that properties such as the Imperial Palace "are going to require very substantial modifications or complete tear-downs and rebuilds."

Harrah's completed its purchase in December 2005, and announced that the Imperial Palace would remain open into 2007, while redevelopment options were considered. The hotel had 2,640 rooms, and the casino included 1,600 slot machines and 56 table games. Harrah's leased the Imperial Palace name through a deal set to expire in 2012. Harrah's redevelopment plans were delayed in 2006, when two firms announced plans to purchase the company.

In 2007, Harrah's decided not to demolish the Imperial Palace or its neighbors. In 2009, the Imperial Palace added The King's Ransom, an exhibit of Elvis Presley memorabilia. A year later, Harrah's was renamed as Caesars Entertainment Corporation.

In August 2011, Caesars announced that the Imperial Palace name would be replaced, with a new name to be chosen at a later date. The property would also be renovated. Later that year, Caesars began construction on Project Linq, an outdoor collection of restaurants, bars, and retailers. The project was built on land between the Imperial Palace and Flamingo. The Imperial Palace still had some rooms left from the earlier Flamingo Capri, which were among the oldest rooms at the resort; 90 of these rooms were demolished around late 2011, making room for the Linq project. The project was intended as an urban gathering place, targeting younger, budget-conscious visitors. The name "Linq" was meant as a reference to a sense of community that the project aimed to create. It also referred to the project's location, connected between the Imperial Palace and the Flamingo.

The Imperial Palace's wedding chapel was among the facilities to receive renovation work. The resort's main entrance on Las Vegas Boulevard was closed on May 1, 2012, as part of the ongoing construction for Project Linq. A new resort entrance was built at the property's north end. The Rockhouse bar and nightclub, which had operated at the original entrance for several years, was permanently closed.