Built on the site of a Union Pacific Railroad Depot, a fashionable stop on the first train service through Las Vegas, the Plaza opened in 1971. For years it was a gaudy, somewhat cheap-looking hotel attracting mostly package tourists and blue-haired ladies – then it underwent much-needed renovations in 2011. Additions include 1000 new rooms, nearly a dozen new bars and restaurants, and a brand new casino. Though the Plaza has an undoubtedly fresher, more contemporary appearance, the place is far from pretentious – it still packs in the loyal gamblers with its rowdy $5 blackjack tables with friendly cocktail waitresses who call you 'hun'.
