The Vanderpump Hotel Las Vegas
The Vanderpump Hotel Las Vegas is a luxury boutique casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It was originally opened by Michael Gaughan as the Barbary Coast on March 2, 1979. Several nearby resorts were opposed to its construction, partially due to concerns about increased traffic congestion. The property featured Victorian décor and later became part of Gaughan's company, Coast Casinos. The Barbary Coast would go on to add two popular restaurants, and a nightclub by Victor Drai.
Barbary Coast (1979–2007)
The property was once the site of the Desert Villa motel, which opened in 1958, at the northeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road. It was later renamed Empey's Desert Villa, after owner Phillip Empey. It was renamed again as the Times Square Motel in 1974, before closing later that year. In 1975, plans were approved for a shopping center to be built on the land, but the project failed to materialize, as the site had inadequate space for parking. By December 1975, Michael Gaughan and others were planning to build the $10 million Barbary Coast hotel-casino on the 1.7-acre site occupied by the Times Square. The project was proposed by Gaughan and his father Jackie, along with partners Kenny Epstein and Frank Toti. However, several nearby casino resorts – Caesars Palace, the Dunes, the Flamingo Hilton, and the MGM Grand – were opposed to the project, stating that it would cause further traffic congestion at the intersection. A Hilton executive also said that the Barbary Coast would "change the entire character of the Strip." The Clark County Department of Building and Safety said it would also oppose the project, as the hotel's parking structure would be built under high-voltage power lines located in a right-of-way, posing a safety hazard. Michael Gaughan said that the existing motel structure was already located beneath the power lines, and that he had approval for the construction of the parking garage.
Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon (2007–2013)
Harrah's acquisition of the Barbary Coast was finalized in February 2007, and the property was placed under the same management team as the Imperial Palace, a nearby property owned by Harrah's. The company temporarily closed the Barbary Coast's casino portion on February 27, 2007, around 2:00 a.m. New management replaced casino chips and rearranged table games during the closure. A low-key reopening took place at 2:00 p.m. on March 1, 2007, with the entire property renamed as Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon, in honor of company founder Bill Harrah. Management expected Bill's to eventually become part of Harrah's master plan for the area. Industry experts strongly believed that Harrah's would eventually demolish Bill's for redevelopment.
The Cromwell (2014–2026)
Bill's closed on February 4, 2013, for a year-long renovation. The property would be renamed and converted into a luxury boutique hotel. A month after the closure, Caesars announced that the property would reopen under the name Gansevoort Las Vegas, through a partnership with the New York-based Gansevoort Hotel Group. The project would fulfill Gansevoort's long-time goal of entering the Las Vegas market. Caesars would operate the property, and Gansevoort would provide design and marketing help. W.A. Richardson Builders served as the general contractor. The entire building was gutted, and three floors were added atop the hotel structure for Drai's new nightclub. Drai had long believed that the rooftop had untapped potential, although power lines had prevented any additional floors from being added. When Caesars later moved the power lines underground, Drai devised the idea for a rooftop club. A support building had to be constructed just north of the original hotel structure, providing additional bracing to the new club. A new employee parking garage was constructed on the property just east of the hotel. A spiral ramp on the hotel's east side, leading into the guest parking garage, was demolished. A new ramp was constructed on the property's northern side.
The Vanderpump (2026–present)
In March 2025, Caesars announced a new partnership with television personality Lisa Vanderpump, who oversees restaurants at several of its properties. Under the partnership, the Cromwell was renamed The Vanderpump Hotel, marking her first hotel project. The property remained open during renovation that concluded in early 2026. It was rebranded on June 11, 2026.
When it originally opened, the Barbary Coast had 150 rooms. Due to the small size of the site, the building included four floors of parking, located above the first-floor casino and beneath the hotel floors. An additional 50 hotel rooms were added in 1983, by converting one floor of parking. By 1987, the casino had one of Las Vegas' most popular sportsbooks. By 1999, the casino measured 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2). The Barbary Coast featured Victorian décor and stained glass murals, including one known as Garden of Earthly Delights, measuring 30 feet long by 5 feet high. It was added on the casino floor in 1984, and required 10 artists who worked more than 10,000 hours to create it. The mural was later moved to the Suncoast Hotel and Casino. The west side of the Barbary Coast building featured a neon sign designed by Brian "Buzz" Leming, an employee of YESCO. Leming said it was his favorite of all the casino signs he had designed. Neon lettering from the Barbary Coast was eventually relocated to the city's Neon Museum. The Barbary Coast/Bill's façade also featured a large stained-glass structure, which was removed during the Cromwell conversion and auctioned.
Restaurants
The Barbary Coast had a popular restaurant known as Michael's, which won several awards, and was named after Gaughan. In addition, the casino featured the Victorian Room coffee shop. In 1997, the Barbary Coast added an upscale French restaurant known as Drai's, operated by Victor Drai. It operated in the casino's basement, replacing a McDonald's restaurant. Like Michael's, Drai's would also go on to win awards. As part of the Harrah's ownership change, Michael's was relocated in 2007, to Gaughan's newly purchased South Point resort. The property opened a new restaurant known as the Steakhouse at Bill's, which eventually closed in 2012. Chef Giada De Laurentiis opened her first restaurant in June 2014, on the second floor of the Cromwell. The restaurant, named Giada, serves Italian food and seats 260 people.
Entertainment
In 1999, two years after its opening, Drai's would convert nightly into a club called Drai's After Hours, starting around 2:00 a.m. It featured live music and alcohol, and became a popular attraction for the property. Because of the restaurant's underground location, Drai had it designed like a club, stating that "the feeling was always more clubby than restaurant." The idea for an afterhours nightclub came when Drai agreed to let DJs perform in the restaurant after closing time, which led to immediate success. As of 2004, most of the Barbary Coast's entertainment was free, including live music in its lounge. Among the notable performers was an Elvis impersonator named Big Elvis. The property also offered karaoke nights.
