La Concha Motel facts for kids
| La Concha Motel | |
Quick facts for kids  The motel lobby building |
|
| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 |
| Address | |
| Opening date | 1961 |
| Closing date | 2004 |
| Architect | Paul Williams |
| Owner | Ed Doumani Fred Doumani Sr. |
| No. of rooms | 350 |
The La Concha Motel was a famous hotel that opened in 1961. It closed its doors in 2004. A talented architect named Paul Williams designed it. He was one of the first important African American architects in the United States. He also designed the unique theme building at LAX airport. The motel was located on the famous Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. It was known for its cool 1950s Googie architecture style. People believe it was named after the beautiful Beach of La Concha in Spain.
Contents
A Look Back at La Concha
The La Concha Motel was opened by M.K. Doumani. When it first opened, it was one of the biggest places to stay on the Las Vegas Strip. Many famous people stayed there, like Ronald Reagan, Ann-Margret, Flip Wilson, Muhammad Ali, and the Carpenters. The motel even appeared in the 1995 movie Casino. Later, M.K. Doumani's sons, Edward and Fred Doumani, owned the motel. They also owned the El Morocco motel next door.
Why the Motel Closed
By 2001, the owners were thinking about what to do with La Concha. Property taxes and electricity costs were very high. The city also required properties to help pay for new trees and plants on the Las Vegas Strip. The motel owner, Ed Doumani, said these costs were too much for a smaller place like La Concha. He felt the land was worth more than the buildings on it.
Even though the motel was often full, it didn't have a restaurant, casino, pool, or room service. Doumani planned to replace it with a new hotel that would have apartments and shops. This new project was approved in 2001.
The Motel's Demolition
In late 2003, it was announced that La Concha would close. It would be torn down to make way for a new project. On December 11, 2003, a part of the motel with 100 rooms was demolished. The rest of the motel, including a nine-story tower, continued to operate for a few more months. The entire property was expected to be cleared by July 2004.
Saving the Lobby
By August 2005, only the motel's unique lobby building was still standing. It was used as a sales office for the new apartments planned for the site. The Doumani family donated the lobby to the city's Neon Museum. The museum wanted to move and rebuild the lobby at its location.
The lobby was a special shell shape. The owners had hoped to include it in their new project, but it didn't fit the design. In November 2005, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority gave $300,000 to help move the lobby. By January 2006, enough money was raised. The lobby was moved to the Neon Museum at the end of that year.
Today, the La Concha Motel lobby is restored and can be seen at the Neon Museum. The museum also saved part of the motel's original sign.
What Happened to the Land?
The new hotel project that was supposed to replace La Concha was eventually canceled. In 2007, a company called Triple Five Group bought the land. They put it up for sale in 2014. In 2022, The Siegel Group bought the property for $75 million. They plan to build a new hotel and casino there in the future.
See also
- List of motels
