Key Takeaways

• Flamingo Las Vegas has been a Center Strip landmark for 80 years, combining classic Las Vegas history with modern restaurants, shows, pools, and nightlife
• The Flamingo’s appeal comes from its mix of history, location, entertainment, dining, and resort amenities in one Center Strip property
• Flamingo works for many types of trips, from romantic weekends and group getaways to business trips, casino nights, and pool days
• Flamingo Las Vegas experiences include Pinky’s by Vanderpump, Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse, The Count Room, the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, GO Pool, RuPaul’s Drag Race LIVE!, and more

Las Vegas is known as a city that constantly changes, where casinos are built up, blown up, and replaced in rapid succession. But for 8 decades, Flamingo Las Vegas has sat Center Strip as one of Sin City’s most historic and iconic properties. It’s featured headliners like Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight, Judy Garland, Donny and Marie Osmond, Jimmy Durante, and Dean Martin.

Today, Flamingo Las Vegas still draws guests because it pairs Center Strip history with modern restaurants, shows, pools, nightlife, and a wildlife habitat in one place.

At the foundation of the Flamingo is a connection to Hollywood. The property was conceived and partially built by Billy Wilkerson, founder of The Hollywood Reporter and owner of movie-star hangouts like Ciro’s. He was the one to name the property Flamingo, as the flamboyant pink birds’ image was fashionable during the 1940s. Chilean flamingos can still be admired at the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, a free 4-acre garden with meandering streams, waterfalls, native hummingbirds, turtles, koi, and other wildlife.

Restaurants, Bars, and Nightlife

The founder most identified with the Flamingo is gangster Bugsy Siegel, who took over the project from Wilkerson and completed it. Bugsy’s big innovation was style, with a pink-and-green color scheme and an aesthetic that embraced the dawn of midcentury modern. Previously, Las Vegas resorts had western ranch-style themes, but Flamingo had a cosmopolitan feel inspired by the nightclubs of Manhattan and Monte Carlo.

And while Bugsy’s Flamingo has changed, the tropical-chic style and nightlife feel remains. The Garden Bar overlooks the lagoons and waterfalls of the animal preserve and pool complex, offering a relaxing spot to play a hand, watch a game, or just gaze out at the palm trees with a cocktail in your hand. Pinky’s by Vanderpump is a restaurant and bar as extravagant as the woman it’s named after, with maximalist art deco decor and a menu of decadent small plates and cocktails. Havana 1957 pays homage to Cuba's golden age, with a menu of empanadas, rum cocktails, and dancing to Cuban music.

Bugsy’s Bar can be found beneath a glowing pink neon sign on the casino floor. And Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse is where a faux-bakery storefront hides a sophisticated restaurant. The lavishly appointed dining rooms are perfect for large and small celebrations, while the steak and seafood menu is classic Las Vegas. Tucked into the back of Bugsy & Meyer’s is The Count Room, a lounge with a speakeasy feel. It’s an amber-lit room with plush seats where guests can listen to live jazz and linger over a martini or old-fashioned.

Entertainment History and Current Shows

The showrooms at the Flamingo have long been home to legendary performers. In the 1950s, Judy Garland and the duo of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis played for audiences. During the 1970s, Tom Jones and Wayne Newton’s shows helped define the Las Vegas leading man. Legendary singers Donny and Marie Osmond headlined at Flamingo for 11 years, treating audiences to hits from different eras and genres.

Currently lighting up the showroom is RuPaul’s Drag Race LIVE! A rotating cast of drag queens from the groundbreaking, Emmy-award-winning TV show take the stage to sing, dance, and throw shade. For comedy and magic, Piff the Magic Dragon combines comedy, magic, and an adorable little dog. And “Mr. Las Vegas” himself, Wayne Newton, still sings through hits in his namesake theater.

Rooms, Pools, and the Flamingo Wildlife habitat

The original Flamingo Hotel was only 2 stories, then additions in 1961 built it up to 4 stories. After sprawling outward, it zoomed upward through the 1980s and 1990s, building the 28-story towers that are the bones of the hotel today, with a series of fresh improvements for the 80th anniversary.

The hotel has over 3,000 rooms in a variety of styles and sizes to accommodate the full range of guests. Flamingo rooms feature sleek decor with touches of pink and gray, while Go rooms are retro-chic featuring pink and white accents. Rooms range from comfortable kings to spacious suites, and a series with modern double-size bunk beds are perfect for group travel.

The Flamingo pools have long been a favorite spot to soak up the sun since the hotel opened. In fact, to promote the newly opened hotel, Marilyn Monroe posed for press photos in a swimsuit by the pool. Today, Flamingo’s pools have expanded with the Family Pool, a great spot for quiet relaxation, and the adults-only 21+ GO Pool with its live DJs and in-water VIP couches and daybeds.

Why Flamingo Las Vegas Still Matters After 80 Years

Since 1946, Flamingo Las Vegas has remained a Center Strip landmark by pairing classic Vegas history with restaurants, entertainment, pools, wildlife, and rooms built for modern trips. Its neon sign is still a photo-worthy symbol, but the resort’s staying power comes from the way it keeps adapting without losing its place in Las Vegas history.