In 1946, underworld figure Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel oversaw the completion of the original Flamingo, a 105-room pioneering venture 7 miles south of town. He named it after his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, whose nickname was "the flamingo". Today, the Flamingo stands on perhaps the busiest street corner in Las Vegas, the intersection of Flamingo Road and the famous Las Vegas Strip, called "the four corners." The building is unmistakable by reason of its neon pink façade and Miami-style art deco architecture. The Flamingo now offers 3,626 hotel rooms and suites in six towers. It is owned by Harrah's.

Transportation

A monorail connects the MGM Grand to the Sahara hotel, with five stops in between. The Flamingo is just about in the middle of the line. This convenience opens virtually all of the rest of the Strip to the visitor interested in playing several casinos or taking in many shows, or shopping with a broad reach.

Attractions

The Flamingo has created a habitat in which are thriving many real-life flamingos. Other birds call this refuge their home, too. Guests enjoy this unusual offering, an unexpected tropical environment in the middle of the Nevada desert. The Caribbean theme continues with a 15-acre water playground inside the property, Margaritaville, and tropical décor everywhere.

Casino

The 77,000 square foot casino presents table games (including craps - Bugsy's favorite - roulette and blackjack. In the poker room there is Texas Hold'em, of course, and seven card stud, as well as Omaha and all the variations. Over 1,600 slots and video poker machines are available, including many progressive machines. The race and sports book offers daily lines on all the major races and sporting events with large screens and individual TVs for the 92 seats in the facility.

Entertainment

The large-scale Flamingo Showroom is a well-known headliner venue. It has hosted entertainers like Wayne Newton, Dean Martin, Nat "King" Cole and Richard Pryor. Recently booked for an indefinite run is singer Toni Braxton. Comedian George Wallace has also become a frequent and popular performer at the Showroom. In the Second City Theatre, a 180-seat show venue in a cabaret format, guests can go to see the comedy act performed by The Second City, which is an often-hilarious and always entertaining improvisational and interactive show. Also at the Second City Theater is X-Burlesque, a popular entrant in the sexy, topless revue category, combining beautiful women, lavish costumes and sultry choreography into a classic Las Vegas presentation. The Society of Seven with Lani is a high-energy, Hawaiian musical production also presented at the Flamingo.

Lounges and Bars

Jimmy Buffett's well-recognized Margaritaville is an obvious option for people looking for a party in Caribbean style. In the wee, small hours (1 to 4), the Second City Theatre becomes the Flamingo Late Night Lounge with a DJ, music and a dance floor. There is also Bugsy's Bar, a 24-hour watering hole right in the casino, the Garden Bar that overlooks the waterfall and Flamingo Lagoon, and the Island Bar, which specializes in tropical drinks.

Dining

Guests at the Flamingo have many options for eating. Fine dining includes the Steak-house46, Hamada of Japan, and Ventuno. The more casual choices are Margaritaville, the Paradise Garden Café, and the Tropical Breeze Café. Steakhouse46 serves, in addition to steaks, prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, pork chops, duck and salmon. Décor is traditional English. Hamada of Japan offers sushi followed by meat and seafood dishes prepared ac-cording to traditional recipes and presentation, including entertaining knife techniques in preparing food over table-side grills. Ventuno is an upscale Northern Italian restaurant, featuring dishes like a lasagna and shrimp with linguini. Ventuno also has a wood-burning pizza oven that also bakes their bread right on the premises. Margaritaville is Jimmy Buffett's signature bar, restaurant and retail outlet. The menu has many tasty options, like steak with pineapple rum sauce, fresh fish and the required "cheeseburger in paradise." The Paradise Garden Buffet overlooks the flamingo habitat and offers salads and fresh fruit, as well as many seafood offerings and traditional American fare. The Tropical Breeze Café has a complete menu, from breakfast to dinner, with sandwiches, full entrees, soups, pastas and salads.

Pools

The pool area is really a 15-acre Caribbean resort of its own, with lots of landscaping and water features (fountains, lagoons and waterfalls) in addition to the four pools themselves and hot tubs. At the Lagoon Pool, there is a deck with water slides. Cabanas are available for day rental. The Beach Club is the poolside restaurant and bar. In the summers, the Flamingo throws poolside parties on the weekends.

Spa

The Flamingo's Spa addresses the relaxation needs of the guest as well as workout facilities and a beauty salon. There are separate facilities for men and women, including eucalyptus steam rooms, saunas, and whirlpools. Massages are offered of all kinds, as well as aromatherapy, facials and body treatments. The fitness center has cardiovascular workout equipment, free weights and weight machines. In the beauty salon stylists can provide the guest with every need for haircuts, coloring, manicures and pedicures, and cosmetic make-overs.

Golf and Tennis

As one of Harrah's resorts, the Flamingo has an arrangement with Rio Secco golf course (15 minutes away) and Cascata golf course (30 minutes away). Both are award-winning courses for the quality of their greens and fairways, their layouts, and their beautiful natural settings. The Flamingo also has four illuminated tennis courts inside the 15-acre tropical reserve that is the pool area. A pro shop provides supplies and instruction.

Weddings

The wedding chapel at the Flaming is in a tropical garden under palm trees. Several other natural venues are also available. Credentialed wedding coordinators are available to help with all the planning including the ceremony itself, flowers and photography/videography, gowns and tuxedos, documentation, the reception, and even the honeymoon.

Meetings and Conventions

The Flamingo operates a 24 hour business center for guests and also clients of the meeting planning staff. The facility contains 73,000 square feet of space for conventions, shows and meetings from a small number up to several thousand. Venues include ballrooms, meeting rooms, pre-function and exhibition space, board rooms, and even the other venues in the rest of the property. The Sunset Ballroom has 20,882 square feet and can accommodate 2,400 attendees. The El Dorado Ballroom has 7,552 square feet for meetings of 700. The 15,000 square foot Red Rock Room can hold 5,000 persons or be divided into many smaller break-out session rooms. Two board rooms and several other large meeting and reception rooms are also available. The planning staff can also show how to integrate the other features of the hotel and casino into a meeting, for example, planning events for the Lagoon Pool, the Garden View Terrace or the Second City Theater.