History
From 1959 to 1979 the property was called the Flamingo Capri. In November 1979, it was renamed to the Asian-themed Imperial Palace by new owner Ralph Engelstad. When Engelstad died in 2002, the casino ownership transferred to the Ralph Engelstad and Betty Engelstad Trust. The casino operated as its own limited partnership, Imperial Palace LLC, under the Trust's oversight.
The Imperial Theatre showroom with 850 seats was completed and opened in June 1980.
The first of the 19-story towers was added in early 1981 with 850 rooms. This expansion also included the Imperial Palace's Auto Collections, located on the fifth floor of the hotel's self-parking garage (which itself was also part of the expansion). A second tower was added in August 1982 that brought the hotel's room count to 1,500. In 1986, the third tower of the Imperial Palace was completed bringing the room count to 2,100 rooms. The casino was expanded by 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2), and the meeting and convention space was expanded. A major expansion from August 1987 to July 1989 added the fourth 19-story tower with 547 rooms, which brought the room count to 2,637. The expansion also included a new swimming pool, a two-story waterfall, heated spa and poolside bar, a nightclub, race & sports book, health and fitness center, and office complex. In 1993, an independent 24-hour medical facility serving guests and employees was opened.
In 1984, a couple from Missouri were assaulted in their guest room by a man dressed as a hotel employee. They were beaten, bound and gagged, and the wife was raped. The assailant was never caught. The couple sued the Imperial Palace, claiming that the hotel did not provide adequate security. The lawsuit lasted until at least 1989, with allegations that hotel employees destroyed evidence relating to their security practices. The case was ultimately settled on undisclosed terms.
The lawsuit would lead indirectly to more trouble for the casino. In 1988, several employees, angry about being placed on leave as punishment for talking to the plaintiff attorney, began speaking to the Gaming Control Board and local media about two Nazi-themed parties Engelstad had held at the Imperial Palace. The parties were held in Engelstad's so-called "war room", which featured a large collection of World War II Nazi memorabilia, including a portrait of Engelstad in the likeness of Hitler. A national controversy ensued. Engelstad claimed the collection was purely of historical interest, and not meant to glorify the Nazis. The Gaming Control Board recommended that Engelstad lose his gaming license and be fined $200,000 for reflecting poorly on the reputation of the Nevada gaming industry. An agreement was ultimately reached whereby Engelstad kept his license, but paid $1.5 million in penalties.
On August 22, 2005, Harrah's announced plans to purchase this property. The acquisition was completed on December 23, 2005.
During a conference call with investors on November 20, 2005, the Chairman for Harrah's, Gary Loveman, noted that both the Imperial Palace and neighboring O'Sheas "are going to require very substantial modifications or complete tear-downs and rebuilds" in order to make room for a Harrah's and/or Flamingo expansion on the Strip. However, since then, Harrah's has invested millions of dollars into refurbishing both the hotel rooms and the casino itself.
In July 2009, Harrah's announced new plans for the area around the Imperial Palace, O'Shea's, and Flamingo casinos, confirming that the Imperial Palace will not be demolished at this time.
In August 2011, Caesars Entertainment Corporation announced it will be building a massive entertainment complex on the site of the current Imperial Palace and O'Shea's casinos, called Project Linq. The Imperial Palace name will be retired and the property renamed.
On September 17, 2012, Caesars Entertainment Corporation announced that Imperial Palace will be renamed "The Quad Resort and Casino." The official conversion will be complete December 21, 2012.
Read more about this topic: Imperial Palace Hotel And Casino
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