Westgate Las Vegas Celebrates the King: Honoring Elvis Presley’s Legacy 56 Years After His Legendary Debut
It’s impossible to tell the story of the Westgate Las Vegas without going back in history about how Elvis Presley put his mark on the property after it opened in early July 1969.
Then known as the International Hotel – a project of Las Vegas legend Kirk Kerkorian – it was later renamed the Las Vegas Hilton and ultimately the Westgate Las Vegas. It once held the distinction of the largest hotel in the world.
This year, the Westgate celebrates the King’s 90th birthday as part of a year-long tribute to his legendary life, music and legacy where he once performed. It culminates with two shows honoring Elvis on July 31st, marking the date of his first performance in 1969.
Elvis’ sold out 636 shows with the International Theater holding an audience of about 2,000 people. He is estimated to have had 2.5 million people attend his shows through his final appearance on Dec. 12th, 1976.
Westgate Las Vegas President and General Manager, Cami Christensen, who has been at the property for nearly 25 years, said they are calling it the Year of Elvis at the property that started in January and is highlighted by the 56th anniversary of his first show.
“We decided to recreate his first concert in 1969 thinking that it would be fun,” Christensen said. “We put the ad out and the tickets sold out within a week-and-a-half, so we added a second show.”
There will be a 50-minute show with a variety of property activations throughout the day, Christensen said. One show is at 7 p.m. and the second is at 9 p.m.
The July 31st shows feature Elvis tribute artist Travis Powell.
“His spirit is alive and well, and it’s beyond meaningful the way his legacy continues in this city and at this property,” Christensen said.
The Westgate still has Elvis’ original dressing room and bar where he hung out with his gang. The hotel still has the water fountain he drank from and a spot on the theater floor that wasn’t replaced. The area has a mural depicting the story of Elvis’ ritual before every show.
“Before every show, Elvis would stand and put his hand on the wall and say a little prayer, and we kept that space intact,” Christensen said. “It’s become a favorite for Elvis fans on part of his tour. His fans go absolutely crazy when they can stand where he once stood.”
Christensen called it mind boggling how Elvis sold out every show for seven years before the concept of the Las Vegas residency took shape. He defined the city as a scene for entertainment and set the standard for Las Vegas residencies, she said.
“We still have current team members who worked in the theater with Elvis, and their memories of when Elvis performed here are incredible,” Christensen said.
There will also be a free performance in the Cabaret Theater that night for their The King Comes Home show that’s been in place for more than a year.
Christensen said it’s amazing to know about Elvis’ connection to the property and reiterated his spirit and energy has been alive and well since she walked on the property nearly 25 years ago and is growing even more today.
“His life and legacy means everything to this property, and that’s why we have and continue to keep his energy, memory and spirit alive by curating concert events,” Christensen said. “We have some unique memorabilia now, and we’re adding more as we go.”
Elvis’ stepbrother David Stanley lives on property and has a show once a month called My Brother Elvis: An Evening with David Stanley. He worked with Elvis as a bodyguard and assistant.
“We just want to continue with these special moments,” Christensen said. “It touches the hearts of all of his fans. His fans are real and not just the ones that were alive when he was alive but this whole new generation. Our goal is to continue to create experiences and magical moments for his fans.”
In the Westgate lobby, the property has a collection of Elvis memorabilia from the corporate CEO of Westgate Resorts Jim Gissy. It includes a gun collection, a lock of hair and a pair of boots he wore on stage. There’s also belt buckles and cuff links and one of his diamond rings.
“We have something special coming for our villa area where his suite was,” Christensen said. “In our retail corridor, we curated additional memorabilia displays that will soon be unveiled leading up to the July 31st events.”
Currently, the Westgate sells Elvis’ t-shirts, hats, sunglasses, shot glasses and other momentos.
The Westgate has photos of Elvis posted around the property, and Christensen said they continue to find ways to connect the legacy of the property to his fans and make it memorable for them.
“We have a tour you can go to after The King Comes Home (five nights a week) show by buying tickets to a back-of-the-house tour where Elvis walked; it also includes visiting his green room and theater stage,” Christensen said. “We’re figuring out a way for that to be public at other times.”
The Westgate since its beginnings has been so intertwined with entertainment featuring such stars as Barbara Streisand on opening night in 1969. There was Liberace, Wayne Newton and today Barry Manilow is the headliner.
“We will continue to lean into legendary entertainment offerings,” Christensen said. “We also have the largest sportsbook in the world. There are so many pieces to this property that keep people coming back. We’re very proud of that and pride ourselves on continuing to create memorable experiences for our guests.”
Christensen praised Kerkorian for his foresight in building the property that has stood the test of time. It’s located adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center.
“Then the Hiltons bought it and what a fabulous time when Barron Hilton owned it,” Christensen said. “On the top floor of the property we had such a huge pay back in the 1990s, and they built three villas that cost $60 million. Today, you would never commit to that type of investment on three suites. The suites still exist and are a hidden treasure. They have their own private swimming pool. The amazing thing is they recouped that $60 million in six months because the level of play was tremendous.”
David Siegel, Founder of Westgate Resorts, put $300-million-plus in capital into the property upgrades and the company will continue to do so.
“It’s great to have a property in the city that’s been around but continues to reinvent itself and connect the old with the new,” Christensen said. “It’s gone through incredible ownership.”