Vacation Village was a hotel and casino located on of land at 6711 South Las Vegas Boulevard in Enterprise, Nevada.
The Heers family initially purchased of land in 1964, and planned to have a hotel and casino built on the property. Construction began on the Century Hotel in 1972, although the project ultimately became inactive. Construction resumed in 1988, and the property was opened as Vacation Village on November 9, 1990. The hotel-casino struggled through financial difficulties and various legal problems during its final years, and was eventually auctioned to millionaire Shawn Scott in 2001, after the Heers family failed to pay off a $19 million loan.
Vacation Village closed in January 2002, after a lease dispute between Scott and the Heers. Scott had considered expanding and redeveloping Vacation Village, although his plans did not materialize. The property was purchased by Turnberry Associates in January 2004, and Vacation Village was approved for demolition later that year. Since 2007, the southeastern portion of the Town Square shopping center has occupied the former land of Vacation Village.
History
Early history (1964–2000) In 1964, brothers Carol and Chuck Heers purchased of land on Las Vegas Boulevard, south of Sunset Road, with the intention to construct a hotel and casino. In 1972, construction began on the Century Hotel. By 1974, only a portion of the building had been completed. Carol Heers gradually built the hotel and casino during subsequent years. In 1988, the Heers planned to expand the un-opened property to include three seven-story hotel towers, and five three-story towers, as well as a 47-foot-high casino building. Construction of the Vacation Village Hotel and Casino began in October 1988. C.E.H. Investments of Las Vegas was the developer, with construction expected to finish in spring 1989. At the start of construction, Vacation Village was to include 439 hotel rooms, nine restaurants, and approximately of casino and public space. The project had been inactive for years.
A fire occurred on the property, still under construction, during the early hours of December 27, 1989. As no water was available on the property, firefighters had to take water from the nearby McCarran International Airport. An entire two-story building on the property's east side was ordered for demolition due to the fire damage. The fire caused $1.2 million in damage and destroyed 72 units that were to be remodeled and opened as Vacation Village Apartments. Renovation work had not yet begun on the building. Arson was determined to be the cause of the fire.
Plans for the hotel towers were derailed in 1990 due to new height restrictions after a decision was made to expand the north runway at McCarran International Airport. The project was half-built at the time, and was redesigned so its buildings would not exceed 38 feet in height. Plans for an 80-foot sign were scrapped. The Federal Aviation Administration approved the redesign in June 1990. That month, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission approved the casino for a July opening. Ultimately, the southwestern-themed Vacation Village opened on November 9, 1990, on three acres of the 25-acre property. Vacation Village was located at 6711 South Las Vegas Boulevard, near Interstate 15. The property was considered part of the southern Las Vegas Strip.
In 1991, to maintain operations, the Heers family took a $10 million loan from Robert Hilt, a casino owner in Colorado. Two years later, the Heers family lost the hotel-casino to bankruptcy, as they could not refinance the property after its value declined due to the height restrictions. It was later determined that the property's value declined by $5.4 million because of the restrictions.
In January 1992, stunt performer Butch Laswell achieved a world record at Vacation Village for the highest motorcycle ramp-to-ramp aerial jump ever to be performed, at 41 feet high. In December 1995, Vacation Village received a Water Hero Award from Southern Nevada Coalition 2000 for its water conservation; Vacation Village was the first resort on the Las Vegas Strip to use desert landscaping, and also featured a controlled-water fountain, while each room was equipped with low-flow water products. Vacation Village briefly appears in the 1995 film, Beyond Desire. Three years later, Univision's television music series Caliente filmed scenes at the hotel's pool.