Flamingo Hotel Haunted

1. Flamingo Hotel Haunted

With all the excitement, glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, the rich and famous — and the not so rich and famous — are regular visitors. Some, however, keep coming back even after they’re dead. Considering its decidedly colorful — and often shady — history, it’s no surprise that Las Vegas is home to several haunted hot spots:

Flamingo Hotel and Casino: 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. (the Strip) Written by Haunted Poker for exclusive use. The Flamingo Hilton Hotel and Casino is a landmark location for Sin City’s infancy. It was opened in 1946 when Las Vegas was blossoming. Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. You wouldn’t take the glitzy, undulating facade of Planet.

The Flamingo

Back in the heyday of the mafia, famous gangsters literally flocked to Las Vegas. Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel, in particular, saw the potential of this gambling mecca, and persuaded his mafia bosses to invest in the most luxurious hotel and casino the area had ever seen. The cost to build The Flamingo ended up being more than three times the original estimate, and despite a glamorous grand opening, the casino was a flop.

The Flamingo started to turn a nice profit just a few months later, but the Crime Syndicate never forgave Bugsy for embezzling its money to build it. While relaxing in his Beverly Hills home on the evening of June 20, 1947, Bugsy was shot once in the head and four times in the body.

Though much of the original Flamingo he helped to build is no longer in existence, Bugsy's ghost is said to remain, haunting the Presidential Suite, where he resided while in the city. Sightings have also been reported by the pool, in the wedding chapel, and around the Bugsy Monument in The Flamingo’s rose garden. Take a midnight stroll around The Flamingo if you dare, but remember, if you happen to encounter this ghostly gangster, be sure to address him as “Mr. Siegel.”

Excalibur Hotel Las Vegas

This huge hotel is a popular Las Vegas Strip destination and for years, many many years, people have been reporting signs of paranormal activity on the hotels 10th floor--from sudden chills while walking down floorway corridors to feelings of being closely followed to having the sensation of a person's breath on their neck. Others have reported repeated phone calls with nobody on the line and alarm clocks that never go off.

Hilton

No doubt you've heard the phrase, 'Elvis has left the building.' At the Las Vegas Hilton, The King never left. Apparently during the late 60s and early 70s, Presley performed often at The International, a hotel-casino that once stood at its current location on Paradise Road. The King is said to hang out around the backstage elevators of the Hilton, perhaps waiting to go onstage just one more time. If you're lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of his flowing white cape, glitzy belt buckle and full side-burns.

Bally's

On the corner of Flamingo and Las Vegas Boulevard, where Bally’s now stands, the MGM once had a glamorous hotel and casino. On November 21, 1980, it burned to the ground. It was a horrific, tragic event, with some guest jumping to their death when rescue ladders could not reach their upper floor windows. A total of 84 people died that day, making it the second largest hotel fire in terms of lives lost United States history.

Like a phoenix emerging from the ashes, a new hotel-casino was erected at the site of this devastating tragedy. And though Bally's is owned and operated by a different company, and none of the original MGM remains, the spirits of the people who died so tragically in 1980 are said to still linger. Try a tour of Bally's hotel corridors at night; you may run into some ghostly guests who have never quite checked out.

The Luxor Hotel

Unlike any other building in the world, The Luxor boasts a 350-foot pyramid complete with a sky beam that can be seen from 250 miles away. There is a belief that pyramids are great centers of power and regeneration and the source of many secret properties; however, according to some reports, The Luxor’s pyramid has wrought bad luck on the entire Vegas valley.

One construction worker died during the construction of the pyramid, several others were injured and still others flat-out refused to work on the site. A number of people have inexplicably jumped to their death from the inside balconies of the pyramid. When the Luxor was just about complete, the Vegas World Sky Towers (now the Stratosphere) caught fire mysteriously, and suffered serious damage. The bad luck of the Luxor is blamed. The only way to lift the curse on the city is to place the appropriate artificial eye at the capstone of the pyramid. As of yet, the eye is not in place, so the curse of the Luxor is said to remain.

The Tropicana

On the way into the Tropicana Hotel and Casino, visitors are greeted by a huge Tiki mask. The face is said to be cursed or somehow haunted. There have been reports of a strange, purple colored cloud of smoke that shows up in developed photographs that people take of the mask. Some people have even reported getting a strange and terrible purple rash after touching the mask. If you visit the Tropicana, be sure to keep your hands in your pockets, but snap a photo and see if you ,too, see the ghostly purple haze.

Now that you know a little about some of the Neon City’s more transparent residents, keep an eye out and your camera handy: You never know just who you might run into late at night on the Las Vegas Strip. Check out more up-to-the-minute Las Vegas Halloween activites.

Flamingo Hotel and Casino: 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. (the Strip)

Written by Haunted Poker for exclusive use.

The Flamingo Hilton Hotel and Casino is a landmark location for Sin City’s infancy. It was opened in 1946 when Las Vegas was blossoming. The Flamingo’s founding father, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was an infamous mobster who met his end in 1947. Bugsy was pivotal in bringing about the gambling and glamour to Las Vegas; transforming it from the dusty little Nevada town it used to be.

Bugsy Siegel is said to haunt the Presidential Suite at the Flamingo. Ever since his violent end in 1947, dozens of visitors to the Presidential Suite have reported seeing his specter hanging around the pool table or in the bathroom. Bugsy Siegel personally selected the green-colored bidet, linoleum, and toilets for the bathroom. He felt that the soothing pistachio green was a very ‘classy’ color.

Bugsy also designed the Presidential Suite to have bullet-proof windows and five exits. Most were hidden passageways. All of these precautions, however, were for nothing. He was gunned down at his girlfriend’s home in Beverly Hills. It was never determined who fired the bullets. While Bugsy died in California, his spirit returned to a place that was important to him in life—the Flamingo in Las Vegas.

Also, guests lounging by the pool late in the less crowded hours of the late evening have seen his ghost. His spirit is seemingly not restricted to these two locations, however, as a cleaning lady reportedly quit her job after seeing him on the fifth floor.

The Flamingo pool where Siegel's spirit has been seen.

Flamingo Hotel Haunted