| Castaways | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| Address | 3320 South Las Vegas Boulevard[1] |
| Opening date | August 21, 1955 (Sans Souci hotel) October 23, 1957 (Sans Souci casino) September 1, 1963 (Castaways) |
| Closing date | July 20, 1987 |
| Theme | Polynesia |
| No. of rooms | 228 (as of 1987) |
| Signature attractions | Gateway to Luck |
| Casino type | Land-based |
| Owner | Ben Jaffe (1963–1967) Hughes Tool Company (1967–1972) Summa Corporation (1972–1986) Steve Wynn (1986–87) |
| Previous names | Sans Souci Hotel (1955–1963) |
| Renovated in | 1957, 1963, 1969, 1971–72, 1981 |
| Coordinates | 36°07′20″N 115°10′19″W / 36.122276°N 115.171944°W |
The Castaways was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It began in the 1930s, as a small motel called Mountain View. It became the San Souci in 1939, and underwent several ownership changes in its early years. A hotel addition opened on August 21, 1955, when the property became the Sans Souci Hotel. A casino, showroom, and restaurant were eventually opened on October 23, 1957. These facilities closed less than a year later, due to financial problems, although the hotel continued operations. Following a bankruptcy reorganization, the shuttered facilities reopened in May 1960. However, the property soon closed due to further financial difficulties.
Investor Ben Jaffe purchased the Sans Souci and reopened it as the Polynesian-themed Castaways on September 1, 1963. A new signature attraction was a Jain temple replica referred to as the Gateway to Luck. Jaffe also added more hotel rooms. He served as landlord for the casino portion, which was operated by a separate group. The casino closed again in December 1964, and was briefly reopened a year later under a new operating group. Following another closure, it reopened in May 1967, and Jaffe sold the entire property later that year to Howard Hughes, marking his third Las Vegas casino purchase. Hughes owned it through Hughes Tool Company, and later through his Summa Corporation.
In 1986, casino owner Steve Wynn purchased the Castaways and nearby vacant property with plans to build a new resort on the land. The Castaways closed on July 20, 1987. Wynn's new resort, The Mirage, opened in 1989. The Castaways name would later be used for the Showboat Hotel and Casino on Boulder Highway, starting in 2001.
- ^ "The Best Deal". Los Angeles Times. February 2, 1982. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.