History

Constructed on the site of the Thunderbird

Thunderbird (resort)

The Thunderbird Hotel was a Paradise, Nevada, hotel and casino that operated from September 2, 1948 to July 6, 1992, and was the fourth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel was founded by developer Marion Hicks and attorney/Lieutenant Governor of Nevada Clifford A. Jones...

 that opened in September 1948. In 1976, it was renamed the Silverbird. On August 31, 1982, it was renamed Ed Torres' El Rancho. Ed Torres' had close ties with some of the organized crimes most notorious characters of the time according to the Gaming Control Board and law enforcement officers. However, this did not restrict him from owning a gaming license.

At its closing, it was intended to be redeveloped as El Rancho's Countryland USA which called for two, 20-story cowboy boot-shaped hotel towers. That never came to fruition and the property was sold to Las Vegas Entertainment Network Inc. They failed to reopen it and sold it to International Thoroughbred Breeders Corp.

Other plans for the site have included a project slated as Starship Orion. It was going to be a Star Wars-like casino-resort. After many of the proposed projects for the property fell through, or were not approved, then it was imploded on October 3, 2000. In 2001, part of the vacant lot was purchased by the Hilton Hotels Corporation

Hilton Hotels Corporation

Hilton Worldwide is a global hospitality company. It is owned by the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm. As of July 2011 Hilton brands encompass 3,750 hotels with over 600,000 rooms in 84 countries...

 to build a timeshare, which opened in 2004.

The El Rancho sign, which was not removed, was covered with a new sign advertising the Turnberry development. Since early 2006 part of the new sign's south side has been missing, and as of April 2006 the words "El Rancho" are visible.

The remainder of the site become part of the land used for the Fontainebleau Resort Las Vegas

Fontainebleau Resort Las Vegas

Fontainebleau Las Vegas is a US$2.9 billion, 3,889-room, 68-story hotel/condo-hotel/casino development under construction near the north end of the Las Vegas Strip on the site previously occupied by the El Rancho and Algiers hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada...

.