Howard Johnson Hotel (1973–1975) The hotel was originally a
Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge. Construction began in September 1972. It was developed at a cost of $8 million, by a group of local businesspersons led by Paul Oesterle. A gaming license was issued for the property later that year, allowing the operation of 150 slot machines. The hotel included 332 rooms, By 1974, Oesterle had plans to expand the hotel by adding three additional 10-story towers with 544 new rooms. However, his company Oesterle Nevada soon declared bankruptcy as it was unable to pay its debts.
Eureka Federal Savings and Loan, holder of the hotel's mortgage, foreclosed on the property and bought it at auction for $7.7 million in March 1975.
Ownership changes and renamings (1975–1989) In September 1975, Eureka sold the Howard Johnson's to Bernard Nemerov, a former part owner of the
Riviera casino, for $10 million. Nemerov renamed it as the
Paradise Hotel. He reopened the property's casino on New Year's Day 1976. The scheme left the casino with insufficient cash to operate, and it was forced to close and went bankrupt. It was later sold to Herb Pastor, owner of the
Coin Castle and Golden Goose casinos in
Downtown Las Vegas, who renamed the 20th Century as the
Treasury Hotel. At that time, the property featured a country western theme. Former football player
Gerry Philbin purchased the Treasury in 1982 for $20 million; the casino closed at that time because Philbin had not obtained a gaming license, though the hotel continued to operate. By the end of the year, Philbin was forced to put the hotel into
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In 1985, the DeLillo family regained ownership of the Treasury through foreclosure and renamed it as the
Pacifica Hotel. It was announced that the Pacifica would be marketed to gay travelers, but this plan proved controversial and was soon abandoned. Later that year, the Pacifica was renamed as the
Polynesian Hotel. He paid a reported $30 million for the purchase and renovation. It became popular as a bargain property. A second hotel tower, rising 18 stories, was finished in 1991. It brought the total room count to 711, and the San Remo now employed 600 workers. In 2004, Izumi's company, Eastern and Western Hotel Corp., began looking for opportunities to grow the hotel. The company sought to take advantage of heavy development that had occurred at the nearby
Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection since 1989. Hooters approached with a redevelopment proposal. Of the property's many names, San Remo had the longest run.
Hooters Casino Hotel (2006–2019) Hooters Casino Hotel opened on February 2, 2006, the weekend of
Super Bowl XL. The opening was low-key for a Las Vegas debut, with a handful of celebrities in attendance, such as TV personality
Brooke Burke. The casino included an on-site Hooters restaurant. Former
Miami Dolphins quarterback
Dan Marino also opened a steak and seafood restaurant known as Dan Marino's Fine Food and Spirits. The hotel-casino employed 1,000 workers, including more than 200 of the restaurant chain's signature
Hooters Girls, who worked at the property as waitresses, bartenders, cocktail servers, and casino dealers. The Hooters brand was found to be a turn-off for female gamblers, as well as wealthy tourists and business travelers. The property also appealed to a younger demographic, whereas casinos generally relied on a middle-age clientele. To increase profits, the property added new slot machines and began marketing to an older demographic. The casino was popular for its $3 minimum blackjack, and its Hooters restaurant was the chain's most profitable location. During 2007, 155 East Tropicana accepted an unsolicited offer from Hedwigs Las Vegas Top Tier, a joint venture of NTH Advisory Group and Silverleaf Real Estate, to buy the property for $225 million (including assumption of $130 million in debt). Hedwigs planned to redesign and rebrand the casino once again, as a "lifestyle, entertainment-driven boutique hotel". Analysts called the agreement "curious" given Hooters's poor earnings performance. Profits fell again that year, due to the
Great Recession. With revenue declining, the casino began defaulting on loan payments in April 2009. Canpartners Realty Holding Co., a subsidiary of
Canyon Capital, bought up much of the company's debt at a heavy discount and planned to foreclose on the hotel. The owners, seeking to block foreclosure, filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2011, listing only $63 million in assets against liabilities of $163 million. After a planned February 2012 auction attracted no outside bidders, the bankruptcy court approved Canpartner's $60 million credit offer for the property, with the sale expected to close around March 30. The
Navegante Group was approved to manage casino operations, while Canyon Capital said it was seeking a major hotel chain to take over and rebrand the property. In May 2015, Canyon Capital sold the casino to Trinity Hotel Investors, based in New York, for $70 million. At first, Trinity was expected to rename the property and place it under the management of
Holiday Inn, but they later decided to retain the Hooters branding. Trinity hired Paragon Gaming to replace Navegante as the property's operator in 2016. Joystixx, a 21-and-over video game lounge, had opened in 2011, but it saw minimal success and was replaced a year later by the Saloon, featuring live music. The Saloon was added as part of a property-wide remodel. Another renovation, costing $18 million, was underway in 2017. The project included makeovers of the casino floor and hotel rooms. The world's largest
Steak 'n Shake restaurant, with seating for 200 people, opened inside the Hooters casino in 2018.
Oyo Hotel & Casino (2019–present) In August 2019,
Oyo Hotels & Homes partnered with New York-based investment and management company Highgate to purchase the property for $135 million. They announced plans to rename it as Oyo Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, while retaining the Hooters restaurant. The Oyo rebranding process began on September 16, 2019, and included restaurant upgrades as part of a $20 million renovation. The casino floor is . ==Live entertainment==