The Westward Ho was built by Ron's Construction Company, based in Las Vegas. The Westward Ho opened on the
Las Vegas Strip in 1963, In 1969, the Westward Ho was advertised as having over 1,000 rooms, including those in the Satellite wing, and 120 rooms in the Executive Suites. The property also included a 24-hour
Denny's restaurant, and a slot arcade known as Nikel Nik's. The Westward Ho casino was added in 1971. The Westward Ho advertised itself as "The World's Largest Motel", Dean Petersen died in November 1997, at the age of 63. The Westward Ho went up for sale that month. While this happened, Dean Petersen's sister, Faye Johnson, kept the hotel going. In February 1998, it was announced that the Westward Ho and its large property would be bought by American Pastime West LLC, a company based in Manhattan. Johnson said, "This was an important and emotional decision after our family's longtime involvement with the growth of the gaming community in Las Vegas." The Westward Ho was one of the few Las Vegas hotel-casinos to be owned and operated by a local family. At the time of the sale, the Westward Ho had 650 employees, 777 rooms, a casino and a 900-seat showroom.
Francis Zarro, the president of American Pastime, had no immediate plans for the Westward Ho, although he planned to eventually acquire or build a Las Vegas golf course that could potentially be integrated into the Westward Ho property. Up to that point, the Westward Ho had gained a repeat clientele of customers from the
midwestern United States, and the casino was known for its low-limit table games in comparison to other casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. In 2003, Texas-based developer Tracy Suttles tried to purchase the Westward Ho for $78 million, but could not secure funding. He tried again in 2004; despite a $1 million deposit, he missed a $2 million payment. Suttles claimed Westward Ho had agreed to loan him the difference, but the owners denied the existence of such an agreement.
Closure and planned redevelopment On September 14, 2005, it was announced that the Westward Ho would close on November 17, 2005, as it was in the process of being sold to Centex Destination Properties, a division of
Centex Corporation. Centex, along with North Dakota hotel developer Tharaldson Companies, purchased the Westward Ho for $145.5 million, Under the companies' agreement, Centex would act as the managing partner in a new project that would replace the Westward Ho. The Westward Ho closed at 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2005. Centex's plans for the property included the possibility of multiple hotels, as well as a casino and a residential aspect. Centex considered incorporating the shell of the Westward Ho's front building – facing the Las Vegas Strip – into the design of the new project. Plans for the new project were expected to be announced by mid-2006. The Westward Ho and its 27 buildings were approved for demolition in January 2006. The demolition debris, known as
riprap, was used by the
Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee to stabilize the
Las Vegas Wash. In June 2006, Centex ceded a majority of its share in the property to Tharaldson Companies. That month, owner Gary Tharaldson planned to propose a $1.8 billion
mixed-use project with 1,000
condo hotel units, 600 condominium units, 600 hotel rooms, an casino, and of retail space. The exchange was completed later that year, at which point the Westward Ho land was valued at $101.6 million. Boyd planned to use the former Westward Ho property for a potential future expansion of Echelon Place, although Boyd later canceled the entire project amid the
Great Recession. A
McDonald's opened on a portion of the Westward Ho land in December 2008, fronting the Las Vegas Strip. In 2012, the
Las Vegas Sun included the Westward Ho on its list of "extinct casino brands we'd like to see return to the Strip," writing, "For a town still full of cowboys, we sure are short on Western themed casinos." == Attractions ==