Roulette Motel

Slipping through the shadows of Las Vegas, have you ever noticed a place where time seems to stand still? The Roulette Motel. Once a vibrant symbol of the 1950s motel culture boom, the Roulette Motel on East Fremont Street now stands as a stark reminder of a bygone era. Back in the day, this street was the main route to Los Angeles, and motels like the Roulette catered to road-tripping families, promising “smartly furnished” rooms and a refreshing swimming pool. The Roulette Motel, along with its neighbors like the Safari, Sky Ranch, and Blue Onion, beckoned travelers with their neon signs and the promise of a comfortable night’s rest. Postcards boasted of carpeted rooms, tiled showers, and even TVs and radios. They represented the golden age of Las Vegas motels, a time when East Fremont Street mirrored the spirit of Route 66. Today, the Roulette Motel’s story is far more complex. It exists just outside the revitalized area championed by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, a zone where the Downtown Project has attempted to breathe new life into decaying properties. This motel finds itself on the edge, a silent witness to the ongoing struggle between decay and revitalization. The Roulette Motel is a frequent entry in police logs, a testament to the challenges faced by businesses in this transitional neighborhood. In 2017, police were called to the Roulette Motel 49 times, a stark contrast to other, larger motels in the area. This small motel has become a symbol of the complex issues facing this part of Las Vegas.