As a child my family spent allot of time in Vegas, “Allot of time” is a gross understatement, We lived part time in Las Vegas and primarily at the Frontier hotel. This is back in the “good ol days” of Vegas when rooms and food were cheap and mega resorts were not yet the norm. Since my dad was a maniac gambler we were comped and everything was on the house (although it was paid for through the craps tables) I grew up in rooms 118, 119 & 120 these were 3 rooms that combined to create one giant suite with room 119 being a giant parlor, 118 & 120 were bedrooms, my parents in one and my sister and I sharing the other. The parlor had a fully stocked bar upon our arrival and I was the bartender of our crew at the early age of 8, making my dad gin & tonic and my big brother either bloody Mary or screw driver depending on the time of day.
I would say that my childhood was unlike the other kids I knew from school back home, room service was normal as was never waiting in a line for restraunts when we chose to go out. I saw Siegfried & Roy 84 times as back then they were performing (and sometimes living) at the Frontier. Diamond Jim’s was the “gourmet room” of the frontier and featured 9 course meals that cost more than the average monthly salary of most people for a family of 4. It’s probably hard for most people to understand how I could be emotionally attached to a hotel however most people never grew up in a hotel, to see the implosion of the Frontier was a sad time for me – like a piece of my childhood that has been deemed unworthy and low class for today’s standards. We once stayed in 116, 118 & 120 for 63 days….We left and then returned 45 days later.
When I was 11 the management and several casino hosts from the Frontier moved over to the Stardust Hotel and my dad followed them and made the Stardust his home casino. I spent many years at the Stardust, we had a 7000sq’ suite on the 6th floor. I had lunch almost everyday at Toucan Harry’s. My friend Octavian that formerly was our waiter at Diamond Jim’s (and witnessed me grow up) was now the head waiter at the Stardust’s brand new gourmet room. Just after my oldest son was born and I was 21 and in Vegas for business I took my family to the gourmet room at the Stardust and to my surprise Octavian was there and waited our table, when he learned that I wanted to take friends and family to see Siegfried & Roy (then at the mirage) he handed me 8 tickets to the show.
I remember vividly the excitement and thrill of Vegas growing up, I never wish to make the mistakes of my dad by falling into the gamblers lifestyle as the costs are just too high but I do look back at the times I had with fond memories. The Stardust has also been imploded……
I have no connection with other hotels/resorts on the strip. Vegas today is nothing like it used to be and never will again and that’s really too bad for people that never got the chance to experience the “real” Las Vegas as it was created and meant to be.
I would say that my childhood was unlike the other kids I knew from school back home, room service was normal as was never waiting in a line for restraunts when we chose to go out. I saw Siegfried & Roy 84 times as back then they were performing (and sometimes living) at the Frontier. Diamond Jim’s was the “gourmet room” of the frontier and featured 9 course meals that cost more than the average monthly salary of most people for a family of 4. It’s probably hard for most people to understand how I could be emotionally attached to a hotel however most people never grew up in a hotel, to see the implosion of the Frontier was a sad time for me – like a piece of my childhood that has been deemed unworthy and low class for today’s standards. We once stayed in 116, 118 & 120 for 63 days….We left and then returned 45 days later.
When I was 11 the management and several casino hosts from the Frontier moved over to the Stardust Hotel and my dad followed them and made the Stardust his home casino. I spent many years at the Stardust, we had a 7000sq’ suite on the 6th floor. I had lunch almost everyday at Toucan Harry’s. My friend Octavian that formerly was our waiter at Diamond Jim’s (and witnessed me grow up) was now the head waiter at the Stardust’s brand new gourmet room. Just after my oldest son was born and I was 21 and in Vegas for business I took my family to the gourmet room at the Stardust and to my surprise Octavian was there and waited our table, when he learned that I wanted to take friends and family to see Siegfried & Roy (then at the mirage) he handed me 8 tickets to the show.
I remember vividly the excitement and thrill of Vegas growing up, I never wish to make the mistakes of my dad by falling into the gamblers lifestyle as the costs are just too high but I do look back at the times I had with fond memories. The Stardust has also been imploded……
I have no connection with other hotels/resorts on the strip. Vegas today is nothing like it used to be and never will again and that’s really too bad for people that never got the chance to experience the “real” Las Vegas as it was created and meant to be.
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