Bye Bye Sahara Hotel

And another one bites the dust.

Long a landmark on the Las Vegas Strip (and the oldest casino on South Las Vegas Boulevard), the Sahara Hotel & Casino is going to close its doors forever on May 16 after 59 years.

That’s pretty sad, but inevitable as Las Vegas continues to reel from the deep recession that’s kept Vegas tourism down for the past three years.

I have stayed at the Sahara a few times and it’s one of the last remnants of an era that entertained Frank Sinatra’s famous “rat pack.”

The hotel rooms weren’t anything special, but they were cheap and they were on The Strip. The restaurants weren’t anything to write home about, and frankly, the buffet was awful. Only the House of Lords fine-dining restaurant can be considered a good-eating spot (great prime rib).

I remember staying there twice during Super Bowl weekend, and once during New Year’s Eve. But I haven’t been back there in a while.

Now it seems I’ll not get the chance again. Too bad. RIP Sahara!