San Francisco-themed hotel a mainstay in downtown Las Vegas
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Just north of the strip in Downtown Las Vegas, there is a special gem on Fremont Street: a San Francisco-themed hotel and casino.
Jeff Victor's official title may VP of operations at Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, but his unofficial title is steward of Las Vegas history.
The hotel and casino goes way back to the very beginnings of Las Vegas.
"The Golden Gate is the birthplace of tourism, hotel, and gaming as we know it today. It's literally ground zero, the first of its kind," Victor said.
It was originally the Hotel Nevada, founded in 1906. In the 1930s, it was renamed the Sal Segav, which is Las Vegas backwards. And then a few years later in the 50s, a group of investors from the Bay Area decided they'd bet on opening a casino.
"Over time, one bought out the other, and it came down to one person. This is Idilo Galfi. He ran the property for 40 years," Victor said.
There are nods to San Francisco all over the hotel.
"They wanted to bring a hook, so they brought the shrimp cocktail down from SF. It's now a cliché in Las Vegas, but the original one was here at the Golden Gate," Victor explained.
Over the years, Las Vegas has changed a lot. Hotels have imploded, closed, re-branded, and sprung up. But the Golden Gate has remained a constant.
"It's really remarkable that this particular property has stood the test of time," Victor said.
Professor David Schwartz, a gaming historian at University Las Vegas, said that is unique here.
"One of the really remarkable things is that there's been changes at the Golden Gate, but really, it's maintained that same identity for a long time, which is kind of rare in Las Vegas. You don't see that all too much," Schwartz said. "It's almost as old as the city itself. For so many years, it has been a mainstay on Fremont Street. It really does deserve that iconic reputation."
Victor said he takes pride in helping preserve the hotel's history.
"I like being the current steward of it," Victor said. "So much of what you see on Fremont Street is original. There's something fun about that," Victor told KPIX.
Max DarrowMax Darrow is an Emmy award winning reporter/MMJ for KPIX 5. He joined the KPIX 5 news team in July 2021.
