Las Vegas
Dunes
Opened May 23, 1955. Then: North Tower imploded Oct 27, 1993; South Tower imploded Jul 20, 1994.
Source, read Nov 4, 2026: [W4]
Home / Lost hotels
Lost hotelsThe hotels are gone. The keys aren’t.
These famous hotels have been demolished or closed. A key is one of the few pieces that can still be held. Seven of them, in the order they came down, with dates from public sources.
Las Vegas
Sands
Opened Dec 15, 1952; operated until 1996. Then: imploded Nov 26, 1996; The Venetian was built in its place.
Source, read Nov 4, 2026: [W2]
Las Vegas
Desert Inn
Opened Apr 24, 1950; closed Aug 28, 2000. Then: Augusta Tower imploded Oct 23, 2001; the other towers Nov 16, 2004; Wynn Las Vegas now stands there.
Source, read Nov 4, 2026: [W3]
Los Angeles
Ambassador Hotel
Opened Jan 1, 1921; closed to guests in 1989. Then: demolition began 2005 and was completed in early 2006.
Source, read Nov 4, 2026: [W6]
Las Vegas
Stardust
Opened Jul 2, 1958; closed Nov 1, 2006. Then: towers imploded Mar 13, 2007.
Source, read Nov 4, 2026: [W1]
New York
Hotel Pennsylvania
Opened 1919; closed Apr 1, 2020. Then: demolished in 2023.
Source, read Nov 4, 2026: [W8]
Las Vegas
Riviera
Opened Apr 20, 1955; closed May 4, 2015. Then: 24-story tower imploded Jun 14, 2016; the 12- and 17-story towers Aug 16, 2016.
Source, read Nov 4, 2026: [W5]
Also gone
The original Waldorf-Astoria.
The original Waldorf-Astoria, built in two stages in the 1890s, was demolished in 1929 to make way for the Empire State Building. The Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue was completed in 1931. Source: [W7]
About these keys
We found real listings only for the Stardust and a Vegas motel (El Rancho). For the other hotels we link to a live eBay search, and we can’t promise a key exists or is genuine. Read how to spot a real one first; replicas of famous hotel keys are sold openly.
This is a list, not a map. Every claim has a source link, and dates come from Wikipedia as read on Nov 4, 2026. See all sources.
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