Harveys Lake Tahoe
Encyclopedia
Harveys Lake Tahoe is a resort located in Stateline, Nevada
. The hotel has 740 rooms and suites, as well as six restaurants, and a casino
with 87500 square feet (8,129 m²) of space. The hotel also has a wedding chapel
, pool
, convention center
, and a full-service health club
. It is owned by Caesars Entertainment, formerly Harrah's Entertainment.
meat wholesaler Harvey Gross and his wife Llewellyn. They opened the first high rise tower and a 12-story 197 room hotel in 1961.
The hotel suffered an explosion from a 1,000 pound bomb
on August 27, 1980, that left a crater three stories deep when it was detonated by the FBI. (The area around the hotel had been cleared, and no one was injured.) The bomb was placed by John Birges, a heavily in-debt Fresno
landscaper who had lost at least $1 million at casinos in Stateline and was hoping to extort another $3 million from the bomb threat. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, where he died from liver cancer in 1996.
In 1983, Harvey Gross died at the age of 78; however, the company continued to operate under family management. In 1985, Harveys sold the Harveys Inn, northeast of Stateline, which reopened as the Lakeside Inn. The 18-story, $74 million dollar, glass "Lake Tower" opened in 1987, the same year the trademark "Wagon Wheel" was replaced on the 12-story tower with the current Harveys brand.
In early 1992, Harveys entered a bidding war with Hilton Hotels Corporation
over the right to buy Bally’s Reno, which opened in 1978 as the MGM Grand Reno, now the Grand Sierra Resort
. Harveys announced an agreement on a $70 million deal, only to see Hilton up the ante to $73 million and assumption of Bally's debt. Several weeks later, after considering even higher bids, a federal bankruptcy court settled the matter by approving Hilton’s final $83 million offer.
After going public on Feb. 15, 1994, Harveys began new projects including a joint venture with Hard Rock America for an $80 million casino in Las Vegas, which it later sold its interest in 1997, and then a casino resort in Central City, Colorado
. A riverboat casino-convention center in Council Bluffs, Iowa
followed in early 1996.
In 1999, Colony Capital LLC
bought a controlling interest in Harveys Casino Resorts. Harveys announced on April 24, 2001, that it would be acquired by Harrah's Entertainment
, for $625 million.
Stateline, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,215 people, 510 households, and 245 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,803.3 people per square mile . There were 562 housing units at an average density of 834.1 per square mile...
. The hotel has 740 rooms and suites, as well as six restaurants, and a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
with 87500 square feet (8,129 m²) of space. The hotel also has a wedding chapel
Wedding chapel
A wedding chapel is a place, other than a legal court, and usually also, other than a church, where couples can get legally married. A church may also be used as a wedding chapel, but churches are usually called that by the marrying couple when the ceremony only involves those contracting matrimony...
, pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
, and a full-service health club
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
. It is owned by Caesars Entertainment, formerly Harrah's Entertainment.
History
Harvey's was originally opened in 1944, and operated by SacramentoSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
meat wholesaler Harvey Gross and his wife Llewellyn. They opened the first high rise tower and a 12-story 197 room hotel in 1961.
Harvey's Resort Hotel bombing
The Harvey's Resort Hotel bombing took place on August 26–27, 1980, when three men planted a bomb containing of dynamite at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada, United States...
on August 27, 1980, that left a crater three stories deep when it was detonated by the FBI. (The area around the hotel had been cleared, and no one was injured.) The bomb was placed by John Birges, a heavily in-debt Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
landscaper who had lost at least $1 million at casinos in Stateline and was hoping to extort another $3 million from the bomb threat. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, where he died from liver cancer in 1996.
In 1983, Harvey Gross died at the age of 78; however, the company continued to operate under family management. In 1985, Harveys sold the Harveys Inn, northeast of Stateline, which reopened as the Lakeside Inn. The 18-story, $74 million dollar, glass "Lake Tower" opened in 1987, the same year the trademark "Wagon Wheel" was replaced on the 12-story tower with the current Harveys brand.
In early 1992, Harveys entered a bidding war with Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Worldwide is a global hospitality company. It is owned by the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm. As of July 2011 Hilton brands encompass 3,750 hotels with over 600,000 rooms in 84 countries...
over the right to buy Bally’s Reno, which opened in 1978 as the MGM Grand Reno, now the Grand Sierra Resort
Grand Sierra Resort
The Grand Sierra Resort & Casino is a resort hotel located approximately three miles east of Downtown Reno, Nevada. The hotel has 2,001 guest rooms and suites, 10 restaurants, including two by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, and a casino with of space...
. Harveys announced an agreement on a $70 million deal, only to see Hilton up the ante to $73 million and assumption of Bally's debt. Several weeks later, after considering even higher bids, a federal bankruptcy court settled the matter by approving Hilton’s final $83 million offer.
After going public on Feb. 15, 1994, Harveys began new projects including a joint venture with Hard Rock America for an $80 million casino in Las Vegas, which it later sold its interest in 1997, and then a casino resort in Central City, Colorado
Central City, Colorado
Central City is a home rule municipality in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the county seat of Gilpin County. The city population was 515 in the 2000 United States Census...
. A riverboat casino-convention center in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
followed in early 1996.
In 1999, Colony Capital LLC
Colony Capital LLC
Colony Capital is a private, international investment firm based in Los Angeles, California. The company, founded in 1991, has over 250 employees operating in 11 offices around the world. The company focuses on real estate opportunities around the world either on its own, through funds run by the...
bought a controlling interest in Harveys Casino Resorts. Harveys announced on April 24, 2001, that it would be acquired by Harrah's Entertainment
Harrah's Entertainment
Caesars Entertainment Corporation is a private gaming corporation that owns and operates over 50 casinos, hotels, and seven golf courses under several brands. The company, based in Paradise, Nevada, is the largest gaming company in the world, with yearly revenues $8.9 billion...
, for $625 million.