which old weekly motel for TV documentary?

Hello,
I'm currently working on a future documentary for the french TV.
The idea is to stay in a weekly motel and meet people living there.
I'm looking for a place with an historical aspect. for example a motel who had been known a few decades ago for being a nice/safe place, and where I could talk with some residents.
I used to stay at the Blue Angel Motel some years ago where I met really interesting people ( I remember talking with a Korean veteran and a stripper )
Is there other places like this one that could match with my criteria ?

Thanks a lot for you help !

Ivan
Paris, France

 

There used to be some great ones for this sort of thing, like the Ogden House, Ambassaor East, Queen of Hearts, Hotel Nevada, Rainbow Vegas, Somerset House, the John E. Carson and the Western.

Sadly, there are fewer and fewer of the old motels in Vegas, but some of the ones that may be worth checking out are:

The Downtowner Motel
The Fun City Motel
The Aruba
The Bonanza Lodge
Ferguson's Motel
Rummel Motel

I can't vouch that these are all still open, but it's a starting point.

Fred C. Dobbs

 

Is the Blue Angel still open?

 

Thanks for your help !
I know the Downtowner and the Bonanza are still open. I have to verify for the others. And yes The Blue Angel was still running last month.
I just read the Oasis story, really interesting one...
I plan to go Vegas in June to check everything ( meet and talk to the owners ) and prepare the shooting.
If you have any idea of other places, don't hesitate !!
Sincerely,
Ivan

 

The owners of the Oasis Motel have been there for a long time. John and his son Peter have seen a side of Las Vegas that few care to acknowledge. They do a decent job of maintaining the place, particularly the grounds, which John has an special afinity for in trimming and watering. The rooms are very well-worn, lets say, as they buy used furniture and carpet. The plumbing and electrical is mostly original, with all the special effects you might expect. They do their best to clean and take care of the rooms within a very skimpy budget. Several years ago, the City of Las Vegas took the business license of a neigboring property (Del Mar), due to it's overly high number of police calls. At that time, the Oasis was #2 in the area in use of police time and it was thought they were next. John and Peter maintain a very high presence on site and have worked hard to keep their investment from becoming such a target.

The rif-raf that once ran the area has lessened somewhat, as many of the apartments between LV Blvd and Main St have been bought-up and shuttered. This whole area was ripe for re-development before the recession, now it's anyone's guess. I was happy to see the Oasis mentioned... John and Peter have seen a lot, but generally have been reluctant to publicly share.

 

I stayed at the oasis for 1 night many years ago.

It was for both a dare to myself, and for bragging rights that I had stayed there. I do believe it was Peter who checked me in to my room with a hot tub next to the bed. It was impressive. I didn't have any trouble sleeping, or any strange nightmares the night I was there.

I may have to try and stay one more time before I move to LV. This time I'll try to get the room Stu died in. I watched the movie High Roller and am fascinated by his story. He was such a generous guy. It's a shame he died under such horrible circumstances.