The Desert Hills Motel

The Desert Hills Motel features a neon sign topped with a stylized cactus that glows above the corner of Fremont Street. Built in nineteen fifty-three, this motel served the travelers driving into Las Vegas before the massive resort casinos defined the city skyline. While many mid-century lodgings were demolished as downtown expanded, this property kept its original layout and retro signage. It remains a rare example of the neon-drenched roadside culture that once welcomed every visitor arriving by car.