"Ellis Island has to be the least glamorous name of any hotel in Las Vegas. While Caesars Palace conjures up images of excess and opulence, Ellis Island evokes austerity and cholera. The threat of a one-way steamer passage back to Ireland lurks behind every slot machine. The name makes slightly more sense when you learn a bit of its lore. A fellow named Frank Ellis opened the Village Pub restaurant in the 1960s; it's off the Strip but just barely, tucked behind the Horseshoe and the Paris."
"I kept staring down at my phone, partly because Google Maps showed I was practically standing where Tupac Shakur had been fatally shot. I must have looked confused. "You ladies headed to Ellis Island?" asked an event staffer watching the street corner. When we nodded, she waved us through with a cheery, "Have fun!" I wasn't sure how much fun one could have at Ellis Island, but I was ready to try."
Formula 1–related street closures and temporary walkways complicated access near the Strip, leading visitors onto Koval Lane toward Ellis Island. An event staffer cheerfully directed arriving guests to the casino and restaurant. Ellis Island originated with Frank Ellis's Village Pub in the 1960s and later added a casino, adopting the Ellis Island name. The property emphasizes budget accommodation, with rooms often priced at $50 or less and much of the hotel formerly a Super 8. Village Pub's ambience is plain — beige walls, low ceilings and televisions — and on-site staff monitor intoxicated patrons.
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