The International Hotel

Lore & Background

Las Vegas in the late 1960s was transforming from a collection of casinos into a destination for big-name entertainment, and the International Hotel sat at the heart of that shift. Its vast floor, with a stage that could swallow a full orchestra and a singer, was designed for exactly the kind of spectacle Elvis delivered: a man in a sequined jumpsuit, backed by a wall of horns and a gospel choir, singing for two hours straight while thousands of fans pressed against the railings. The 1970 residency was a revelation—Elvis, who had spent the '60s largely in front of television cameras, was suddenly a live performer again, and the International crowd felt the electricity of that return.

By 1973, Elvis's relationship with Las Vegas had deepened into something almost familial. He lived in the city between tours, and the International became a kind of home stage. The shows that year carried a weight the 1970 ones hadn't: fans sensed the man was aging, that the voice was fraying at the edges, and that they might be witnessing something finite. The energy in the room shifted from pure excitement to a kind of collective holding-breath. Singers like Jerry Lee Lewis, who shared the bill, have spoken about the intensity of those nights—the way Elvis would lean into the microphone, eyes closed, and let a song like 'Unchained Melody' or 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' crack open the entire room.

The hotel itself became a character in Elvis lore. Fans would camp out in the casino, wearing the same white-and-black jumpsuit colors, treating the venue like a shrine. The staff remembered the rituals: the specific setlist, the way he'd bow at the end, the way he'd wave from the stage as the applause swelled. When the building was eventually torn down to make way for a larger casino resort, it felt to the fan community like a piece of Elvis's story was being paved over. The MGM Grand that rose in its place is a monument to Las Vegas's relentless reinvention, but for those who were there, the International's name still carries the ghost of a man singing 'Suspicious Minds' under a chandelier.

In Their Own Story

The air in the International's showroom always smelled like a mix of cigarette smoke, cheap perfume, and the faint sweetness of the candy bar Elvis kept in his back pocket. It was a Tuesday in May, 1973. The house lights dimmed to that particular amber that made the sequins on his jumpsuit look like scattered stars. He walked out not with a grand entrance but with a small, tired smile, waving at the rail like a neighbor greeting people at a barbecue. The roar that hit the stage was physical—you could feel it in the floorboards. He grabbed the mic stand, leaned in, and said something low that only the front rows could catch. Then the band hit the first chord of 'You Don't Have to Say You Love Me,' and the room forgot it was a casino. For two hours, the International Hotel was the only place on Earth, and the man in the white suit was the only thing that mattered. When the last note of the encore faded and the lights came up, he stood there, breathing hard, and the applause didn't stop. It never stopped, not that night.

Reader's Guide

The International Hotel no longer stands. If you're planning a pilgrimage through Elvis's Las Vegas, the site is now part of the MGM Grand complex on the Strip. Stand on the sidewalk where the old entrance once faced the boulevard and look up at the MGM Grand's facade; that's the ground where the King performed his 1970 and 1973 residencies. The contrast is staggering—where once a single stage held a man and his band, now a multi-story resort blazes with neon.

To extend your route, walk north to the Bellagio, where the Fountains show plays over the Strip, and let the water and light be your substitute for the old showroom's chandeliers. South, the original Strip hotels still carry the energy of the era when celebrity residencies were the city's heartbeat. For a deeper dive, the Elvis Presley Enterprises properties in Graceland, Memphis, hold the broader story, but Las Vegas is where the late-career Elvis lived, breathed, and performed.

Bring a recording of the 1973 International shows if you have one. Stand at the old site, press play, and let the voice fill the space where the stage once was. The city will feel different. It always does, for those who know what was lost.

Did You Know?

• The International Hotel's showroom was large enough to seat thousands and host full orchestras, making it one of the premier entertainment venues on the Strip during the 1970s.
• Elvis's 1973 residency at the International is widely regarded by fans as among his final great live concert runs, carrying an emotional weight that the 1970 shows had not.
• The hotel's site on the Las Vegas Strip is now occupied by the MGM Grand, one of the largest casino resorts in the world, meaning the exact ground where Elvis performed is now beneath a multi-story entertainment complex.
• During his residencies, Elvis would often perform the same setlist night after night, yet fans reported that each show felt different—a testament to his ability to make a rehearsed performance feel spontaneous.