The Mint opened in 1957.[3] One of the original owners was Milton Prell, who also owned the Hotel Sahara and later the Aladdin hotel-casino. Prell and his associates had engaged a firm to use a computer to come up with a list of possible names for this new addition to downtown Las Vegas. They had been working late into the night in Prell's home, when his wife Debbie came into the room and suggested the place be named The Mint.
Del Webb assumed ownership around 1961 when he acquired other properties owned by Prell.
On April 6, 1962, Sahara-Nevada Corporation – the operating group of the Sahara and Mint – announced plans for a 22-story hotel skyscraper addition to the Mint. The addition was expected to be completed within 16 months, at a cost of $5 million. The addition would be built on the Mint's north parking lot, and was to include 300 additional hotel rooms and suites. A six-story, 210,000 sq ft (20,000 m2) parking garage would be connected to the new hotel building, and would include more than 550 parking spaces.[4][5] In May 1962, the city planned to review the permit for the new tower.[6] A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the tower in July 1962.[7]
Construction was still ongoing in July 1964, at which point the tower was planned to include 24 floors.[8] Construction reached the 24th floor at the end of the year, with plans for an additional four floors.[9] The hotel tower was ultimately built with 26 stories, and was topped out on March 20, 1965, with plans to open later that month.[10] The new tower stood 290 ft (88 m), and was one of the tallest buildings in the state at the time, ranking only behind The Landmark Hotel and Casino, which stood 297 ft (91 m).[11][12] Renovations were also done to the existing building, which included work to the Merri Mint Theatre, and expanded dining areas.[10]
In 1988, The Mint was sold and became part of Binion's Horseshoe.
