In 1955 Time magazine wondered if Las Vegas was n't overbuilt . The city's hotels in the past four to five years have begun exploiting the vast middle-class and tourism markets they once eschewed in favor of attracting a handful of high-rolling gamblers. More than 50 years later the city has grown from a few resorts to a booming metropolis of more than 5000 people and nearly 60,000 hotel and motel rooms . Nearly 20,000 new hotel rooms are either under construction or awaiting groundbreaking . Figures show that 90.2 percent occupancy during 1987 . This caused potential guest to be turned away especially on holiday weekends . Visitors nearly doubled in the last 12 years with and estimated 17 million tourist expected in 1988 . Part of the Las Vegas lure also comes from room rates that average $ 45 a night .
In 1955 Time magazine wondered if Las Vegas was n't overbuilt . More than 50 years later the city has grown from a few resorts to a booming metropolis of more than 5000 people and nearly 60,000 hotel and motel rooms . Nearly 20,000 new hotel rooms are either under construction or awaiting groundbreaking . Figures show that 90.2 percent occupancy during 1987 . This caused potential guest to be turned away especially on holiday weekends . Visitors nearly doubled in the last 12 years with and estimated 17 million tourist expected in 1988 . Part of the Las Vegas lure also comes from room rates that average $ 45 a night .