Hostel Environment

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Once on of Vegas’ most problem-plagued properties, the Tod Motor Motel is now a haven for weary travelers

When you arrive at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport, there will be a man with a sign waiting. He will take your bags and usher you into the limousine and whisk you away to your destination on the Las Vegas Strip. When you arrive, you won’t have to tip him or pay for the ride. That’s all included in the $19 you are paying for your room.

Nineteen dollars.

The Tod Motor Motel is a youth hostel whose only advertising so far is word of mouth. The online buzz it gets from adventurous backpackers from across the globe is priceless PR. “Clean, friendly and helpful”; “The best hostel”; and “I give them 100 marks. Perfect!” are some of the variations you can easily find by punching its name into Google.

And judging by the easy, relaxed faces smiling around the sparkling blue pool, you’d never guess that this location, with its cheerful five-dollar movie and barbecue nights, was once one of the most sordid and notorious places in town.

“Worst ever,” reads an old review from one hapless traveler. “If you are looking for crack and other assorted drugs this is the place for you. Dangerous for children.”

This person disputed the charge on their credit card statement.

Not only was Tod dangerous, it was also forgotten by law enforcement. Police officers, aware that the former owners had long since gone down a road of compliance with drug trafficking and prostitution, had given up responding to calls in the area. There was nothing left for them to do but make a perfunctory show of faith by cruising the area once or twice a night.

So when Ran Tadmor, a local real estate agent with a penchant for taking risks, saw that the landmark property was up for sale in 2005—with its gloriously kitschy 1962 neon sign still intact—he ignored the tales of urban warfare and asked his wife if she’d be interested in purchasing the property as an investment.

 

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