The Linq (formerly Flamingo Capri, Imperial Palace and The Quad) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.

The Flamingo Capri's casino was demolished to make way for the Imperial Palace's entrance, although some of the motel rooms would remain in operation for decades.

When Engelstad died in 2002, the Imperial Palace was the second-largest privately owned hotel in the world, behind the Venetian resort in Las Vegas.

[8] Engelstad's construction company added a three-story wing at the east end of the motel, as well as a northern addition,[1] both of which opened in 1974 along with the Shangri-la pool.

[1][7] Demolition simultaneously began on the Flamingo Capri's casino building, clearing way for the Imperial Palace's entrance, which was expected to be finished within a month.

The interior heavily featured the Oriental theme as well, and included carved dragons and giant wind chime chandeliers.

[18] At the time of opening, the resort included Court of a Thousand Treasures, a four-story shopping arcade with 60 stores, overlooking the east end of the 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) casino.

[7] The final phase of the expansion – including a race & sportsbook, and fitness center – extended the resort to the sidewalk along Las Vegas Boulevard.

[45][46][47] By the end of the decade, the resort partnered with Reno Air to provide guests with baggage check-in at the hotel, ahead of outgoing flights.

The control board also found that Engelstad had hosted Nazi-themed parties at the war room in 1986 and 1988, celebrating Hitler's birthday.

[51][54][55] Engelstad faced a possible revocation of his gaming license, but eventually agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine to the state, settling issues related to the Nazi controversy and the destruction of records.

[54][56] In 1997, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a sex discrimination lawsuit against the Imperial Palace, on behalf of six cocktail waitresses who worked there.

The waitresses had become pregnant and their weight gain was considered unattractive by the resort, which gave them the option of taking lower-paying jobs or unpaid leave.

At the time, the Imperial Palace was the second-largest privately owned hotel in the world, behind the Venetian resort in Las Vegas.

[1] After Engelstad's death, his wife Betty oversaw operations with the help of his longtime attorney, his accountant, and the property's general manager.

Two months later, Harrah's announced plans to purchase the Imperial Palace for $370 million, giving the company a sizable and contiguous ownership of the center Strip.

[18][69] Harrah's chairman Gary Loveman said that plans were underway to develop the area for long-term success, stating that properties such as the Imperial Palace "are going to require very substantial modifications or complete tear-downs and rebuilds.

"[70] Harrah's completed its purchase in December 2005, and announced that the Imperial Palace would remain open into 2007, while redevelopment options were considered.

[82] The resort's main entrance on Las Vegas Boulevard was closed on May 1, 2012, as part of the ongoing construction for Project Linq.

It is divided into 12 rentable areas known as Fan Caves, each one including TVs, an Xbox One game console, and virtual reality headsets.

The Book also features a self-serve beer wall and a food truck; the latter was added due to popular demand by millennials.

Caesars intended for The Book to serve as a testing ground for new concepts, which could potentially be implemented at its other properties to attract millennials.

[105][106] In 2019, ESPN announced that it would construct a new Las Vegas studio at The Linq, as part of its partnership with Caesars Entertainment to provide sports betting information.

[122] Efforts to prevent future flooding were hindered, as an underground drainage system could not be installed without possibly weakening the foundation.

[21][164] The museum initially consisted of Engelstad's own private car collection,[162] worth over $10 million at the time of the opening.

[191][192] In February 2010, Frank Marino began a show titled Divas Las Vegas, in which he impersonated a number of female singers such as Beyoncé and Cher.

[193] Marino and Caesars mutually agreed to end the show in 2018, after he accidentally failed to make a regular donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

[207] Diner Ross, a restaurant serving American cuisine, was also built by Spiegelworld to accompany the show,[203] along with two bars, all adjacent to the venue.

In the 1997 film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, the character Alotta Fagina stays at the Imperial Palace.

It also appears in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, under the name "Four Dragons" (based on the Asian-inspired Imperial Palace theme used at the time).