Desert Inn & Country Club Las Vegas Vintage Ashtray Black Glass w/ White Letters Small chip on back not visible from front see photos. The Desert Inn, also known as the D.I., was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, which operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by architect Hugh Taylor and interior design by Jac Lessman, it was the fifth resort to open on the Strip,