Las Vegan Magazine of Las Vegas

By: Norm Johnson
On October 15 the Bellagio, the first of four new mega-resorts to be completed in 1998-1999 on the Las Vegas Strip, is scheduled to open. The others are the $2.5 billion Venetian, the $760 million Paris-Las Vegas, and the $950 million Mandalay Bay. All projects are said to be on schedule, according to informed sources The Bellagio, built at a cost of $1.6 billion by Steve Wynn, will be located on a 120-acre site at the southwest corner of Flamingo and Las Vegas Boulevard and will occupy the site of the former Dunes Hotel/Casino. The Bellagio will join Wynn's other hotel properties that include the Mirage, Treasure Island, Golden Nugget, and the Golden Nugget Laughlin hotels. The front entrance of the Bellagio will lead past an 8.5-acre lake, replete with magical fountains that will, at night, dazzle with a choreographed ballet of water, music and lights. The 36-story tower will feature 3,000 luxurious guestrooms, including more than 300 suites. It will feature a variety of dining experiences, from the casual comfort of European styled bistros and cafes to the formality of elegant and internationally acclaimed restaurants. Among the latter will be the legendary gourmet French restaurant, Le Cirque, and the Osteria del Circo, specializing in Northern Italian fare, along with Todd English's famed Boston restaurant. All of the restaurants will feature panoramic views and will provide both indoor and outdoor dining. A highlight of the Bellagio will be the Gallery of Fine Art. Here, visitors can view some of the world's finest paintings and sculptures. Wynn spent millions of dollars from his personal fortune to purchase these fine works of art. The Venetian was inaugurated with groundbreaking ceremonies on April 14, 1997, following implosion of the Sands Hotel on Nov. 26, 1996. Phase I is set to open on April 21, 1999. This phase will include the 35-story Venetian Hotel Tower with its 3,036 suites, plus the Grand Canal Shoppes, and a 500,000 square foot indoor shopping mall. Phase I will also include a 116,000 square foot casino, and the Venetian Congress Center, that will provide 500,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Sheldon Adelson, developer of this ambitious undertaking, was on hand during "topping out" ceremonies on August 18. The 65-year-old chairman of Las Vegas Sands Inc. had guided his dream as it rose from the dust and rubble of the former Sands Hotel. To commemorate this construction milestone, 100 white doves were released from a gondola as hundreds of hotel construction workers and executives looked on. "Spending over a billion dollars on recreating a city as famous as Venice, rich with architectural history, was a tremendous and ambitious undertaking and has required immense cooperation from all construction trades. All those involved with this project should be proud of the effort they've given so far," William P. Weidner, President and COO of the resort, said during the ceremony. When Phases I and II are completed, the resort will have a total of 6,072 suites. In addition, the Venetian expects to offer unmatched world-class dining and entertainment with owner/operated restaurants such as Joachim Splichal's "Pinot Las Vegas," The Cheesecake Factory's "Grand Lux Café," Emeril Lagasse's "Delmonico Steakhouse," and Larry Mindel's "Canaletto." The resort also expects to premiere the first-ever-stateside "Madame Tussaud's Museum" and the first "SpaClub" by Canyon Ranch, one of the world's most elite health resorts. When completed, the Venetian will employ approximately 4,000 people directly. The independent restaurants and rental shops that are to occupy the hotel will employ an additional 5,000. "The Venetian will redefine Las Vegas as a new and vibrant entertainment and convention facility. And as long as Las Vegas continues to reach out to new markets, we will always have new people coming to town and, of course, needing rooms." One item Adelson is most proud of and insisted on was a dedication to detail. This has resulted in historical authenticity throughout, in reproducing the famous landmarks and architectural ornaments of Renaissance-Venice. The Campanile Tower will serve as an entrance through which a people mover will carry visitors over the Rialto Bridge. Gondola rides, just like those in Venice, and complete with gondoliers serenading in Italian, will meander the length of the 1,200 linear foot Grand Canal Shoppes. The Paris-Las Vegas is slated to open in the fall of 1999 at an estimated cost of $760 million. The project promises to bring the spirit, images, and sophistication of the "City of Lights" to the "City of Neon Lights." In addition to a 50-story scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, the resort will also feature replications of some of the French city's most recognized landmarks, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Paris Opera House, the Louvre, and the Rue de la Paix. Paris-Las Vegas, a part of the Hilton chain that owns Bally's, the Las Vegas Hilton, and the Flamingo Hilton, will		feature 2,914 guestrooms, an 85,000-square-foot casino and eight distinctive French restaurants. Guests will also be able to rejuvenate themselves in the European health spa, or relax by the two-acre rooftop swimming pool. "Las Vegas is continuing to grow and prosper, and Hilton is committed to being an integral part of that growth," said Arthur M. Goldberg, Executive Vice-President, Hilton Hotel Corporation and President-Gaming Operations. "This location is the last prime undeveloped site in the 'Golden Mile' of the Las Vegas Strip." According to Gina Cunningham, advertising and public relations for Bally's and Paris-Las Vegas, no decisions have been made regarding the entertainment policy at Paris. "We expect to have some major entertainment announcement as we get closer to our opening date," Cunningham said. "Consistent with the other aspects of the property, the Parisian Theatre, designed to accommodate 1200, will host an entertainment lineup that will rank among the best of any resort in Las Vegas. Paris-Las Vegas will also stage special events on a grand scale in Las Vegas' largest ballroom," she added. The ballroom will offer more than 130,000 square feet of pillar-less function space. The Paris Ballroom alone will cover nearly 90,000 square feet. The pre-function space has been modeled after the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace Versailles. A gallery setting, the spacious hall will be lined on both sides with high mirrored arches. Crystal chandeliers will hang from the covered ceilings with gold leafed cornice moldings. Paris-Las Vegas and Bally's will be connected via an extension of the resorts Rue de la Paix, a charming street scene lined with high-end French boutiques and restaurants. A replica of a Paris metro station will serve to link the resort with the monorail that connects Bally's with the MGM Grand. Mandalay Bay is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 1999, on a 60-acre plot just south of the Luxor resort. Mandalay Bay may well be unique among hotels, in that it will physically incorporate the Four Seasons Hotel that will occupy 424 rooms on floors 35 through 39 of the 43-story building. The Four Seasons will feature a separate entrance and check-in, five-star dining, pool/spa, and convention area. Mandalay Bay is being developed by Circus Circus Enterprises, Inc., as the third property within its Circus Masterplan Mile. The first two are Excalibur and Luxor, both immediately to the north on Las Vegas Blvd. Mandalay Bay will be tropical themed, and will feature an 11-acre tropical water environment highlighted by a sand-surf beach. The hotel will offer 3700 ornate rooms and suites, including the 424 rooms and suites assigned to Four Seasons, and approximately 500 suites that range up to 6,670 square feet. Fourteen restaurants will provide a wide variety of dining opportunities, some world class, and include specialty and ethnic restaurants, a 24-hour café, coffee bars, a deli/snack bar, and the Las Vegas staple, a buffet. Meeting and convention areas will occupy 190,000 square feet. The conference center will include two huge, pillar-less ballrooms of 44,900 and 31,800 square feet, respectively, in addition to a flexible breakout space of 17,086 square feet that can be divided into as many as 17 rooms. The event center will provide 38,818 square feet of exhibit space and 26,100 square feet of meeting/function space. Four Seasons will offer an additional 25,000 square feet for meetings. Mandalay Bay will house a casino with 135,000 square feet of gaming space, including an elegant Salon Prive. In addition to the water environment, recreational opportunities will include a 30,000 square foot spa offering comprehensive services and exercise equipment for men and women. Mandalay Bay will feature a 12,000-seat sports/entertainment complex, designed to attract top-name entertainment that will include superstar concerts, major sporting events, and television specials. Headline acts will also be featured in a state-of-the-art 1,700-seat showroom. Nightly entertainment will also be offered in several lounges, clubs, and stages. A House of Blues live music venue, accommodating 2,000 people, and 600-seat restaurant, will be located just off the casino floor. In view of the large number of additional hotel rooms that these resorts will bring to Las Vegas, some resort executives and other civic leaders are cautious about the future. Have we, at last, reached a point where construction of more mega-resorts may need to be curtailed? Or, as with earlier predictions and cautions over the years, will Las Vegas only continue to attract visitors? Can we, indeed, "build and they will come?" Only time will tell, as Las Vegas continues to set new standards of what a world-class tourist destination should be.