Category: The Strip

On this Day May 3, 1999 The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino Opened on the Las Vegas Strip

May 3, 2017
Venetian-Las-Vegas

Venetian Las-Vegas opened on May 3, 1999

The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and resort located on the Las Vegas Strip.on the site of the hotel is 36 stories high and rises 475 feet and was built on the on Sands Hotel made famous by the Rat Pack. The hotel opened on May 3, 1999. The design of the hotel uses Venice, Italy, as its design inspiration and features architectural replicas of various Venetian landmarks, including the Palazzo Ducale, Piazza San Marco, Piazzetta di San Marco, the Lion of Venice Column and the Column of Saint Theodore, St Mark’s Campanile, and the Rialto Bridge. At the opening, it was one of the most expensive hotels constructed at a cost of over 1.5 billion dollars.

The Venetian resort complex with Sands Expo Convention Center and The Palazzo Hotel and Casino Resort is the world’s second-largest hotel, with 4,049 rooms, 3,068 suites with a 120,000-square-footcasino.

Photo: Creative Commons – Ricky Barnard

Vegas Info
Posted by: Vegas Info      catagory On This Date, The Strip, Vegas comments 1 Comment

On This Date: April 30, 1996, The Stratosphere Las Vegas Opens

April 30, 2017
Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas

Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas at 1,149 feet tall.

Stratosphere Las Vegas is a tower, hotel, and casino located on Las Vegas Boulevard just north of the Las Vegas Strip. Its tower is also the tallest observation tower, and the 9th-tallest freestanding structure in the United States, as well as being the tallest structure in Las Vegas.

The Stratosphere was conceived by Bob Stupak as an addition to his Vegas World casino. At the conception of the project, one of the planned rides was to be a giant ape that would carry riders up and down on one of the tower’s columns. The original plans envisioned the Stratosphere exceeding the height of the CNN Tower at 1,815 ft., making it the world’s tallest freestanding structure at that time. However, due to possible interference with nearby McCarran International Airport, and any possible flights that come through Las Vegas, the Tower’s proposed height shrank multiple times, bringing it to its current height of 1,149 ft. On August 29, 1993, the Tower caught fire while still under construction. No one was injured, but the fire forced repairs and rebuilding that led to numerous delays in the construction of the Tower.

For the latest information on The Stratosphere including rides, restaurants and bookings, you can check out The Stratosphere at World Casino Directory.

Photo By:  Timjarrett at en.wikipedia
Date Taken: November 2003

Webmaster
Posted by: Webmaster      catagory On This Date, The Strip comments 1 Comment

On This Date, April 28, 2005, the Wynn Opened in Las Vegas

April 28, 2017
Wynn Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas

Wynn Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas

On this date, April 28, 2005, the Wynn opened its doors in Las Vegas. Wynn Las Vegas, often referred to as simply the Wynn, is a luxury resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. The $2.7 billion resort is named after casino developer Steve Wynn and is the flagship property of Wynn Resorts Limited. The resort covers 215 acres and is located at the northeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sands Avenue, directly across The Strip from the Fashion Show Mall.

The 614-foot high hotel has 45 floors, with the 2,716 rooms range in size from 640 sq ft. to the villas at 7,000 sq ft. The complex also includes a 111,000 sq ft. casino, a convention center with 223,000 sq ft. of space, and 76,000 sq ft. of retail space. Together with the adjacent Encore, the entire Wynn resort complex has a total of 4,750 rooms.

The resort has earned AAA five diamond, Mobil five-star, Forbes five-star, Michelin five star, and Zagat Survey Top U.S. Hotel ratings, as well as one Michelin star for restaurant Wing Lei. The Wynn and is considered to be one of the finest hotels in the world. Wynn Las Vegas and its sister property Encore Las Vegas collectively hold more Forbes five-star awards than any other resort and casino in the world.

Vegas Info
Posted by: Vegas Info      catagory On This Date, The Strip, Vegas comments 1 Comment

On This Date: April 24, 1950 Desert Inn Hotel and Casino Opened

April 24, 2017
Desert Inn aka DI

The Desert Inn Hotel & Casino in 1999

Desert Inn Hotel by the pool

Early photo of the Desert Inn Hotel by the pool

The Desert Inn was a hotel/casino that operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. It was the fifth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The property included an 18-hole golf course. Locals nicknamed the resort “The D.I.” or just “D.I.”.

The Desert Inn’s most famous guest, businessman Howard Hughes, arrived on Thanksgiving Day in 1966, renting the hotel’s entire top two floors and then later bought the resort when asked to vacate.

The Desert Inn has appeared in many movies including: The 1960 film version of Ocean’s 11 and last use in the film Rush Hour 2.

Photo by: LasVegas360.com and UNLVspecial collections

The D.I. Was imploded on  November 16, 2004. to make way for the Wynn and Encore resorts.

Vegas Info
Posted by: Vegas Info      catagory On This Date, The Strip, Vegas comments Leave a comment

On This Date: April 20, 1955 The Riviera Hotel & Casino opened on the Las Vegas Strip

April 20, 2017
Riviera Hotel & Casino

Riviera Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip

The Riviera opened on April 20, 1955 as the first high-rise and the ninth resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The Riviera is one of the oldest and most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas.
The Riviera closed in May 4, 2015 and is currently own by the Las Vegas Convention authority which who paid $182.5 million to acquire. Here are some photos of it’s last operational day on May 4, 2015.

Photo by: LasVegas360.com

 

Vegas Info
Posted by: Vegas Info      catagory Entertainment, On This Date, The Strip, Vegas comments Leave a comment

On This Date: February 28, 1906 Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was Born

February 28, 2017
Bugsy Siegel Mug Shot

Bugsy Siegel an American Mobster

On this date: Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was born February 28, 1906. In 1945. Bugsy Siegal, was instrumental in establishing the first resort on the now famous Las Vegas Strip with the opening of the Flamingo Hotel & Casino.

Siegel opened The Flamingo Hotel & Casino at a total cost of $6 million on December 26, 1946. Billed as the world’s most luxurious hotel, the 105-room property and first luxury hotel on the Strip, it was built seven miles from Downtown Las Vegas.

Vegas Info
Posted by: Vegas Info      catagory On This Date, The Strip, Vegas comments Leave a comment