Bellagio (hotel and casino)
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| Number of rooms | 3,933 | |
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| Theme | Bellagio, Italy | |
| Gaming space | 116,000 ft² (10,776.75 m²) | |
| Permanent show(s) | "O" | |
| Signature attraction(s) | Bellagio Gallery Of Fine Art Conservatory The Fountains of Bellagio |
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| Notable restaurant(s) | Le Cirque Circo Noodles Fix Picasso Michael Mina Jasmine Prime |
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| Owner | MGM Mirage | |
| Date opened | October 15, 1998 | |
| Casino type | Land | |
| Major renovation(s) | Bellagio Spa Tower added: 2005 | |
| Previous name(s) | Dunes (demolished) | |
| Casino website | Bellagio | |
Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It is owned by MGM Mirage.
Inspired by the Lake Como resort of Bellagio in Italy, Bellagio is famed for its elegance. One of its most notable features is an 8 acre (32,000 m²) artificial lake between the building and the Strip. The fountain shows on the lake are a major free attraction and provide a romantic ambiance for couples walking along the strip.
Inside Bellagio, Dale Chihuly's Fiori di Como, composed of over 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers, covers 2,000 square feet (610 m²) of the lobby ceiling. The hotel also contains a Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.
Bellagio was conceived by Steve Wynn and built by his company, Mirage Resorts, Inc. following the purchase and demolition of the legendary Dunes hotel and casino in 1993. Bellagio was designed by Marnell Corrao Associates and Jon Jerde.
Bellagio is home to Cirque du Soleil's aquatic production of "O", only the second permanent production show for the world-renowned troupe.
The Bellagio employs approximately 10,000 people. In the fall of 2006, the casino floor was remodeled and new uniforms were issued, changing the original color scheme to a more contemporary blue tone.
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[edit] History
On October 15, 1998, just before 11:00pm, Bellagio opened. The Bellagio reported to spend $88 million on its opening. The VIPs invited to the grand opening were expected to donate to The Foundation Fighting Blindness $1,000 a person or $3,500 a couple, which entitled them to an overnight stay at Bellagio's suite rooms.
Opening night's entertainment began with Steve Wynn giving a 40 minute welcome speech and then the opening of the Cirque du Soleil production, "O." Performing in Bellagio lounges that night were New York cabaret and recording artist Michael Feinstein, George Bugatti and John Pizarrelli. When it opened, it was the most expensive hotel ever built, having cost over $1.6 billion.
In 2000 it became a MGM Mirage property when Mirage Resorts merged with MGM Grand Inc. to create MGM MIRAGE.
[edit] Film history
- Bellagio was featured prominently in the film Ocean's Eleven (2001). The curved staircase that Tess Ocean (played by Julia Roberts) so impressively descended was removed during a 2006 remodel to accommodate the entrance pathway from a newly built hotel tower, called The Spa Tower. New shops and restaurants fill the space.
The vault for the three casinos that were robbed (MGM Grand, Mirage, and Bellagio) owned by Terry Benedict (played by Andy Garcia) was located beneath the Bellagio. There is no confirmation whether in fact the vault exists as portrayed in the movie.
The English-American actor Justin Charles Pierce, who starred in the controversial film 'Kids' hanged himself in a room at the Bellagio on July 10th 2000.
[edit] Poker room
Many professional poker players prefer to play at the Bellagio poker room, calling it their home base due to the high table limits. Poker professionals refer to the high-limit table as The Big Game.
Bellagio has also partnered with the World Poker Tour to host several of their tournaments.
[edit] Fountains
The Fountains of Bellagio attraction consists of an intricate water fountain display set to light and music. The display takes place in front of the Bellagio hotel and can be viewed from the Strip. The fountain show takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings, and every 15 minutes from 8 pm to midnight. Exceptions: a single or string of shows may be withheld when winds prevail; a single show may be skipped to avoid interference with a planned event.
The Fountains were created by WET Design, who specializes in creating intricate water shows. The design incorporates an array of underwater pipes with over 1,000 nozzles that makes it possible to stage fountain displays coordinated with over 4,000 lights and music. [1]
Three types of nozzles are used for the various effects:
- Oarsmans - Swing back and forth to create dancing water
- Shooters - Shoots water upwards
Following the success that WET Design had with the Fountains, Steve Wynn asked them to improve and modify the volcano attraction at sister casino The Mirage.
[edit] External links
- Bellagio website
- Bellagio Hotel Virtual Tour - 360 degree virtual tour
- History of the Bellagio
- Las Vegas Travelog - photo collection
- Satellite view of the site
- Bellagio reviews and video clips
- Marnell Corrao Associates technical project overview
- Video of The Bellagio Fountains
- Photos of the Bellagio & Conservatory
| Las Vegas Strip | ||
|---|---|---|
| South end | Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign |  |
| West side | Mandalay Bay · THEhotel at Mandalay Bay · Luxor · Excalibur · New York-New York ·Monte Carlo · Project City Center (2009) · The Cosmopolitan (2009) · Bellagio · Caesars Palace · The Mirage · Treasure Island · New Frontier · Echelon Place (2010) · Slots-A-Fun · Circus Circus · Stratosphere | |
| East side | Tropicana · MGM Grand · Aladdin (Planet Hollywood) · Paris · Bally's · Bill's (formerly Barbary Coast) · Flamingo · O'Sheas · Imperial Palace · Harrah's · Casino Royale · The Venetian · The Palazzo (2007) · Wynn · Riviera · Sahara | |
| Transportation | Las Vegas Monorail · The Deuce | |
| MGM MIRAGE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut: | MGM Grand Under Development. To be co-developed/managed by MGM Mirage and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. | ||
| Illinois: | Grand Victoria | ||
| Mississippi: | |||
| Michigan: | MGM Grand Detroit | ||
| New Jersey: | Borgata | ||
| Nevada: |
Henderson: Railroad Pass |
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| International: | China: MGM Grand Macau | ||
| Annual Revenue: $6.48 billion USD | Employees: 70,000+ | Stock Symbol: NYSE: MGM | Website: www.mgm-mirage.com | |||
