Celebrating its 25th anniversary, one of the largest resorts on the Strip continues to evolve.
It ’s been 25 years sinceThe Venetianopened on the Las Vegas Strip . It was a transformative time , arriving within months of theBellagio , Paris , and Mandalay Bay , all stretching the possibility of what could be done with a resort ’s trope and identity element .
" When the Strip was begin in the ' 40s , the westerly theme was grown , but we lean to associate theming with Caesars Palace and Circus Circus , " says UNLV account professor Michael Green . " The godsend began with the Mirage and Excalibur in ' 89 and ' 90 , yet The Venetian labor its theme more than any other place . "
As clock time went on , The Venetian expanded the main property with the Venezia pillar in 2003 and the Palazzo annexe in 2007 . Add it all together and you have more than 7,100 room , reach it the tumid hotel in the United States and the 2d great in the human beings .
Photo courtesy of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
For most of its cosmos , The Venetian survey the visual sensation of Las Vegas Sands Corporation CEO Sheldon Adelson , who pass along away in 2021 . The property was sold to Vici Properties and now operates under the centering of Apollo Management . The Venetian record a new era with thearrival of the Sphere , which touch base directly to the resort , and a of late announced $ 1.5 billion renovation — an ambitious move for a luxury resort that ’s just showing its eld . change are already in motion with the late debut of a young poker elbow room ( the large on the Strip with 50 rooms ) and the imminent arrival ofCOTE , a Michelin - awarded Korean steakhouse .
As we calculate to the future , take a moment to look at the yesteryear as well . The Venetian has a fascinating history that helped correct the stage for modern Las Vegas . Here are 15 things you may not know about the property .
The resort was inspired by the owner’s honeymoon
Sheldon Adleson built The Venetian at the proffer of his wife Miriam when the couple was on a Venice honeymoon in 1991 . Architects and artists were enlist to search the landmarks and purpose of the Northern Italian urban center , importing material like Botticino marble and Verde St. Denis , a gullible stone found in the Italian Alps . Adelson go off the Sands Hotel & Casino in 1996 , clearing the way for The Venetian to be constructed , open less than three years afterward .
The beginning was rough
After a two - week delay , The Venetianopened on May 3 , 1999 , but only part of it was usable due to ongoing inspections and grammatical construction , which continued through the closing of the yr . Three workers perish as the hotel was built and Adelson terminate up in a sound battle with the general declarer that wassettled years later . The Grand Canal Shoppes opened more than a calendar month after the hotel did with just16 tenants .
You can stand in the footprints of the Rat Pack
The Venetian was a striking change of pace from the Sands , which had a 44 - year footrace and magnificently check the Rat Pack perform at the Copa Room . The modern - sidereal day location of where the club once stood is up for debate , but The Venetian has a lowly tribute to the Rat Pack on the pavement that runs alongside Las Vegas Boulevard , based on afamous phototaken in front of the marquee . Just reckon for a memorial tablet and five sets of footprints play Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Sammy Davis Jr. , Peter Lawford , and Joey Bishop .
The Expo Center redefined Vegas tourism
The rooms are like apartments
The Venetian is the only Strip hotel that conform to an all - suites format . Even the small-scale rooms are 650 square feet — or about double the size of it of an average Vegas hotel elbow room and corresponding to more than half the apartment in Manhattan . The Venetian rooms are notable for marble decor , spacious bathrooms , and sunken living rooms with views that can face up the Strip , Sphere , or neighbor Wynn Golf Course .
The Venetian once had Guggenheim museums on site
The Venetian had two museum in partnership with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation . The large Guggenheim Las Vegas featured just one showing , The Art of the Motorcycle , and barely lasted a slight more than a year . The smaller Guggenheim Hermitage Museumlasted seven long time , take out mostly tourists in a toughened period , open up a month after the 9/11 attacks . A collaboration between the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg , Russia , the gallery sport works by the likes of Picasso , Van Gogh , and Monet before closing in 2008 . Today , the Venetian still has its ploughshare ofart in public spaces , from a replica of the Armillary Sphere in the lobby to theLOVE installationin the Waterfall Atrium falls , which is easily one of themost photographed places in Vegas .
The Venetian was a heated spot for culinary conflict
Adelson was a steadfast opponent of the Culinary Workers Union , one of the most influential force in Las Vegas and the large Labor Department union in Nevada . The conflict turned ugly at pointedness . Adelson , who was Judaic , blame the unionfor an anti - semitic message scrawled on his cabana mirror . He also pull a major donation from his own synagogue for moving an result from The Venetian after Mayor Oscar Goodmanrefused to crossa culinary picket line of credit . At one compass point , there were also legal issues over picketersusing The Venetian pavement , which was technically secret property but permit for public use . It was n’t until Adelson draw away in 2021 and the resort was deal that Venetian workersfinally reached a dealwith union organizers .
The Grand Canal Shoppes financed the Palazzo
TheGrand Canal Shoppeshad a slow startle and a few high - profile tenants fizzle out out over the year , including Act nightclub , a picture - theme Warner Bros. eatery named WB Stage 16 , and a three - layer Barneys New York . However , the shopping plaza became an attraction in its own right hand and now draws more than25 million visitorsa twelvemonth to ride gondolas through indoor and outside duct , expend money at more than 160 shops and restaurants , and see recreation of iconic Italian watershed like St. Mark ’s Square underneath a dreary sky painted on the cap . The Venetiansold the Grand Canal Shoppesto an external operator in 2004 for $ 766 million , which avail finance the Palazzo expansion .
The Palazzo had the Strip’s first underground parking garage
Is the Palazzo really its own hotel ? calculate on who you call for . ( It all connects anyway ) . The Palazzo has a more contemporary picture and an extra semi - secret check - in desk on the 23rd floor for high rollers at the extremist - exclusivePrestige Club . sum up to the contrivance , the Palazzo was the only Strip hotel tug to have an hush-hush parking garage until the Cosmopolitan came along in 2010 . If you did n’t count the Stratosphere watching tower , the Palazzo was the tallest building in Vegas when it opened , although its height has since been exceeded byResorts WorldandFontainebleau .
The Venetian never had a buffet
Adelson believe abuffetwould jar with the refuge ’s gamey - remainder figure of speech ( although a few individual restaurants offered their own version here and there to meet demand ) . rather , the dining lineup aimed high , emerging at a time when famous person chefs and bon vivant culture were taking delay on the Strip . Just look at the ongoing success of Thomas Keller ’s Bouchon , Cut by Wolfgang Puck , and Delmonico Steakhouse , which features the cuisine of Emeril Lagasse and one of the expectant whisky list in the full country . Late Chicago chef Charlie Trotterearned a coveted Michelin starfor the short - lived Restaurant Charlie , often described as ahead of its time .
The resort gave the Grand Lux Cafe to the world
Okay , you ca n’t have fine dining all the time . The Venetian turn over to Cheesecake Factory founderDavid Overtonto build up a new eating place on property with the mass in nous . The only trouble : there was already a Cheesecake Factory at the Forum Shops at Caesars and contract prevented a second one from competing with it on the Strip . So Overton came up with the Grand Lux Cafe , which was sort of like the Cheesecake Factory with an in - house bakery and straggle book - like menu , but a short bit more upscale . Open round the clock and seat more than 500 the great unwashed , it became such a slay uponwelcoming Guest in 1999 , a second Grand Lux Cafeopened at the Palazzoin 2008 . At one point in time , there were at least 13 placement throughout the country , but that identification number is now down to seven .
The Venetian “Strip-ed” down the Phantom of the Opera
amusement is a big part of any Strip casino , but traditionally , you did n’t want to keep multitude away from the casino floor for too long . That ’s even dead on target when Andrew Lloyd Weber’sPhantom of the Operais your in - home show . virtually 45 minutes was shave from the original , giving the Venetian production a95 - minute running timewith no interruption under the namePhantom — the Las Vegas Spectacular . Audiences did n’t seem to mind . The show ran for five years .
There was a rivalry with the Wynn
The Venetian and Wynn resorts are only assort by Sands Avenue and there was ahistory of tensionbetween their billionaire founder . Steve Wynn believe Shledon Adelson did n’t give the Venetian and its expo hall enough parking spaces and worried about conventioneer using the Wynn garage and walking across the street . The two were also aggressive competitors in the booming Macau casino marketplace and even parked their private Gulfstream jets in the same airport hanger . We take on relations between the two resorts are good today under different owners .
The Venetian has an unfinished tower
And it ’s hide in plain heap . The planned St. Regis luxury condominium tower was only partly constructed with work coming to a halt during the economical downturn of 2008 . A Walgreens operates at the base , but most of the remaining underframe issurrounded by a wrapthat blends in astonishingly well with the rest of the holding ’s computer architecture .
Employees were paid through the pandemic
Sheldon Adelson was a controversial figure . He poured gazillion into conservative causes and political campaigns , making him a Italian sandwich to some and a villain to others . He bribe the big paper in townsfolk , theLas Vegas Review - Journal , which financed local news media but drew accusation of the billionaire try on to influence coverage . Yet everyone can fit in on one thing : Adelson did the proper matter during the pandemic , even during the lockdown when the Strip became a ghost town . The Venetian continue topay employee with full benefits , while other Vegas hangout companies gift in to furlough and layoff . The resort slowly reopened and keep staff busy by hosting television taping forShark Tankin 2020 before returning to full operation .
Photo courtesy of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
Photo courtesy of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
HaSalon|Photo courtesy of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
Photo courtesy of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
