Bellagio (hotel and casino)
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| Bellagio | |
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| Address | 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 |
| Opening date | October 15, 1998 |
| Previous names | Dunes (demolished) |
| Casino type | Land |
| Theme | Bellagio, Italy |
| Owner | MGM Mirage |
| No. of rooms | 3,933 |
| Total gaming space | 116,000 sq ft (10,800 m²) |
| Permanent shows | O |
| Signature attractions | Bellagio Gallery Of Fine Art Conservatory The Fountains of Bellagio The Bank Nightclub |
| Notable restaurants | Le Cirque Circo Noodles Fix Picasso Michael Mina Jasmine Prime Olives |
| Years renovated | Bellagio Spa Tower, 2005 |
| Website | bellagio.com |
Bellagio is a AAA Five-Diamond rated luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, USA. It is owned by MGM Mirage and was built on the site of demolished Dunes hotel and casino. 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 acres (32,000 m²) artificial lake between the building and the Strip, which houses the Fountains of Bellagio, a large dancing water fountain synchronized to music.
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 had an original construction cost of US$1.6 billion.
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.
Inside Bellagio, Dale Chihuly's Fiori di Como, composed of over 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers, covers 2,000 sq ft (190 m²) of the lobby ceiling. Bellagio is home to Cirque du Soleil's aquatic production of "O", only the second permanent production show for the world-renowned troupe.
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[edit] History
On October 15, 1998, just before 11:00 PM, Bellagio opened. The Bellagio reportedly spent US$88 million on its opening. The VIPs invited to the grand opening were expected to donate to The Foundation Fighting Blindness US$1,000 a person or US$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 US$1.6 billion. The Bellagio was also opened on the fifth anniversary of the Luxor Hotel.
In 2000 it became an MGM Mirage property when Mirage Resorts merged with MGM Grand Inc. to create MGM MIRAGE.
[edit] Film history
- The Bellagio and its fountains are featured in the 2007 film Lucky You.
- Bellagio was featured prominently in the film Ocean's Eleven. The curved staircase that Tess Ocean (played by Julia Roberts) 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 fictitious vault for the three casinos that was robbed (MGM Grand, Mirage, and Bellagio) owned by Terry Benedict (played by Andy Garcia) was located beneath the Bellagio.
- In the 2007 film Ocean's Thirteen, Daniel Ocean (played by George Clooney) is talking about The Dunes Hotel (which was situated on the same place before the Bellagio was built) while he is standing in front of the Fountains of Bellagio together with Rusty Ryan (played by Brad Pitt).
[edit] Gambling
[edit] Poker room
Many professional poker players prefer to play at the Bellagio poker room, calling it their home base (or more commonly "The Office") due to the high table limits. Poker professionals refer to the high-limit table as The Big Game.[1]
Bellagio has also partnered with the World Poker Tour to host several of their tournaments.
[edit] Attractions
[edit] Fountains of Bellagio
The Fountains of Bellagio is a vast, choreographed water feature with performances set to light and music. (See musical fountain.) The performances take place in front of the Bellagio hotel and are visible from numerous vantage points on the Strip, both from the street and from neighboring structures. The fountain's 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 fountain display is choreographed to various pieces of music. Current pieces include:[2]
- And All That Jazz (from Chicago)
- Con Te Partirò (Time to Say Goodbye) - Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli
- Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra
- God Bless The USA - Lee Greenwood
- Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Hey, Big Spender (from Sweet Charity)
- Hoe-Down - Aaron Copland
- Luck Be A Lady (from Guys & Dolls) - Frank Sinatra
- My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
- One, Singular Sensation (from A Chorus Line)
- Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Rachmaninov
- Singin' in the Rain - Gene Kelly
- The Star Spangled Banner - Whitney Houston
- Viva Las Vegas - Elvis Presley
- Your Song - Elton John
The Fountains are set in a nine-acre man-made lake. Contrary to a common urban myth that the lake is filled with treated greywater from the hotel, it is actually serviced by a fresh water well that was drilled decades prior to irrigate a golf course which previously utilized the site. In fact, the fountains use less water at present than under its prior golf course use.[3] They incorporate a network of underwater pipes with over 1,200 nozzles that makes it possible to stage fountain displays coordinated with over 4,500 lights. It is estimated that the fountains cost US$50 million to build.
Three types of nozzles are used for the various effects:
- Oarsmen® - Jets with a full range of spherical motion
- Shooters® - Shoot water upwards
- Super Shooters® - Send a water blast as high as 250 ft (76 m) in the air.
The Fountains were created by WET (aka WET Design), a design firm that specializes in inventive fountains and architectural water features.[4] Following the success that WET had with the Fountains, Steve Wynn asked them to improve and modify the volcano attraction at sister casino The Mirage.
[edit] Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
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The hotel also contains a Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The displays are changed out five times a year and reflect the current season (winter, Chinese New Year, spring, summer, and fall).
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Gabriel, Chris (2006-01-09). Professional Poker or “The Big Game”. Poker Works. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
- ^ Bellagio Fountains - Las Vegas
- ^ According to J. Cruz, the Director of Energy and Environmental Services for MGM Mirage from http://www.kued.org/productions/desertwars/cruz_jamie.php
- ^ WET Design: Water Fountain and Water Features development for Achitecture, Urbanism, and Landscape
[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
- The Bank - Nightclub at Bellagio
- Tour of Bellagio's back of house employee areas
- - A UK guide to Las Vegas & The Bellagio
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