LAS VEGAS (AP) – One of the largest casino projects ever undertaken on the Las Vegas Strip has set a date for opening, after more than seven years of planning and construction.
Resorts World Las Vegas announced Monday that it will open to the public on June 24 and has begun making reservations for more than 3,500 rooms at the three Hilton HLTs,
hotels.
The first resort built on the Strip in more than a decade will open during a pandemic that worsened the Las Vegas economy with trade restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has set a June 1 target for a 100% reopening of businesses closed in March 2020.
The resort is located on the site of the former Stardust, an iconic landmark in Las Vegas, which was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in 1958 with 1,500 rooms. It closed in 2006 and was owned by Boyd Gaming Corp. when its 32-story tower was installed in March 2007.
Malaysia-based Genting Group, an operator of resorts and casinos around the world, bought the site in 2013 from Boyd Gaming for $ 350 million.
The $ 4.3 billion project has been under construction since May 2015.
Scott Sibella, president of Resorts World Las Vegas, acknowledged that years of work included delays and redesigns to reshape the Asian theme of the large 35-hectare (88-acre) property.
“We are full of gratitude and excitement as we approach our opening … and we hope to play a role in returning from Las Vegas after an incredibly challenging year,” Sibella said in a statement. The timing of the door opening was not immediately revealed.
The property appeared as a curved, red structure with 59 floors, with a huge dynamic LED facade, facing Las Vegas Boulevard. The owner names the display of 10,000 square meters (9,290 square meters) one of the largest in the US
Its three hotels – called Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World, Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World and Crockfords Las Vegas, LXR Hotels and Resorts – are designed to offer a wide range of facilities.
Announcements in recent weeks have focused on Zouk and AYU Dayclub nightclubs, including Zedd and Tiësto, booked at the Zouk Group in Singapore.
The scale of the complex is huge between the Strip resorts, with more than 40 restaurants, eateries and drink points; multiple stores and shops; a casino of 117,000 square meters (10,870 square meters); and 250,000 square meters (23,226 square meters) of meeting and banquet space.
The resort will also include a 5.5-acre (2.2-hectare) pool and a seven-pool spa.
AEG Presents will partner with the resort in a 5,000-capacity concert and entertainment theater scheduled and operated by Concerts West. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported possible headliners, including Katy Perry, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan.
Resorts World will also have a station connected by developer Elon Musk’s Tesla underground transportation with the renovated Las Vegas convention center.
The biggest development on the Strip was the $ 9.2 billion CityCenter partnership between MGM Resorts International and Dubai World. It opened in December 2009 on 76 acres (31 hectares) and includes the Aria, Vdara, Waldorf Astoria and Veer hotel and condominium towers and the Crystals retail and entertainment district. Its Harmon tower was never opened due to construction defects and was dismantled.
Other major projects in recent years include the more than $ 4.1 billion Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas and $ 2.7 billion in Wynn Las Vegas. Bellagio, known for its dance fountains, opened in 1998 at a cost of about $ 1.6 billion.