Bellagio Hotel and Casino

With a prime location on the Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio is a place to stop for a break when you are tired from your long walks on Las Vegas Boulevard. Surrounded by great company such as The Cosmopolitan, Caesars Palace, Aria, and Paris across the street, Bellagio has a lot going for it.

History of the Bellagio

Famous businessman Steve Wynn, noted real estate developer and art collector, is atop any who’s who list of the American luxury casino industry. In 1993 he had a vision of what would evolve into a new trend of mega-casinos in Las Vegas. When it came time to pick a location for this new breed of casino, the answer was simple to Wynn. 3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard. There was only one problem with this plan: that was the grounds that hosted the Las Vegas icon, The Sands casino. Despite some public outcry, the Sands was eventually sold to Wynn and was demolished to make way for his vision of the future of Las Vegas, the Bellagio.

Originally slated to be titled Beau Rivage, Wynn had an epiphany while on vacation in Italy. He would reimagine the Beau Rivage as an Italian-themed casino and resort. What better way to attract guests than to bring the romantic Italian countryside to Sin City? Oh, and the name of the city that Wynn vacationed in: Bellagio.

Construction got underway in May of 1996 with a USD 1.6 billion price tag. In October 1998, the Bellagio Resort’s doors were opened during a ceremony rumored to cost north of $80 million US. A $1000 donation ($3500 for couples) to the Foundation Fighting Blindness reserved your evening of entertainment, including a performance by Cirque du Soleil.

Casino

Bellagio boasts more than 156,000 square feet of gaming fun. More than 135 table games await you at Bellagio. Once inside, you’ll find such attractions as blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, and, of course, poker. Casual gamers can play various low-stakes games, while seasoned vets may want to try their hand in Clube Prive, the High Limit Lounge.

The Legends Room (formerly called Bobby’s Room after professional poker player Bobby Baldwin) includes a high stakes Big Game where stakes can reach $4000, and pots reportedly exceed $1 million. If you prefer slot machines, don’t fret. The Bellagio has more than 2400 slot machines, including reel, video reel, and poker units. Here again, jackpots and progressives can cross the seven-figure mark.

Hotel

After calculating all of your winnings, you’ll probably want to get a good night’s sleep, and the Bellagio has you covered there as well, with over 3900 rooms. There are essentially four types of rooms: Resort rooms, Stay Well Premier rooms, Suites, and Fountain views.

Resort Rooms

In the first category, the rooms all check-in at just over 500 sq ft, except for the Tower King, which is just over 620 sq ft. All of the rooms in this category face the scenic Las Vegas mountains, which is an excellent way of saying they do not face the Strip or the famed Bellagio fountains.

The Fountain View King and Fountain View Two Queen rooms are two exceptions to this rule. Many rooms have a maximum guest limit, so if you have questions, make sure to check the website or call for more information. There is the option of converting a room to “dog-friendly,” but there is a charge of $150 per dog (two dogs maximum) for rooms and $200 per dog per night for suites.

Stay Well

Next up are the Stay Well Premier Rooms, which feature just over 500 sq ft of room. You’ll get your choice of a King or two Queen bed configuration and the choice of fountain view or the scenic panoramas of Las Vegas. What really sets these rooms apart are the amenities. A specialized in-room air purifier, a built-in shower infuser, and free access to the Cleveland Clinic Newsletter are some of the upgrades you need.

Suites

One more step up the lodging ladder is the suites. These rooms vary in square footage but start at 853 and go all the way up to 3001 at the top of the line. Again, the main differences are the amount of room, number/size of beds, and the maximum occupancy for each suite.

Fountain View Suites

Lastly, there are the Fountain View suites. All of these rooms face out onto the one-of-a-kind Bellagio fountain. At the upper end of these rooms, consider the Cypress Suite (1525 sq ft, 1 King, four guests), the one-bedroom Lakeview Suite (2075sq ft, 1 King, four guests), and the enormous two-bedroom Grand Lakeview Suite (3001 sq ft, 2 Kings, six guests). If you have a big crew and want to vacation in style, these are the rooms for you.

Entertainment

The Bellagio doesn’t disappoint when it comes to entertainment. First on your to-do list are the famous Fountains of the Bellagio. You’ve seen them in movies and on tv, but there is nothing quite like seeing them firsthand. Hailed as the “most ambitious, complex water feature ever conceived,” the fountain shows are free, and the actual shows change all the time, so you’re sure to be entertained, even if you’ve seen them before.

Check out the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens if you prefer your entertainment indoors. Covering over 14,000 square feet, the Botanical Garden is transformed each season to display a new, breathtaking display of flowers and decorations. Maintained by a horticulture staff of more than 100, the gardens and the grounds on the Bellagio property are kept looking their best while reusing as much plant matter as possible, showcasing how essential mother nature is to us all.

If you’re more of a song and dance person, you’ve come to the right place. Maintaining a presence since opening day, Cirque de Soleil has a residency at the Bellagio. The current show, “O,” is a celebration of all things water. A diverse cast of acrobats, synchronized swimmers, trained divers, and other characters treat you to a show performed within, below, and above the surface of the main character itself, the water.

Shopping

Need a little retail therapy? Bellagio has everything your heart could possibly desire. If you’re in the market for apparel, some of these options will have you preparing for the catwalk. An all-star cast of clothiers including Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, just to name a few.

Are you looking for something shiny? Jewelry and luxury watches can be found from BVLGARI, Harry Winston, Omega, Tesorini, and Van Cleef & Arpels. Beauty and eyewear can be had from Guerlain, Optica, Tutto, and Valentino. There’s plenty more to choose from, so don’t rule out spending an entire day shopping