As the Dunes closed in January 1993, Wynn proposed including a man-made lake in his new project for water skiing and windsurfing. An early idea was to build five or six complexes with approximately 500 rooms each, along with a small theme park. He intended to demolish it and build a new resort in its place. Through his company Mirage Resorts, casino owner Steve Wynn purchased the Dunes in November 1992, for $75 million. The site of the Bellagio was previously occupied by the Dunes hotel-casino, which opened in 1955. The property also has a high-end retail area which introduced several luxury brands to Las Vegas, including Chanel, Gucci, and Prada. Bellagio includes an 1,800 seat theater for performances of O, a water-themed show by Cirque du Soleil. Other chefs at the resort have included Todd English, Michael Mina, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Wolfgang Puck. It is the world's largest glass sculpture.īellagio has numerous restaurants, including Le Cirque and Picasso, the latter by chef Julian Serrano. The hotel lobby features Fiori di Como, a sculpture by glass artist Dale Chihuly. Other attractions include the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, and a conservatory and botanical gardens. It is performed in an 8.5-acre man-made lake, located in front of the resort. The resort's signature attraction is the Fountains of Bellagio, a dancing water fountain synchronized to music. MGM continues to operate the property under a lease arrangement.īellagio is located on 77 acres (31 ha). MGM owned the Bellagio until 2019, when it sold the resort to The Blackstone Group for $4.25 billion. A 33-story hotel tower, with 928 rooms, was opened in 2004. Profits improved under the ownership of the newly formed MGM Mirage (later MGM Resorts).
Early revenue was less than expected, and Wynn departed the resort in May 2000, when Mirage Resorts merged with MGM Grand Inc. Built at a cost of $1.6 billion, it was the world's most expensive resort up to that point. Construction began on November 1, 1995, with Marnell Corrao Associates as general contractor.īellagio opened on October 15, 1998, with 3,005 rooms in a 36-story tower. However, Wynn changed the project plans in 1995, instead theming it after the village of Bellagio, near Lake Como. Plans were announced in 1994 to replace it with Beau Rivage, a French-themed resort. Wynn's company, Mirage Resorts, purchased the Dunes in 1992. Bellagio was conceived by casino owner Steve Wynn, and was built on the former site of the Dunes hotel-casino. It is owned by The Blackstone Group and operated by MGM Resorts International.