We told you about some new casinos ready to open in Las Vegas, but really, one will make the most notable difference – Fontainebleau Las Vegas, set to open Dec. 13, after a decade-and-a-half of delays.
Now, two-and-a-half weeks before opening, we’re finally getting a look inside, thanks to Bob Dingo.
This property will hold 3,644 hotel rooms, 177,000 square feet of casino gaming floor (with 42-foot-high ceilings), a spa, plenty of high-end shops and fancy restaurants, more than half-a-million square feet of meeting and convention space, seven pools, an intimate 3,800-seat theater, and a LIV nightclub, which some people may recognize as the same club that exists at Fontainebleau Miami Beach. (LIV dayclub will open in 2024.)
This $3.7 billion construction first broke ground in 2007 but then ran out of money in 2009. A bankruptcy, some new owners, and several lawsuits later, left the building only 70% complete and languishing on the Strip for years until another ownership group took a stab at completing the project – and then a pandemic hit.
But now it’s 2023 and almost ready for a ribbon-cutting. Fontainebleau will be the second-tallest building in Nevada (behind the Strat tower), at 737 feet and 68 stories. (Mr. Dingo incorrectly claims he’s on the 90th floor, twice, oops.) The decor features a lot of stone and gold, as Dingo correctly points out, with blue themes befitting the hotel’s name.
There inevitably will be a lot of hype. And because this is Vegas, you gotta take such announcements of a big investment that’s sure to bring in high rollers with a grain of Himalayan pink salt – especially when it comes with a promise of revitalizing the north end of the Strip.
From this first look, it seems like Fontainebleau has brought the goods – at least with enough luxe to get the first swath of high-dollar spenders to give this space across the street from Circus Circus a chance.
And because Bob Dingo apparently hooked himself up with the access that many want, he also is offering a first glimpse of Fontainebleau’s premier Monarch suite.
Dan Michalski is a longtime journalist based in Las Vegas with nearly 20 years as a writer and editor covering poker, casino gaming and sports betting. As founder of Pokerati and an award-winning blogger, podcaster and news reporter, Dan has worked tirelessly to elevate the standards of journalism in gaming media. He also has served as a gaming industry consultant and holds advanced certificates in gaming regulation from UNLV. When not thinking about media and casinos, he can be found on the tennis courts, where he has captained two teams to USTA national championships, and one to second place.
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