At the starting of 2023, we advised you Las Vegas was about to have a banner 12 months, and over the course of three journeys to Las Vegas this 12 months, I’ve seen that begin to play out with my very personal eyes.
Sin City is in full swing making ready for the extremely anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix, a first-of-its-kind race round the Strip, later in November; it is also making ready to host Super Bowl LVIII subsequent 12 months.
The larger-than-life Sphere lastly turned its game-changing display on and is set to open later this month with a collection of extremely immersive live shows by U2. And now, the Fontainebleau — a tumultuous lodge challenge practically twenty years in the making — has an official opening date: Dec. 13.
Here’s a quick rundown on the challenge, its advanced historical past and what we’re most excited for when the doorways (hopefully) open proper earlier than the holidays.
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The historical past of Fontainebleau Las Vegas
If you’ve got been to Las Vegas in the final dozen or so years, you’ve got seemingly seen the bones of Fontainebleau Las Vegas, a behemoth blue skyscraper jutting greater than 60 tales out of the floor on the north finish of the strip between the Wynn and the Stratosphere.
The constructing broke floor in 2007 however fell sufferer to the 2008 monetary disaster and different setbacks over the years. It modified fingers forwards and backwards between numerous events till it fell again into the fingers of the authentic proprietor — Jeffrey Soffer of Florida-based Fontainebleau Development — together with the actual property division of Koch Industries for an undisclosed quantity.
With that final sale, failed plans of a Marriott takeover of the constructing (to home the Las Vegas Edition and JW Marriott, plus one other challenge) had been put to relaxation, and the rebirth of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas grew to become imminent. Now, 16 years later, it seems prefer it’s lastly occurring.
What to count on from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas
It’s secure to say that folks round the world are completely stoked to see this sad-storied challenge lastly come to life. It’s additionally equally secure to say that folks have very excessive expectations. If the doorways do open on Dec. 13 — barring regulatory permissions that would set it again, together with different surprising delays that include opening a brand new lodge (particularly post-2020) — there’s quite a bit to look ahead to.
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For starters, the 67-story constructing (the tallest occupied constructing in Nevada) will provide a whopping 3,644 rooms and suites, with an total aesthetic from the in-house design crew that marries Las Vegas glamour with the Fontainebleau model’s Florida roots (assume: floor-to-ceiling home windows with views of the Strip, water and coral tones plus loads of Las Vegas-centric touches we’ll have to see with our personal eyes).
Beyond the rooms, there’s much more to take pleasure in. A 55,000-square-foot Lapis Spa by Lissoni & Partners affords 44 remedy rooms, a salt cave, infrared saunas, hydrotherapy lounges and co-ed sensory rooms. There may also be a 14,000-square-foot health heart, a 96,500-square-foot luxurious purchasing space, greater than 500,000 sq. toes of assembly house and, clearly, tons of gaming house (as a result of it is Vegas, child).
Entertainment choices that we all know to date embody a three-level theater that can play host to extremely anticipated (however as but unannounced) exhibits, leaving one to surprise what kind of residencies would possibly name it dwelling. There may also be a 6-acre pool advanced, and Las Vegas outposts of Miami hospitality mogul David Grutman’s membership LIV and a brand new LIV Beach.
Related: The greatest lodge swimming pools in Las Vegas 2023
Speaking of the Las Vegas eating scene, large names in hospitality are bringing eating ideas to the Strip over the subsequent few months. Some newcomers embody Grutman’s Papi Steak, the first exterior of Miami; Evan Funke’s Italian restaurant, Mother Wolf; an omakase restaurant referred to as Ito, by cooks Masa Ito and Kevin Kim; and extra. This will culminate in a complete of 36 bars and eating places opening all through 2024.
And that is simply what’s been introduced. In Las Vegas, it is best to count on the surprising, and there are positive to be lots extra thrilling bulletins main up to the Dec. 13 opening date. But in the similar vein, we have seen loads of main, extremely anticipated properties push again their opening dates over and over, each earlier than the pandemic and particularly in the years since. So we’ll imagine it once we see it — and belief me, we significantly need to see it.
How to guide the Fontainebleau Las Vegas
If you are hoping to be one in all the first by the door of Las Vegas’ most-watched lodge challenge in latest years, reservations at the moment are open. You can booke instantly by the lodge’s web site. Currently, it seems that rooms are unavailable to guide for the night time of Dec. 13. Prices begin at $500 per night time on Dec. 14 however drop down to $200 per night time the following week by January.
It’s unclear if or when the lodge would possibly be part of a program like Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, however we’ll preserve monitoring the lodge’s progress on and previous opening day.
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