In
late 1992, Steve Wynn bought the
Dunes for $75 million, closed it
down, and on October 20, 1993, the Mirage Resorts, Inc., imploded
the casino and north tower which was televised. The Dunes' death
signified a birth of another resort. A cannon fired by Wynn from the
Treasure Island went off signaling the implosion. At the same time,
it was also signifying the opening and birth of the Treasure Island
resort. The golf course remained however and it was then called the
Mirage Golf Course.
In 1994, the Dunes south tower was imploded without fanfare to
make ready for the building of The Bellagio. Bellagio construction
workers stumbled onto four bags of Dunes casino chips buried at the
site of the Dunes resort. On October 15, 1998, just before 11:00pm, the 36 story, 3,026
room, $1.6 billion Bellagio opened. The Bellagio reported to spend
$88 million on its opening. The VIPs invited to the grand opening
were expected to donate to The Foundation Fighting Blindness $1,000
a person or $3,500 a couple, which entitled them to an overnight
stay at Bellagio's suite rooms.
Bellagio Hotel & Casino, 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South
In 1998 under the design of Deruyter Butler with Atlandia Design, a
theme by Jerde Partnership, and architecturally configured and
contracted by Marnell Corrao, the Bellagio opened its doors to the
public. Owned by MGM Resorts, the $1 billion Bellagio stands at 36
stories high with 3005 available rooms and suites and is located on
a lot where former casino the Dunes once stood before its implosion
in 1993. Meeting facilities include a 45,000-square-foot Grand
Ballroom, 23,000-square-foot Bellagio Ballroom and 14 meeting rooms
ranging in size from 1,000 to 10,000 square feet. To ensure that
every meeting runs as smoothly as possible, each meeting room is
equipped with speakerphones and data ports. State-of-the-art
audio-visual equipment is available for business presentations. And
a professional staff is on hand to deliver faxes, send mail and even
assist with word processing. The Bellagio includes an array of
entertainment. From its beautiful botanical gardens, to the
exquisite shops and the marvelous show "O" from Cirque du Soleil,
entertainment never stops here. Visitors marvel at its fountain show
which occurs every fifteen minutes.
