The Palazzo Opens Amidst Fireworks and Fanfare

Racing against the wire, the Venetian pulled off the Thursday (January 17) opening of its newest tower, The Palazzo, in grand style. Flipping the ceremonial switch to start the celebration, Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson, his wife Dr. Miriam Sands, and Bill Weidner (Las Vegas Sands president and COO) were all smiles as fireworks lit up the skies above the resort.

“As we began the design and development of The Venetian in 1995, we always envisioned a second property that would complement and work in unison with the Sands Expo Center to provide the most unique and varied destination resort experience anywhere in the world,” said Mr. Adelson. “In many ways, the opening of The Palazzo represents for us the completion of a vision that started with the construction of The Venetian. For our guests, it provides a new experience and opportunity to savor some of the world’s best dining, shopping, accommodations and entertainment all under one roof.”

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The 50-story, $1.9 billion Palazzo is the first new hotel on the Strip in nearly three years. In addition to adding over 3,000 suites to the Venetian property, it features new restaurants by award-winning chefs Mario Batali (CarneVino), Wolfgang Puck (CUT), Emeril Lagasse (Table 10) and Charlie Trotter (Restaurant Charlie), along with the world’s largest Canyon Ranch spa, rapper Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club sports bar and lounge, and the Strip’s first Lamborghini dealership.

Later this spring, the Broadway smash Tony Award-winning musical The Jersey Boys will add to the entertainment offered by the Palazzo, as will two additional nightclubs/lounges and several restaurants.

As if that isn’t enough, set in a stunning atrium in front of the tower, the new Shoppes at The Palazzo features 60 luxury stores and boutiques, anchored by an 85,000-sq-ft Barneys of New York and a two-story waterfall that leads into the 100,000-sq-ft casino floor. It is connected by an inner walkway to the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes.

Worried about parking? Don’t be…the entire resort sits atop an underground garage, accessible from the Strip, that adds over 4,000 parking spaces to the total available on the entire Venetian property. Of course, you can always choose to valet park your car instead.

“The Palazzo will clearly set a new standard for luxury in Las Vegas,” said Rob Goldstein, president of The Palazzo and The Venetian, of the new tower. “Its sophisticated design and decor work in tandem with the property’s shopping, dining and entertainment amenities to provide a unique resort experience that will be appreciated by the world’s most discerning travelers.”

For more information on The Palazzo, or to book a room, please visit www.palazzolasvegas.com.

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More on the grand opening night from around the web:

The Review-Journal has a great interior map of The Palazzo, showing not only its relation to the Venetian, but the location of its restaurants and casino floor.

The Las Vegas Sun has an amazing photo by Steve Marcus showing the full layout of The Palazzo from an aerial view.

What’s a resort opening without celebrities? Vegas celebrity journalist Robin Leach offers a celebrity photo rundown of everyone from the A-list to the D-list in attendance at his blog.

Steve Friess, who helms the popular online Vegas podcast, The Strip, reports for USA Today on the differences he’s noticed between The Palazzo and The Venetian.