The Venetian Las Vegas

Background and construction as pictured in 1995, a few years before it was replaced by The Venetian. The Venetian was built on land previously occupied by the Sands Hotel and Casino, which opened in 1952. Las Vegas Sands, a company founded by businessman Sheldon Adelson, purchased the Sands resort in 1989. The Sands closed in June 1996, and was demolished five months later to make way for the Venetian. Construction began on April 14, 1997, with a low-key groundbreaking ceremony. Lehrer McGovern Bovis served as the general contractor. followed by the construction of three stories. Further work could not begin until the approval of a traffic study. An extranet was used during construction to keep the project on schedule. It contained 4,500 items, including photos, illustrations, legal documents, and budgets. Project team members, based in various locations, could access the items via the extranet, increasing efficiency. The final cost was $1.5 billion. Financial analysts were skeptical about whether the resort would be finished, while gambling executives questioned Adelson's decision to focus on business travelers and conventions. Up to that time, gambling had been the most significant revenue generator in Las Vegas. The Venetian was expected to employ more than 4,000 people, and it saw more than 100,000 applications. In February 1999, a trio of workers had to be rescued from the hotel tower's exterior after a cable for their scaffolding became tangled by high winds, stranding the workers 22 stories above ground. In March 1999, a natural gas leak occurred on-site after workers accidentally struck a line, closing one block of the Strip for two hours. The following day, an electrician died after falling more than 30 feet through an open hole, marking the third death since the start of construction. Bovis had previously been fined $9,300 for safety violations which included a lack of fall protection near holes. Adelson had wanted it to open a week earlier to accommodate convention-goers who were booked at the hotel. However, both opening dates were delayed due to ongoing construction work, as well as building inspections by the county. As a result, 900 convention guests had to be transferred to other hotels. Because construction was still ongoing, the resort opened without all of its amenities, including a retail mall and some restaurants. Hotel inspections continued for several days after the opening, with only the first six floors and 320 rooms approved to operate. Construction continued after the opening, and concluded in December 1999. Construction litigation Shortly after the opening, numerous subcontractors alleged that they were owed money for work performed on the Venetian. More than $230 million in mechanic's liens were filed, including $145 million from Lehrer McGovern Bovis, which also filed a fraud lawsuit against the resort. The Venetian stated that it was not responsible for covering subcontractor costs, according to its contract with Bovis. The resort also said that, despite Adelson's request, Bovis had failed to acquire mechanics-lien waivers when hiring subcontractors. According to Bovis, the Venetian had made more than 400 design changes during the final eight months of construction, while denying requests for construction extensions. In July 1999, the resort filed a $50 million federal lawsuit against Bovis over the liens, as well as breach of contract. The resort claimed that its reputation had been damaged by the scattered opening of its amenities. Bovis filed its $145 million lien the following month. Both sides subsequently agreed to try resolving the dispute out of court. A civil jury trial eventually began in August 2002, lasting 10 months. It was the longest-running civil jury trial and the largest construction lien case in Nevada history. The trial concluded in June 2003, when jurors found both the Venetian and Bovis in breach of contract. For incomplete and defective construction work, Bovis had to pay $2.3 million in damages to the resort, which was also ordered to pay $44.2 million to Bovis. Las Vegas Sands appealed the decision, and eventually reached an agreement with Bovis in 2005. Subsequent years By 2002, Condé Nast Traveler had named the Venetian as one of North America's top 20 hotels. It had also received Four Diamond and Four Star ratings from American Automobile Association and Mobil Travel Guide respectively. As of 2004, the Venetian was among the most profitable resorts in Las Vegas, second to the Bellagio. That year, the Las Vegas location also added a sister property, The Palazzo. In 2020, readers of USA Today ranked the Venetian and Palazzo among the 10 best casinos in Las Vegas. In 2004, the Venetian agreed to pay a $1 million penalty to settle a 12-count Gaming Control Board complaint. One of the complaints alleged the resort had held a drawing for a Mercedes-Benz that was rigged to be won by a high roller who had lost a large amount in the casino. The executives involved were fired. On the morning of October 10, 2012, a man entered a closed gaming area and acquired $1.6 million in casino chips from a locked box that he broke open. He left the resort unnoticed, and the theft was not discovered until the following morning. He was arrested later in the month, with authorities recovering $396,000 in chips. In 2013, Las Vegas Sands reached a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, following a two-year investigation into money laundering at the Venetian. Zhenli Ye Gon, a businessman and high-stakes gambler suspected of drug trafficking, had made numerous large deposits at the casino in 2006 and 2007. Las Vegas Sands acknowledged that it failed to take the matter seriously, and agreed to pay $47.4 million to the Department of Justice. Like other casinos in Nevada, the Venetian closed indefinitely in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the state. The following month, the resort announced plans to incorporate emergency medical personnel and automatic camera-based body temperature scans into its eventual reopening, which occurred on June 4, 2020. By the end of 2020, Las Vegas Sands wanted to focus on its operations in Macau, as Asia was expected to recover from the pandemic's impact at a faster rate. The company was in early discussions to sell the Venetian, the Palazzo, and the adjoining Sands Expo. Adelson died in January 2021, and Las Vegas Sands announced two months later that it would sell the three Las Vegas facilities for $6.25 billion. Through the deal, Vici Properties bought the land under the facilities for $4 billion, and Apollo Global Management acquired the operations for $2.25 billion as part of a triple net lease agreement with Vici. The sale was finalized in February 2022. ==Union history==

Background Before the start of construction, Adelson indicated that the Venetian would be a non-union resort, This prompted criticism from the Culinary Workers Union, which represents the majority of Strip resort workers. The union wanted Adelson to rehire Sands workers without going through the application process. Later that year, the union held protests in front of a Venetian preview center, which resulted in a restraining order that limited the level of noise allowed during the protests. Resort executives said the property would offer a wages and benefits package matching or exceeding those offered by the union. Adelson outsourced key elements of the resort to third parties, including restaurant and retail operations. The union sought assurance that the Venetian would take a neutral stance during eventual union elections. More than 1,000 Culinary members picketed on the sidewalk in front of the resort on March 1, 1999, two months prior to its opening. Resort officials accused them of trespassing and warned of arrests, although the district attorney determined the sidewalks to be public property. Georgia congressman John Lewis spoke at the rally and also attempted to meet with Adelson, who turned down the offer because Lewis wanted to include union representatives. Although the protest had a permit to proceed, the Venetian contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) to intervene, despite the latter stating that it would not do so. The Venetian used loudspeakers to warn union members against protesting in front of the resort, and one Venetian security guard performed a citizen's arrest on a union member. Several days after the protest, the resort filed a federal lawsuit against the union, the county, the district attorney, and the LVMPD. The resort stated that the protest took place on a private walkway separate from the sidewalk, and it sought a court order declaring the former as private property. The union responded: "We've been through this before, and we'll be through it again. We've battled this guy before, and we'll battle him as long as it takes. We're never going away. It's a long way from over". A judge denied the Venetian's request for a restraining order, and thousands of Culinary members protested at the resort's grand opening. However, most tourists were reportedly unaware or uninterested in the union battle, proceeding to visit the property. The Venetian accused the union of trespassing and unlawful picketing, and filed suit to prevent such activity in the future. A district court ruled later in 1999 that the resort's sidewalks constitute a public forum where individuals can exercise their First Amendment rights. The decision was appealed but upheld in 2001. After the district court ruling, the union filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in regard to the sidewalk dispute. The agency eventually determined that the resort violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The Venetian appealed, but eventually lost the case when it went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear it in 2008. 2020s: Apollo union neutrality After Apollo's purchase was announced in 2021, the Culinary union questioned the company's prior management of Caesars Entertainment, which included a workforce cut of more than 20,000 over a 10-year period. Upon taking ownership in 2022, Apollo expressed no opposition to unionization. the Bartenders Union Local 165 and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501, and with Teamsters Local 986 for joint negotiations. Under the deal, employees would determine whether to unionize while Apollo management refrains from taking a position on the matter. == Design ==

at the Venetian The Venetian is themed after Venice during the 1400s and 1500s, Initially, Adelson did not plan for the resort to have a theme. His second wife, Miriam, eventually suggested theming the resort after Venice, where they had honeymooned in 1991. Many of the resort's landmarks and statues were created by Treadway Industries. The design project included 250 artists and sculptors. Venice mayor Massimo Cacciari was critical of the design, calling it a "mega-galactic example of kitsch" and comparing the resort with a "street walker". The exterior entrance along the Las Vegas Strip is modeled on the Doge's Palace and includes a recreation of the Rialto Bridge. It also features a 315-foot-high (96 m) replica of St Mark's Campanile, topped by a statue depicting Gabriel. The Grand Canal Shoppes occupy an indoor plaza with a recreation of St. Mark's Square and features a sky-painted ceiling. The Venetian includes a replica of Venice's Grand Canal that goes through the resort's interior and exterior. In 2013, the indoor canals were drained for a month-long renovation, the first since the resort opened. At the time, the gondolas attracted 500,000 riders per year. ==Features==

Casino and hotel The Venetian includes a casino. Due to lack of demand, the resort's poker room closed in 2000, with plans to expand the race and sports book. Amid a resurgence in poker popularity, the resort added a new $2.6 million poker room in 2006, featuring 39 tables. At , it was the third largest poker room on the Strip. The resort eventually replaced it with the larger Sands Poker Room, which debuted in 2012. It was the largest on the Strip, measuring . A new space of equal size, named The Poker Room, opened in 2024. In 2001, the Venetian announced changes aimed at accommodating high rollers. This would include expansion of the baccarat pit, modifications to 18 suites, and the addition of semi-private gaming and dining areas. In 2005, the Venetian opened the Paiza Club, a high-rise private gaming area catering to Asian high rollers. Las Vegas Sands had opened the Sands Macao in China a year earlier, building up a new customer base in Asia. In 2006, Nevada became the first state to approve mobile gambling, and the Venetian reached a deal with Cantor Gaming to provide such a service at the resort. The mobile gaming devices, developed and operated by Cantor, offered games such as blackjack and video poker. They were usable in public areas of the resort such as restaurants and the pool area. The Venetian introduced the devices in 2008, becoming the first Las Vegas resort to offer them. Cantor took over the Venetian's sports book operations in 2011, and spent $30 million to renovate the facility, which measured . A high-limit slot salon opened in 2013, featuring 118 machines and butler service. The Venetian opened with 3,036 suites. Construction eventually began in July 2002. for a total of 4,049. with approximately 7,100 rooms. It lost this title to the First World Hotel in 2015. The complex has a total of in gaming space. In 2010, the Venetian and Palazzo partnered with InterContinental Hotels Group through a 10-year deal. The Venetian rooms were renovated in 2015. Two years later, the Venetian became the first Las Vegas resort to allow hotel bookings through Facebook Messenger. Clubs and lounges A nightclub, C2K, opened in late 1999 and was leased out to a third-party operator. The Venetian closed the club in August 2000, alleging rampant drug use and sexual activities. The closure came a month after a woman died at the club of an ecstasy overdose. It reopened two months later, under new management. In its early years, the Venetian included a club known as the Venus Lounge. In 2005, Vivid Entertainment leased the space and opened it as Vivid, a nightclub. Vivid closed in 2006, and sat vacant until the 2009 opening of Smokin' Hot Aces, a rock and roll bar. Tao Asian Bistro, a popular nightclub and restaurant, opened in 2005. It covers , including for the nightclub. A dayclub, known as Tao Beach, opened in 2007. The five-acre Tao Beach covers the nightclub's rooftop. In 2012, the Venetian opened The Bourbon Room, a 1980s-themed lounge. It took over the former La Scena lounge and accompanied the resort's new Rock of Ages show, which was performed in a separate venue. The show and lounge closed in early 2016. The Bourbon Room was replaced by the Dorsey, a cocktail bar opened later in 2016. It went on to become one of the most popular bars in Las Vegas. It is scheduled to close in June 2023, to be replaced by Juliet Cocktail Room. Restaurants restaurant interior The Venetian initially featured 15 restaurants, three of which were ready for the resort's soft opening. Notable chefs at the resort included Emeril Lagasse, Joachim Splichal, Stephan Pyles, and Wolfgang Puck. In contrast to most Las Vegas resorts, the Venetian opened without a buffet, as Adelson sought an upper-class clientele: The restaurant features Asian decor, including a giant Buddha statue. Another restaurant, Royal Star, also served Chinese food until its closure in 2006. Bouchon, a French bistro by chef Thomas Keller, has operated since 2004. It is located in the Venezia tower and was designed by Adam Tihany. Yardbird Southern Table & Bar opened its second location in 2015, at the Venetian. Chef Mario Batali had two restaurants at the Venetian, both of which closed in 2018, after sexual misconduct allegations were made against him. Estiatorio Milos Las Vegas, a Greek seafood restaurant, opened in 2021. Convention space The resort opened with the Venetian Congress Center, offering of meeting space, in addition to the adjoining Sands Expo behind the Venetian, The Venetian helped popularize Las Vegas as a convention city, particularly thanks to its Sands Expo. Las Vegas Sands renamed it as the Venetian Expo in 2021, while in the process of selling the facility. The Venetian Congress Center was also renamed The Venetian Convention Center. Museums at Guggenheim Las Vegas, January 2003 Two museums, affiliated with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, opened at the Venetian on October 7, 2001. Both were designed by architect Rem Koolhaas. The facility and exhibition cost $37 million to develop, and averaged 666 daily visitors; it needed 3,000 to 4,000 to justify operating expenses. The low attendance was partly attributed to decreased tourism brought on by the September 11 attacks. Several new exhibits had been considered as replacements, but none came to fruition due to lack of funding. The Venetian announced in May 2003 that the Guggenheim Las Vegas space would become a new performance theater for the resort. Other features Since 1999, the resort has included a Madame Tussaud's wax museum, marking the first U.S. location. The resort also features the Grand Canal Shoppes, an shopping mall. In 2000, the Venetian became the first Strip resort to open a child-care center for its employees. The Venetian opened with five pools, Upon its opening, the resort also included the Canyon Ranch SpaClub. It is among the largest spa and fitness centers in Las Vegas. ==Entertainment venues==

Showroom The Venetian's C2K club served as the resort's original performance venue, known as the Showroom during live entertainment. It was managed by H&H; Entertainment, which leased the space from the resort and rented it out to performers. and the Venetian had a strained relationship with H&H;, disagreeing with the type of shows being put on. Performers – such as impressionist André-Philippe Gagnon, magician Melinda Saxe, and singer Robert Goulet – also had disagreements with H&H;'s management style. In its early years, the Showroom had been host to several shows, though none garnered substantial success until the 2003 openings of Lord of the Dance and V: The Ultimate Variety Show. making way for construction of a new theater with 1,760 seats. The Blue Man Group opened in the new space in 2005, and performed there until 2012. The Blue Man Group Theatre subsequently became the Rock of Ages Theatre, hosting the Rock of Ages musical from 2012 to 2016, with more than 1,000 performances during that time. The theater sat vacant for the next year, eventually hosting Steely Dan in 2017, under the new name of Opaline Theatre. A circus-themed show by Base Entertainment, titled Revive, was being developed for the Opaline Theatre, but was canceled in 2018, stalling plans to renovate the venue. Base later used the theater as a rehearsal space for other, off-site shows. The venue otherwise remained vacant for years. In 2023, the space was reopened as a club and venue known as Voltaire, with a reduced capacity of 1,000. The venue has held residencies for singers Kylie Minogue and Christina Aguilera, and also hosted Belle de Nuit, a Parisian-style cabaret. Dita von Teese began a residency featuring a theatrical adult revue in September 2024. In November 2025 to January 2026, singer Leona Lewis held a Christmas residency in the venue Venetian Theatre In 2003, the Venetian announced that Guggenheim Las Vegas would be converted into a second performance venue. The new theater has seating for 1,815 people. The theater cost $42 million to build, and the show's production cost another $35 million. The show opened in 2006, and ran for six years, ending after nearly 2,700 performances. The former Phantom Theatre has since been renamed the Venetian Theatre. At the end of 2012, country singers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill took over the theater space for a 10-weekend series of concerts. In 2013, they signed on for another 10-weekend set of shows. Georgia on My Mind, a Ray Charles tribute show, ran during 2014, with Clint Holmes, Nnenna Freelon, and Take 6 as performers. Although scheduled for a six-week run, it closed two weeks early due to poor ticket sales. In 2015, after nearly five years, The Judds reunited for a series of shows at the Venetian. Rock singer-songwriter John Fogerty also had a concert residency in the theater during 2016, in a show incorporating smoke and pyrotechnics. The new wave band The B-52s are scheduled for residencies at the theater in 2023 and 2024. The Summit A third performance venue, the Gordie Brown Theatre, was added in October 2006, taking former ballroom space. The 742-seat venue was custom-built to host singer Gordie Brown, with a design by The Rockwell Group. Brown ended his run in 2008. An interactive game show, The Real Deal, ran in the Venetian Showroom later that year. The show involved certain audience members being selected to compete against professional poker players. It was produced by Merv Adelson, who was later accused by the resort of stopping production and thereby breaching contract. In 2009, actor Chazz Palminteri performed his one-man show, A Bronx Tale, in the showroom. In 2013, pop musical group Human Nature began performing in the space, which was renamed the Sands Showroom. Human Nature ended its show in 2020, amid uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2014, the resort debuted an all-female comedy series in the Sands Showroom. Puppets Up! Uncensored, an adult-oriented puppet show, opened in the showroom in July 2016. The short-lived show, created by Brian Henson and directed by Patrick Bristow, closed in September 2016. In 2021, the Sands Showroom was renamed The Summit, and Derek Hough launched a dance show which continued into the following year. Lin-Manuel Miranda and his musical group Freestyle Love Supreme had a residency in the showroom from 2022 to 2023. Sphere A sphere-shaped music and entertainment arena, known as simply Sphere, opened in September 2023. It is located directly east of the Venetian. The arena's interior is covered in LED screens which accompany live entertainment. The venue includes seating for 17,500 people. == Gallery ==

File:Hotel Venetian-2022 (15).jpg|Hotel tower at night File:The Venetian 12 (15550338560).jpg|Rialto Bridge recreation File:Las Vegas (22096749969).jpg|Entry plaza along the Strip File:The Venetian Las Vegas - 1.jpg|Recreation of the Doge's Palace File:Gondola ride at The Venetian.jpg|Gondola rides outside the resort File:The Venetian outside.JPG|Overlooking the outdoor canal at night File:Venetian hotel 10.jpg|St. Mark's Square inside the Venetian File:Las Vegas-5603 (The Venetian).jpg|Another view of St. Mark's Square, including its indoor canal File:Replica of St. Mark's Clocktower at the Venetian Las Vegas.jpg|Recreation of St Mark's Clocktower inside the Venetian File:Venetian Hallway.jpg|Main hallway to lobby File:The Venetian 7 (15556647851).jpg|Renaissance paintings on the ceiling of the Grand Canal Shoppes File:Sphere inside Venetian.jpg|An armillary sphere in the main lobby File:Lobby of the Venezia at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.jpg|Lobby of the Venezia tower File:Aesthetic Image Inside Venetian.jpg|Overlooking the canal on the bridge == Film and television history ==

;Films • The Venetian's casino, lobby, and exterior were among the filming locations for the 2001 film Rat Race. The hotel rooms were also portrayed in the film, although these scenes were shot on a sound stage in Canada. • The Venetian hosted the premiere of the 2003 film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. • The Venetian was a prominent filming location for the 2005 film Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. ;Television • In 2000, the cooking program Emeril Live shot several episodes in the Showroom. • By 2003, the resort had made several appearances on the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. • A 2005 episode of Megastructures, titled "Ultimate Casino", focuses on the resort's design and construction. • The U.S. TV series What Not to Wear shot its series finale at The Venetian and Palazzo in 2013, inviting more than 100 past contributors from the show's 10-year run to participate. • The American game show Wheel of Fortune filmed episodes for its 31st season at the Venetian and Palazzo in 2013. ==See also==