Grand Opening for 'Cursed' Casino at Heart of Vegas Strip
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The Las Vegas Strip will welcome its newest icon today with the grand opening of the long-awaited Fontainebleau Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.
Almost 20 years in the making, the 67-story glass monolith that sits at the north of the Las Vegas Strip has been blighted by floods, fires, and financial frustrations over a nightmare, decades-long construction period.
This chequered history had led to many Vegas residents decrying the project as 'cursed,' a reputation the President of Fontainebleau Las Vegas Brett Mufson is well aware of.
Speaking to 8 News Now - Las Vegas, Mufson said, "This is an incredible story of resilience, determination... It's great for the city, it's great for the country, it's a really remarkable story that should be told. They call it cursed, I would argue the opposite!"
It's a really remarkable story that should be told. They call it cursed, I would argue the opposite!
The remarkable story of Fontainebleau Las Vegas first began in May 2005 when a new hotel & casino project was announced that would rise from the ashes of the extinct El Rancho Vegas.
Construction began but was halted in April 2009 when the banks underwriting the project withdrew their funding in the wake of the global financial crisis - despite the property being around 70% complete. The building then lay dormant before new owner Carl Icahn rescued the project from bankruptcy in 2010. However, construction was never restarted, leaving Nevada's tallest occupiable building to loom mournful and empty over the Strip.
Another doomed takeover followed in 2017, this time halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, before current owner Jeff Soffer, the Miami real estate mogul behind Fontainebleau Miami, successfully took the reins and completed the project.
His persistence has resulted in the creation of Fontainebleau Las Vegas, a 3,644-room property complete with a 150,000-square-foot casino that boasts 42-foot high ceilings. The Grand Opening is set for December 13, 2023.
Stocked with an incredible 1,300 slot machines, 128 table games, and 36 high-limit table games, visitors to the Fontainebleau Las Vegas can expect a luxury experience with the site adorned by an opulent lapis lazuli and silver theme.
Moreover, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will become the latest in a long line of world-class music & entertainment venues on the Strip, with international hip-hop artist Post Malone set to open the property’s 3,800-seat BleauLive Theater later this month.
Whether Fontainebleau Las Vegas can shake off its 'cursed' history will only be seen in the fullness of time; however, the omens finally appear to be good for one of Vegas's oldest and newest casino landmarks.
Can You Play Poker and Casino Games at Fontainebleau Las Vegas?
Fontainebleau Las Vegas will not offer poker as part of its casino offering, stating on its site, 'We will offer the latest in poker novelty games but will not have a poker room.'
In contrast to poker, Fontainebleau Las Vegas offers a remarkable selection of casino games, including dozens of dedicated baccarat, blackjack, and roulette games.
With both exclusive poolside and rooftop casinos included as part of its 150,000-square-foot casino space, Fontainebleau Las Vegas provides for everyone from small-stakes players to VIP high-rollers.
Also offering hundreds of slots, video poker machines, and an onsite sportsbook facility, Vegas's newest casino has all angles covered.
