In April or May of 1997, Sheldon Adelson held a very low-key groundbreaking for his planned 6,000 room resort with a Venetian theme. Access was limited to a few invited guests. Most of the news media was not even invited. It was noted that it was hardly an auspicious beginning for what Adelson said was to be a resort able to compete with the best in the business.

In August of 1997, the Venetian themed resort was well on its way. During this time Adelson announced that he did not want the resort to open as a union resort. Union spokesmen seemed to be saying, you've got to be kidding. Adelson was keeping his distance from most people, discussing the project and previewing its scope on an invitation-only basis.

Reminiscent of the Flamingo's 1946 opening, The Venetian was forced to send hundreds of guests who had booked rooms at the opulent resort to other Strip hotels. Several hundred customers who had booked rooms at The Venetian were diverted to the newly opened Mandalay Bay and the Luxor.

A clerk at the Luxor stated that 80 rooms had been transferred from The Venetian and a clerk at the Mandalay Bay received 217 transfers.

This was the latest in a list of stumbling blocks that have beset The Venetian since construction began in 1997. In that time, three workers have died at the site, and the general contractor has been fined several thousand dollars by state safety inspectors. Code violations fell under the categories of electrical and wiring design and protection, and fall protection. Two of the workers who died at the site suffered injuries from lengthy falls. The resort's opening, originally scheduled for mid-April was delayed.

Keeping with the Frontier's union problems in the past, resort officials learned the Las Vegas police union had mailed a flier around the country urging travel agents to steer tourists away from the Venetian. That flier was a show of solidarity with the Culinary union, whose members were angry that Venetian management wouldn't promise to fill some 4,000 jobs with union workers.

After organizing a picket line in early March, the union also planned to picket for the resort's 10:00pm public opening. The picket was patrolled, in part, by Las Vegas police officers.

To add to its problems, The Venetian lacked several key approvals from the Clark County Building Department. Certificates of occupancy had been issued for the resort's executive offices, basement areas and some convention facilities, but other certificates were needed before the hotel-casino could open to the public.

In the wonderful "Strip Way" of never giving up on a dream, on May 3, 1999, the $1.5 billion, 3,036 room, 35 story, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino opened its doors amid the flutter of white doves, sounding trumpets and singing gondoliers, with world renowned, Academy Award-winning actress Sophia Loren joined Venetian Chairman and Owner, Sheldon G. Adelson, in christening the first gondola.

Paying homage to the romance, old-world charm and festival-like atmosphere of Venice, Italy. The Venetian's opening celebration was authentically replicated as the striking statuaries, hand-painted frescoes, and recreated historic Venetian landmarks and palaces that adorn the megaresort.

The evening opening concluded with a private, black-tie gala to benefit REACH OUT, a center for AIDS-infected children in Las Vegas.

Cher entertained the invited guests. Cher sang all her hits to the audience of VIPs and mention was made on the amount of costume changes. When the show was over, the audience rushed the stage and Cher stood there shaking hands with everyone she could touch. She said later that most of the audience seemed to be older than she and they liked her. Cher was later seen with her friend Riviera's Splash dancer Joy Lynn. Others who appeared were Mel Brooks and his wife Anne Bancroft, Pamela Anderson, Margie Rey of Days of Our Lives, and Cher's manager Joe DeCarlo.

The Venetian opened on 1.7 million square feet of property. The Venetian is the first all-suites hotel on the Strip. Its guests enjoy spacious 700 square-foot suites with the finely appointed accommodations that include a plush private bed chamber featuring draped canopies, an oversized 130 square-foot bathroom finished in Italian marble, and a sunken living room area furnished with a convertible sofa, two upholstered chairs, a desk and game table.

Donated by Pat King & Kim Withers

Additionally, the standard room features a safe, a fully stocked mini bar, a fax machine that doubles as a copier and computer printer, three telephones with dual lines and dataport access, and two 27" color televisions - one inside a bedroom armoire, the other inside a living room entertainment center.

The Venetian has arched bridges, flowing canals, vibrant piazzas and welcoming stone walkways which capture the spirit of Venice in faithful detail. Visitors can stroll beneath the majestic colonnades of the Doge's Palace which enters into the Grand Casino. They can also walk the Rialto Bridge and gaze across the lagoon. There are also masked Carnivale performers who revel in St. Mark's Square.

The resort contains world-class restaurants Valentino, Santa Monica's best Northern Italian cuisine; Pinot Brasserie by world-renowned Mater Chef Joachim Splichal; Wolfgang Puck's Postrio featuring California cuisine; Royal Star by Kevin Wu; Delmonico Steakhouse by world-renowned Chef Emeril Legasse; Star Canyon by internationally-acclaimed Chef Stephan Pyles; and Lutece by world-renowned Chef Eberhard Muller. The resort also contains Canyon Ranch Cafe for gourmet nutritional dining; Grand Lux Cafe for casual 24-hour dining from the creators of the Cheesecake Factory; Warner Brothers' Stage 16 which blends Mediterranean, Asian, European and American cuisine; Canaletto from Larry Mindel and the creators of Il Fornaio for fine Italian cuisine; Noodle Asia by Royal Star's Kevin Wu; Tsunami Asian Grill for Sushi Bar and Pan-Asian cuisine; Zefferino by Chef Gian Paulo for Italian seafood dishes; and Taqueria Canonita which is Chef Stephan Pyles' open-air cafe.

The Venetian is the first phase of a two-part master planned casino resort entertainment project. Upon completion of Phase II, The Venetian will be the world's largest hotel and convention complex under one roof - with more then 6,000 lavish suites. The property boasts approximately 120,000 square feet of gaming floor; 500,000 square feet of meeting space at The Venetian Congress Center - which includes the world's largest column-free ballroom at 85,0000 square feet; and a direct link to the 1.2 million square-foot Sands Expo and Convention Center.

In the summer of 1999, famed Madame Tussaud's Museum opened at the Venetian. The 30,000 square-foot, two-story Madame Tussaud's Celebrity Encounter features five highly themed environments showcasing more than 100 specially crafted wax figures of some of the most popular film, television, music and sports celebrities, as well as legendary Las Vegas icons. At the opening some of the attendees were Marty Allen, Monti Rock, Wayne Newton, Siegfried & Roy, Rich Little, Paige O'Hara, and Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon Adelson.

The process of creating these masterpieces start with a one-on-one session between the celebrity and the sculptor. Their body is thoroughly measured and photographed from every imaginable angle. The sculptors work for six months to create the most-life-like reproduction. The tickets for this incredible museum are adults $12.50, children 3-12 $10.00, seniors (65+) $10.75, and Nevada resident with ID $10.75. The museum also sells one time use cameras for $16.50.

The Sands was known for her acting career. The Venetian has a reputation to live up to so she also is joining the Hollywood working class as well. She hosted HBO's David Brenner Back with a Vengeance special on February 18-20, 2000.

In late 1999, Venetian announced the building of her WB Stage 16 restaurant. The restaurant will feature sets from four films that have shaped the way movies were made. Diners could set in Rick's Cafe American from the set of Casablanca, Las Vegas Lounge from Ocean's Eleven, the rooftop where Batman and Joker squared off in Batman, or the set from Gold Diggers of 1933, where Ginger Rogers sang We're In The Money. The menu will be upscale like lobster strudel in a crisp phyllo pastry with vanilla stoli burre blanc.

In 2000, the C2K Showroom showcased Impressionist Andre-Philippe Gagnon, and Nebulae: The LifeForce.

On July 20, 2000, 21-year-old Danielle Heird died due to the drug Ecstasy which occurred after she visited Club C2K. The club had been the subject of litigation and law enforcement scrutiny over its failure to self-police what has been alleged to be rampant drug use, especially Ecstasy.

In September of 2000, [email protected] told me that the Venetian closed the Club C2K down because they where having to many fights and allowed the use of drugs. Heird's family has retained private investigator Tom Dillard and attorney Brent Bryson in an effort to uncover all the facts surrounding their daughter's death.

Venetian won the Best Themed Hotel award in the 2001 What's On Visitor's Choice Awards.

Construction

It was reported that in mid-September, 2001, the Guggenheim Foundation's new museum opened at the Venetian. The first show was The Art of the Motorcycle with about 120 bikes being displayed, some dating back to 1868. A smaller jewel box museum will feature 40 artworks by Monet, Cezanne, Chagall, Renoir, and Picasso. This is a joint effort by the foundation and Russia's Hermitage Museum. It was reported that Adelson got this idea after seeing Steve Wynn's art exhibit at the Bellagio.

Pieces include a black Honda BMW R32, Germany, 1923, and Megola Sport, Germany, 1922.

Admission to each museum $15 for adults, $11 for students, $7 for children 6-12, kids under 6 and museum member are free. The gift shop is offering souvenirs ranging from moderately priced posters and knickknacks to hand-signed lithographs and reprints.

People have been reporting a strange creature popping up at the resort. Don't be alarmed. Its just Mysterios Sporatto, who pops out of canals and hidden doors just as it did in the 16th century of Venice, Italy.

In early 2001, Venetian closed it poker room due to lack of patrons.

On September 14, 2001, Venetian observed one minute of silence at 12:00pm, in observance of the national day of remembrance in honor of the victims of the terrorist strikes in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001.

It was rumored that Venetian executives have told bankers that the business disruptions could delay construction of a planned 1,000-room tower at the resort.

In 2001, C2K Showroom showcased Melinda, First Lady of Magic, and Andre-Philippe Gagnon. Also showcased is Strip favorite Robert Goulet from July 2 through Sept. 1. Venetian shelled out $10,000 a show, six shows a week for the singer with his fans paying $78 and $88 a ticket. The show featured Paige O'Hara who will perform some songs solo as well as singing with Goulet.

In September, 2002, Forbes Wealthiest List named Sheldon Adelson as number 139 with $1.4 billion of net worth.

In October of 2002, Riviera's Frank Marino (Joan Rivers), Larry Edwards (Tina Turner), and Seven Wayne (Cher), were invited to Kelly Osbourne's 18th birthday party at Lutece at the resort.

Kelly and her mother Sharon joined Edwards for Prince's song Star. Wayne performed Believe and Marino let loose with special Rivers-type material for the occasion. Only 100 people were invited to Kelly's party.

"We wined and dined on shrimp and prime rib. Kelly also had a two-tier chocolate cake with pink icing." - Steven Wayne

In 2002, C2K Showroom will be showcasing Bravo starring Charo (in mid-2002 she moved over to Sahara); Melinda, First Lady of Magic indefinitely; Impressionist Andre-Philippe Gagnon, Main Event starring Bob Anderson, and Signed, Sealed, Delivered (indefinitely).