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110-555: Bellagio ( / b ə ˈ l ɑː ʒ i . oʊ / bə- LAH -zhee-oh ) is a resort , luxury hotel , and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada . It is owned by Blackstone Inc. and operated by MGM Resorts International . Bellagio was conceived by casino owner Steve Wynn , and was built on the former site of the Dunes hotel-casino. Wynn's company, Mirage Resorts , purchased

220-400: A Starbucks . The fire was caused by a faulty exterior light fixture. Bellagio's casino is 156,000 sq ft (14,500 m). Upon opening, it included 2,700 slot machines and 173 table games. Signage above slot machines was kept to a minimum, as Wynn wanted the resort's architecture to be the primary focus. As of 2003, gaming made up less than half of the resort's revenue. The poker room

330-530: A 36-story tower. Built at a cost of $ 1.6 billion, it was the world's most expensive resort up to that point. Early revenue was less than expected, and Wynn departed the resort in May 2000, when Mirage Resorts merged with MGM Grand Inc. Profits improved under the ownership of the newly formed MGM Mirage (later MGM Resorts). A 33-story hotel tower, with 928 rooms, was opened in 2004. MGM owned the Bellagio until 2019, when it sold

440-455: A 50-acre lake with guests entering by footbridges. Mirage Resorts announced a name change in July 1995, stating that the resort would be named Bellagio, after the village of Bellagio, Lombardy in northern Italy. The resort's designer, Jon Jerde , had been vacationing on Lake Como . Impressed by its beauty, he convinced Wynn to come see the area. While on the lake with friend Paul Anka , Wynn noticed

550-588: A Luxury Collection Resort & Casino, Las Vegas. In August 2023, Blackstone sold a 21.9-percent stake in the resort to Realty Income for $ 950 million. A resort-wide power outage occurred around 2:00 a.m. on April 11, 2004, leaving only emergency lights still working. One of the main power lines was compromised, which led to the failure of other lines, resulting in the outage. Power had to be shut down completely so that thousands of feet of cable could be replaced. Guests were relocated to other hotels. The hotel and casino reopened on April 14, 2004, and other areas of

660-602: A Mediterranean garden that included nearly 300 pine trees, left over from the Dunes golf course. The opening was highly anticipated, and crowd-control measures were in preparation months prior. Mirage Resorts launched a $ 10 million advertising campaign which included 60-second television commercials, featuring opera singer Andrea Bocelli . A pre-opening VIP party took place on the night of October 15, 1998, with 1,800 in attendance, including Nevada governor Bob Miller . The public opening followed at 10:45 p.m. Crowds, waiting to enter

770-539: A balm to the eyes. ... the horizon is lined with snow and the foreground alternates between the graceful and the rugged—a truly Shakespearean landcape [ sic ], all the forces of nature are brought together, with an overwhelming sense of vastness. In 1859, as part of the Second Italian War of Independence , Garibaldi's Hunters of the Alps defeated Austrian troops at San Fermo , entering Como and bringing

880-647: A coast. In the United Kingdom, many seaside towns have turned to other entertainment industries, and some of them have much nightlife. The cinemas and theatres often remain to become host to a number of pubs, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. Most of their entertainment facilities cater for both local people and visitors and the beaches still remain popular during the summer months. In Europe and North America, ski resorts are towns and villages in ski areas, with support services for skiing such as hotels and chalets , equipment rental, ski schools and ski lifts to access

990-477: A convenient place to stay. There are more than 1500 timeshare resorts in the United States that are operated by major hospitality, timeshare-specific, or independent companies. They represent 198,000 residences and nearly 9 million owners, who pay an average $ 880 per year in maintenance fees. A reported 16% of the residences became vacation rentals . Towns that are resorts or in which tourism or vacationing

1100-716: A destination resort is that it offers food, drink, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping within the facility so that guests have no need to leave the facility throughout their stay. Commonly, the facilities are of higher quality than would be expected if one were to stay at a hotel or eat in a town's restaurants. Some examples are Atlantis in the Bahamas ; the Walt Disney World Resort , near Orlando, Florida ; Universal Studios Hollywood in San Fernando Valley , United States ; PortAventura World , near Tarragona on

1210-419: A fixed price that includes most or all items. At a minimum, most inclusive resorts include lodging, unlimited food, drink, sports activities, and entertainment for the fixed price. In recent years, the number of resorts in the United States offering "all-inclusive" amenities has decreased dramatically. In 1961, over half offered such plans, but in 2007, less than a tenth do so. All-inclusive resorts are found in

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1320-694: A high-end alternative to Bobby's Room. In October 2020, MGM quietly renamed it the Legends Room, two years after Baldwin left the company. In 2002, the casino launched a poker tournament series. The casino also hosts the annual WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic , and the Five-Star World Poker Classic. In 2013, the Bellagio introduced a private 2,600 sq ft (240 m) casino room known as Villa Privé, reserved for high rollers . The Bellagio hotel has 3,933 rooms. It originally opened with 3,005 rooms, including 401 suites. A renovation of

1430-483: A home theater system, several fireplaces, a bar, and fulltime butler service. A restored 19th century fountain sits in the hotel lobby, near the Conservatory. In 2015, a sculpture representing Earth's elements was placed outside the main hotel entrance. It was created by artist Masatoshi Izumi, who hand-carved it out of four basalt stones, each one weighing at least 17,000 pounds. An upscale nightclub, known as Light,

1540-554: A human presence around Bellagio in the Paleolithic Period (about 30,000 years ago), it is only in the 7th to 5th centuries BC that there appears to be a castellum on the promontory, perhaps a place of worship and of exchange which served the numerous small villages on the lake. The first identifiable inhabitants of the territory of Bellagio, from 400BC, were the Insubres , a Celtic tribe in part of Lombardy and on Lake Como up to

1650-433: A merger with MGM Grand Inc. The deal closed in May 2000, giving MGM Grand ownership of Bellagio. Wynn was not upset with the sale: "I've always been someone who focuses on the next project. The only part I ever enjoyed was the building, the design. I've always been the design guy". The company changed its name to MGM Mirage later that year, and Bellagio's cash flow improved under the new ownership, prompting reconsideration of

1760-420: A mixture of races which became more and more complex in the following centuries. Also it increased its strategic importance because, as well as a place for wintering, it sheltered warships especially at Loppia, where the natural creek made it easy to repair them. Around Loppia there formed one of the first suburbs of Bellagio. The Romans introduced many Mediterranean crops, including the olive and bay laurel; from

1870-481: A new resort in its place. An early idea was to build five or six complexes with approximately 500 rooms each, along with a small theme park. As the Dunes closed in January 1993, Wynn proposed including a man-made lake in his new project for water skiing and windsurfing . County officials questioned whether such a feature could be included following the passage of a 1990 water ordinance. A state expert found it unlikely that

1980-593: A place of mass tourism. Bellagio was part of the Italian Social Republic (RSI) from 1943 to 1945. The Futurist writer and poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti , a Mussolini loyalist who had helped shape Fascist philosophy, remained in the RSI as a propagandist until his death from a heart attack at Bellagio in December 1944. Luchino Visconti put Bellagio in a scene of his film Rocco and His Brothers (1960). The scene

2090-461: A plea deal, and was sentenced to 3 to 11 years. In July 2014, a man robbed the cashier cage of $ 43,500, using a BB gun. He was arrested the next day, after spending roughly half of the money on prostitutes and a shopping spree. He was found incompetent to stand trial. On an early morning in March 2017, men wearing animal-themed masks broke into a jewelry store at the resort, prompting a police lockdown of

2200-421: A popular eatery among gamblers, was remodeled in 2015. Chef Roy Ellamar began overseeing Sensi in 2011. The restaurant closed in 2015, and was replaced by Ellamar's new restaurant Harvest, a health-conscious eatery with an emphasis on fresh ingredients. Olives closed in early 2018, and was replaced by Spago , a restaurant by Wolfgang Puck . Sadelle's, a popular Manhattan restaurant, opened a Las Vegas location at

2310-497: A room on the second floor; there, I lift my gaze to the most beautiful view in the world, after the Gulf of Naples ... Franz Liszt and his mistress Comtesse Marie d'Agoult stayed for four months of 1837 on their way from Switzerland to Como and Milan. In Bellagio he wrote many of the piano pieces which became Album d'un voyageur (1835–38) , landscapes seen through the eyes of Byron and Senancour . These works contributed much to

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2420-399: A sloped grid are seven medieval stone stairs ("salite") running uphill. The Basilica of San Giacomo and a stone tower, sole relic of medieval defences ("Torre delle Arti Bellagio"), sit in a piazza at the top. Along the banks of the promontory of Bellagio are many old patrician houses, each surrounded by parks and gardens of trees. Some like Villa Serbelloni and Villa Melzi d'Eril are open to

2530-514: A town that took the name of Cernobbio in memory of the country of origin of their liberators. With the death of Filippo Maria , the House of Visconti lost power. For a short time the area was transformed into the Ambrosian Republic (1447–50), until Milan capitulated to Francesco Sforza , who became Duke of Milan and Lombardy. Bellagio, whose territory (and especially the fortress) was occupied by

2640-465: A variety of trees. Before the opening, builders spent more than a year searching the western U.S. for mature Japanese privets , which are capable of withstanding the dry Las Vegas heat. A deal was reached to remove approximately 30 privets from the government center in Ventura County, California , and replant them at Bellagio, at a cost of nearly $ 10,000 per tree. The resort's pool area is surrounded by

2750-487: A water-themed show by Cirque du Soleil . The property also has a high-end retail area which introduced several luxury brands to Las Vegas, including Chanel , Gucci , and Prada . The site of Bellagio was previously occupied by the Dunes hotel-casino, which opened in 1955. Through his company Mirage Resorts , casino owner Steve Wynn purchased the Dunes in November 1992, for $ 75 million. He intended to demolish it and build

2860-609: Is a French restaurant by chef Julian Serrano . Paintings by Pablo Picasso adorn the restaurant's walls. Chef Todd English opened Olives, which served Mediterranean food and was named after a popular restaurant he opened in Boston. The resort also included Circo and Le Cirque , both owned by the Maccioni family and inspired by New York restaurants of the same name. Circo was an Italian restaurant, while Le Cirque offers French food and features an upscale circus theme. Other restaurants included

2970-1068: Is a major part of the local activity are sometimes called resort towns . If by the sea, they are called seaside resorts . Inland resorts include ski resorts , mountain resorts and spa towns . Well-known resort towns include Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic , Bandipur in Nepal , Bali in Indonesia , Sochi in Russia , Mount Lebanon Tourism in Lebanon , Barizo in Spain , Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, Druskininkai in Lithuania , Cartagena de Indias in Colombia , Cancún in Mexico , Newport, Rhode Island , and Key West, Florida , in

3080-446: Is a resort that itself contains the necessary guest attraction capabilities so it does not need to be near a destination (town, historic site, theme park, or other) to attract its patrons. A commercial establishment at a resort destination such as a recreational area, a scenic or historic site, amusement park , a gaming facility, or other tourist attraction may compete with other businesses at a destination. Consequently, another quality of

3190-505: Is a short-term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa goers to develop healthy habits. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters. Typically over a seven-day stay, such facilities provide a comprehensive program that includes spa services, physical fitness activities, healthy diet programs, and special interest programming. Golf resorts are resorts that cater specifically to

3300-658: Is around 25 to 28 °C (77 to 82 °F), mitigated during the afternoon by the characteristic breva , the gentle breeze of Lake Como. The historic centre of Bellagio is located 350 m southwest of the promontory of the Larian Triangle , between the Villa Serbelloni on the hill and the Como arm of the lake. At the far tip of the promontory are a park and a marina. Parallel to the shore are three streets, Mazzini, Centrale and Garibaldi in ascending order. Cutting across them to form

3410-609: Is located on Lake Como , also known by its Latin-derived name Lario , whose arms form an inverted Y. The triangular land mass at the base of the inverted Y is the Larian Triangle : at its northern point sits Bellagio, looking across to the northern arm of the lake and, behind it, the Alps . It has always been famous for its location. It belongs to a mountain community named Comunità montana del Triangolo lariano ( Larian Triangle mountain community), based in Canzo . Even though there are signs of

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3520-520: Is on the Europa Promenade, between the pier and the half-derelict Hotel Grande Bretagne. Rocco implies that the old hotels are fading along with the empires they served. The fact that working-class Rocco and his girlfriend are there to make the observation implies in turn the new world of mass tourism replacing them. Ironies lie beyond the scope of the film: the new American empire would find uses of its own for Bellagio. In 2014, Bellagio merged with

3630-600: Is set in English style gardens which develop harmoniously along the banks of the lake, the last reaches of the view from Bellagio towards the hills to the south. Making such a garden required notable changes to the structure of the land and outstanding supporting walls. In such surroundings, enriched by monuments, artefacts (amongst which are a Venetian gondola transported to Bellagio expressly for Napoleon, and two precious Egyptian statues), rare exotic plants, ancient trees, hedges of camellias, groves of azaleas and gigantic rhododendrons,

3740-518: The Las Vegas Sun said the opening "by all accounts, was a first for Las Vegas", stating that the resort exceeded expectations. The newspaper's Steve Friess later called the opening a "pivotal" turning point in Las Vegas history: "The opening of a genuine luxury resort with great food, shopping and amenities was the most important step toward saying to the world, 'Vegas isn't tacky anymore'". Residents of

3850-618: The Caribbean , particularly in Jamaica , Dominican Republic ; in Egypt , and elsewhere. Notable examples are Club Med , Sandals Resorts , and Beaches Resorts . An all-inclusive resort includes three meals daily, soft drinks , most alcoholic drinks , gratuities , and usually other services in the price. Many also offer sports and other activities included in the price as well. They are often located in warmer regions. The all-inclusive model originated in

3960-536: The Cisalpine Republic to establish here his summer home. Count Melzi proceeded to build a villa on the west bank near Loppia. That brought to the area the flower of the Milanese nobility and the promontory was transformed into an elegant and refined court. Roads suitable for carriages were built, first of all to link the villas and the palaces and then towards the town centre; finally the provincial road Erba–Bellagio

4070-615: The Club Med resorts, which were founded by the Belgian Gérard Blitz . Some all-inclusive resorts are designed for specific groups. For example, some resorts cater for adults only, and even more-specialized properties accept couples only. Other all-inclusive resorts are geared toward families, with facilities like craft centers, game rooms, and water parks to keep children of all ages entertained. All-inclusive resorts are also very popular locations for destination weddings. A spa resort

4180-468: The Costa Daurada in Spain ; Costa do Sauípe, Northeastern Brazil ; Laguna Phuket, Thailand and Sun City , near Johannesburg , South Africa . Closely related to resorts are convention and large meeting sites. Generally, these resorts are located in cities where they offer special meeting halls, ample accommodations, and a variety of dining and entertainment options. An all-inclusive resort charges

4290-593: The Lario opened in 1852; the Grand Hotel Bellagio (now the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni ) opened in 1872. In 1888 the three largest hotels (Genazzini, Grande Bretagne and Grand Hotel Bellagio) first replaced gaslight with electric, and only after this were they followed by many patrician houses. Bellagio was one of the first Italian tourist resorts to become international, but it has never degenerated into

4400-632: The Las Vegas Strip . In Singapore , integrated resort is a euphemism for a casino -based destination resort. A holiday village is a type of self-contained resort in Europe whose accommodation is generally in villas . A holiday camp , in the United Kingdom , refers to a resort whose accommodation is in chalets or static caravans . A resort hotel contains full-sized luxury facilities with full-service accommodations and amenities . These hotels may attract vacationing tourists and offer more than

4510-586: The United States , Ischgl in Austria , St. Moritz in Switzerland and Blackpool in the United Kingdom . A resort island is an island or an archipelago that contains resorts, hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, and its amenities. Maldives is considered to have the best island resorts, which have become famous among the top celebrities and sportspersons around the world. Seaside resorts are located on

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4620-662: The 17th and 18th centuries. Today you can visit only the gardens. The trails, as well as the villa, lead to the remains of the 16th-century Capuchin monastery and the Sfondrata, a residence built by the Sfondrati family indeed, overlooking the Lecco branch of the lake. Quite different is the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni on the water's edge. A luxurious neo-classical villa built in the 1850s for an aristocratic Milanese family became

4730-403: The 500-seat Buffet at Bellagio; Prime, a steakhouse by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten ; Aqua, a 150-seat seafood restaurant originally from San Francisco, overseen by chef Michael Mina ; and the 24-hour Bellagio Cafe. Several restaurants included patios overlooking the Bellagio lake. In 2004, Aqua was renamed Michael Mina after its chef. A new restaurant, Sensi, opened later that year as part of

4840-447: The Bellagio as a five-star resort catering to tourists who typically visit places other than Las Vegas, such as Paris, London, or Venice. He said Bellagio would "redefine Las Vegas", describing it as the "most ambitious" and luxurious project ever attempted by Mirage Resorts. He also said it would be "the most romantic, delicious place ever built in the world", as well as the "greatest" and "most beautiful" hotel ever. The property features

4950-534: The Bellagio in 2019, replacing the cafe. The Mayfair Supper Club, a restaurant offering live entertainment, opened on December 31, 2019. It overlooks the Bellagio fountains. Le Cirque closed in March 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and eventually reopened in October 2021. The resort includes an employee dining hall known as Mangia, which functions as a buffet and feeds thousands of workers daily. An herb garden, located on

5060-562: The Bellagio name with a 200-room hotel in Shanghai, which eventually opened in 2018. Twenty years after its opening, the Bellagio remained one of the most popular resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. In October 2019, MGM Resorts announced it would sell Bellagio to Blackstone Inc. for $ 4.25 billion. Through the deal, the two companies would form a joint venture that would lease Bellagio back to MGM Resorts for an annual rent of $ 245 million. The sale

5170-426: The Bellagio village reportedly found few similarities with the resort. When it opened, Bellagio's room rates averaged $ 200 a night, compared to $ 81 for most other Strip resorts. Early revenue was less than expected, with the resort making $ 260 million in cash flow during 1999, more than $ 40 million short of Wynn's predictions. Plans for a 1,300-room addition were put on hold in March 2000, while Mirage Resorts finalized

5280-429: The Bellagio's roof, supplies some of the resort's restaurants. Since its opening, the resort has included a high-end retail area known as Via Bellagio. Retailers include Armani , Chanel , Fred Leighton , Gucci , Hermès , Prada , and Tiffany & Co. It was the first time that such retailers had opened in Las Vegas, as Via Bellagio was the city's first retail center focused on luxury brands. Additional retail space

5390-519: The Borromean Islands, about Lake Como, unless it be that one pities those who are not madly in love with them ... the sky is pure, the air mild, and one recognises the land beloved of the gods, the happy land that neither barbarous invasions nor civil discords could deprive of its heaven-sent blessings. At Bellagio he was the guest of the Melzi d’Eril, from whose villa he wrote: I isolate myself in

5500-410: The Dunes in 1992. Plans were announced in 1994 to replace it with Beau Rivage, a French-themed resort. In 1995, Wynn changed the project plans to instead theme it after the village of Bellagio , near Lake Como . The resort was designed by Jon Jerde . Construction began on November 1, 1995, with Marnell Corrao Associates as general contractor. Bellagio opened on October 15, 1998, with 3,005 rooms in

5610-622: The Fountains of Bellagio as one of the "most talked about attractions" globally. It was one of 16 attractions featured on the list. TripAdvisor 's 2013 Travelers' Choice awards bestowed high honors upon the Fountains of Bellagio, naming it the top tourist attraction in the U.S. and placing it among the top 12 globally. Resort In British English , "resort" means a town which people visit for holidays and day trips, typically containing hotels where holidaymakers stay. Examples of such towns include Blackpool and Brighton . A destination resort

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5720-565: The Gallo-Insubres in a fierce battle near Camerlata, occupying Como and the shores of the lake. Insubre hopes of independence were raised by an alliance with Hannibal during the Second Punic War , but dashed by defeat in 104 BC and absorption into a Roman province in 80 BC. Bellagio became both a Roman garrison and a point of passage and wintering for the Roman armies on their way through to

5830-779: The Goths. The line included the fortress of Bellagio, the Isola Comacina and the Castel Baradello . Nevertheless, around 568 the Lombards, led by Alboin , poured into the Po Valley and settled in various parts of Lombardy, in the valleys of the Alps and along the lakes. Even the fortress of Bellagio was occupied. In 744 King Liutprand settled there. With their arrival in Italy, the Franks of Charlemagne descended on Piedmont and Lombardy and, through

5940-605: The Latin poet, visited Bellagio and remembered the lake in the second book of the Georgics , verse 155 ("or great Lario"). Pliny the Younger, resident in Como for most of the year, had, among others, a summer villa near the top of the hill of Bellagio; it was known as "Tragedy". Pliny describes in a letter the long periods he spent in his Bellagio villas , not only studying and writing but also hunting and fishing. Through Bellagio passed, in 9 AD,

6050-575: The Roman legions (partly composed of soldiers from the Bellagio garrison) led by Publius Quinctilius Varus , which had to cross the Splügen pass into Germany against Arminius . They were annihilated in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest . At the time of the barbarian invasions, Narses , a general of Justinian , in his long wanderings through Italy waging war, created along Lake Como a fortified line against

6160-554: The Spa Tower began in April 2003. It was topped off a year later, and opened on December 23, 2004. It added 928 rooms, for a total of 3,933. Convention space was also increased to 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m). The resort hired 1,400 new employees for the expanded facilities, bringing the total to 10,000. By 2004, Bellagio was the most profitable hotel-casino in Las Vegas. In 2012, MGM and Suning Real Estate announced plans to expand

6270-415: The Spa Tower. Jean-Philippe Maury also opened a pâtisserie which includes the world's largest chocolate fountain, standing 27 feet. Fifteen years after the resort's opening, most of the original restaurants remained popular. Circo closed in 2014, and was replaced a year later by Lago, a new restaurant from chef Serrano. The restaurant serves Italian food, and features an Italian Futurism design. Snacks,

6380-617: The United States. Stages are occasionally built on the lake to host events, such as musical performances and a portion of the 2022 NFL draft . The Bellagio has hosted over 240,000 fountain shows as of October 2018. The Fountains of Bellagio have experienced interruptions throughout their operation. These include a three-day power outage in 2004 and a temporary closure in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Technical problems have rarely caused cancellations, with only five reported by 2005. In 2012, based on tourist reviews, TripAdvisor recognized

6490-458: The actual landscape of Lake Como: at least four times the glaciers went as far as Brianza to the south. From the ancient glacial blanket only the highest tops emerged, one of them Mount St. Primo, which obliged the glaciers to divide into two arms. Nowadays, a luxuriance of trees and flowers is favoured by a mild and sweet climate. The average daytime temperature during winter is rarely below 6 to 7 °C (43 to 45 °F), while during summer it

6600-464: The advent of the short-lived Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy , he was its Chancellor. Even after his political career had ended, since this was a Melzi residence, the construction, which he wanted as elegant as the Royal Villa of Monza and the other villas around Lake of Como, was decorated and furnished by famous artists of the period: painters Appiani and Bossi , sculptors Canova and Comolli , and

6710-453: The brief evacuation of the 26th floor, as well as portions of the 25th and 27th floors. One guest suffered minor burns, and others were treated for smoke inhalation and released shortly afterwards. On the night of April 13, 2017, the roof of the resort's retail section caught fire, forcing an evacuation of the area. The rest of the resort was unaffected, and the fire was put out within a half-hour. It caused up to $ 450,000 in damage, mostly above

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6820-486: The buffet, a performance theater, parts of the sportsbook, and certain elevators. Several robberies have occurred at the Bellagio. In June 2000, three men stole $ 160,000 in cash and casino chips, and were subsequently apprehended. The Bellagio heist was one in a series of casino robberies committed by the men. In December 2010, a helmet-wearing man robbed $ 1.5 million in chips from a craps table, with some chips worth $ 25,000 each. Confidential safeguards made it unlikely that

6930-410: The casino and parking garage. One of the suspects was apprehended, while three others remained at large. Another robbery occurred later in 2017, when a man stole money from a poker cage. He returned to rob the cage in March 2019, and a shootout occurred outside the resort between him and police as he tried to escape. He was shot and killed. On the morning of September 23, 2008, a mattress fire prompted

7040-705: The centre of the lake, occupying the western shore (the Orobii had the northern arm of the lake and its east bank). The Insubres lived free and independently until the arrival of the Gauls , led by Belloveso, who, around the year 600 BC, undid the Insubres and settled in Milan and Como, occupying the shores of the lake and creating a garrison at the extreme point of their conquest, Bellagio (fancifully Bellasium, named after their commander Belloveso). The Gauls thus became Gallo-Insubres, merged with

7150-412: The climb to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Ghisallo , the patron saint of cyclists, and therefore an important destination for fans of the sport. The ascent covers a total distance of about 4 km and has a vertical rise of about 500 meters; professional cyclists can do it in 20 minutes. You can also make the climb from Onno to Valbrona on the eastern shore of the lake, and the Wall of Sormano on

7260-443: The death in 1788 of Carlo, last of the Sfondrati, Bellagio passed to Count Alessandro Serbelloni , henceforth Serbelloni Sfondrati. During the brief Napoleonic period, the port of Bellagio assumed military and strategic importance. A decision, apparently of secondary importance, was to guide the destiny of Bellagio for the two succeeding two centuries: the decision of Count Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Duke of Lodi and Vice President of

7370-488: The destruction of Como and its subjection to Milan, from which it took decades to recover. It is thought that by 1100 Bellagio was already a free commune and seat of a tribunal and that its dependence on Como was merely formal. However the strategic position of Bellagio was very important for the city of Como, and Bellagio had therefore to suffer more than one incursion from Como and fought numerous naval battles against its neighbour. In 1154, under Frederick Barbarossa , Bellagio

7480-450: The end of the 13th century, Bellagio, which had participated in numerous wars on the side of the Ghibellines (the pro-empire party), became part of the property of the House of Visconti and was integrated into the Duchy of Milan . In 1440, during the lordship of the Visconti , some Cernobbiesi attacked the prison of Bellagio in which the inmates were political prisoners. Liberated, they took flight into mountains of Bellagio, settling in

7590-411: The following year. From 2014 to 2015, renovations took place on the main tower suites. It was the final phase of the $ 165 million remodeling project that began in 2011. Another renovation of the main tower rooms took place during 2021, and a $ 110 million renovation of the Spa Tower is scheduled for completion by October 2023. The 4,000 sq ft (370 m) Chairman Suite includes an indoor garden,

7700-433: The high Alps, defeated the Lombards in the battle of Pavia of 773. The Lombard territory was divided into counties — thus the beginning of feudalism. Bellagio found itself in the county of Milan under the suzerainty of the Frankish kings. The grandson of Charlemagne, Lothair , having deposed his father in 834, invested as feudal lords of the territory of Limonta and Civenna the monks of Saint Ambrose of Milan (together with

7810-621: The highest rank of Milanese society, ruled Bellagio. The ruins of the sumptuous Stanga building were restructured by Francesco and, successively, by Ercole Sfondrati, who spent the last years of his life in pious religious passion in the villa. On the same peninsula he built the church and convent of the Capuchins (1614), investing enormous capital in the setting, where appeared cypress trees and sweet olives . Favoured by Bellagio's ideal position for transport and trade, various small industries flourished, most notably candle-making and silk weaving with its concomitant silk worms and mulberry trees. With

7920-449: The hotel expansion plan. Plans for a second tower were confirmed in August 2002, as part of a $ 375 million expansion. The new Spa Tower would be built south of the main tower and would offer access to the spa. The expansion would also include an additional spa, salon, meeting and retail space, as well as a new restaurant. Marnell Corrao Associates returned as general contractor. Construction on

8030-583: The image of Bellagio and the lake as a site of Romantic feeling. D'Agoult's letters show they were sadly aware of drawing an age of motorised tourism in their train. In 1838, Bellagio received with all honours the Emperor Ferdinand I , the Archduke Rainer and the Minister Metternich , who came from Varenna on the Lario , the first steamboat on the lake, launched in 1826. Bellagio was one of

8140-535: The lake would cause major soil sinking. The county modified the ordinance in February 1994, allowing Wynn to proceed with a man-made lake, on the condition that he honor his claim that it would use less water than the Dunes' former golf course. On October 17, 1994, Mirage Resorts announced plans to build the French-themed Beau Rivage resort on the land, at a cost of $ 700-$ 900 million. It would be surrounded by

8250-506: The land around the Lake of Lario two centuries of Spanish rule (the period in which Alessandro Manzoni 's novel The Betrothed is set). The so-called Derta steps that lead from the neighbourhood of Guggiate to that of Suira were built under the Spanish. In 1533, Francesco Sfondrati , married to a Visconti, had acquired the fiefdom of Bellagio and for more than 200 years the Sfondrati family, from

8360-506: The localities most frequented by the Lombardy nobility and saw the construction of villas and gardens. Luxury shops opened in the village and tourists crowded onto the lakeshore drive. Space was not sufficient and it was decided to cover the old port which came up as far as the arcade in order to construct a large square. Gustav Flaubert visited Bellagio in 1845. He told his travel diary: One could live and die here. The outlook seems designed as

8470-444: The main tower rooms took place in 2003. The Spa Tower, finished a year later, added 928 rooms, bringing the resort to its current number. The original tower is 36 stories, while the Spa Tower contains 33. The hotel's suites, as well as the rooms in the Spa Tower, were renovated in 2007. Rooms in the main tower received a six-month, $ 70 million renovation in 2011. A $ 40 million renovation of the Spa Tower rooms began in 2012 and concluded

8580-405: The medalist Luigi Manfredini . The duke had a collector's passion which, in the region on Lake Como, had no rival except that of Giovan Battista Sommariva, owner of the villa bearing the same name (nowadays Villa Carlotta ) who, politically defeated by Melzi himself (preferred by Napoleon as vice-president), tried to regain lost prestige by assembling an extraordinary art collection. Villa Melzi

8690-466: The name of the latter (Laurus) derives the Latin name of Lake Como (Larius). Among the other plant species introduced were the chestnut, already widespread in southern Italy, the cypress, so well naturalised today as to be considered native, and many kinds of herbaceous plants. In the early decades of the Empire, two great figures brought fame to the lake and Bellagio: Virgil and Pliny the Younger . Virgil,

8800-643: The nearby village of Bellagio, and spent half a day there. The village's Italian architecture inspired Wynn to scrap 10 months' worth of design work for Beau Rivage in favor of a Bellagio-themed resort. Wynn would later use the Beau Rivage name for another resort in Mississippi. The Las Vegas project was revised and scaled back. Among the changes was a reduction in the size of the lake feature; Mirage Resorts determined that it would use too much water as originally planned. The hotel tower, originally planned at 49 stories,

8910-501: The nucleus of the (then-called) Grand Hotel Bellagio, opened in 1873. The hotel retains its original Belle Époque fittings. This significant building overlooking the lake was built between 1808 and 1815 by the architect Giocondo Albertolli for Francesco Melzi d'Eril , created Duke of Lodi (the city of Lodi, Lombardy ) by Napoleon for whom he filled the role of vice-president of the Italian Republic from 1802. From 1805, with

9020-405: The opening was initially scheduled for March 1998. Marnell Corrao Associates served as general contractor. The project's cost increased several times, in part because of new features being added. A shortage of skilled workers also resulted in rising labor costs. It was financed through various lenders. Finished at a cost of $ 1.6 billion, it was the most expensive resort ever built. Wynn envisioned

9130-498: The primitive inhabitants and introduced their customs and traditions, leaving traces in local names: Crux Galli (now Grosgalla), on the side of Lezzeno, and Gallo, a small chapel on the old road of Limonta which marks today the border between the two municipalities. In 225 BC, the territory of the Gallo-Insubres was occupied by the Romans, in their gradual expansion to the north. The Romans, led by consul Marcus Claudius Marcellus , defeated

9240-659: The province of Raetia and the Splügen pass . Troops wintered at the foot of the present Villa Serbelloni, sheltered from north winds and the Mediterranean climate. Such variant Latin names as Belacius and Bislacus suggest Bellagio was originally Bi-lacus ("between the lakes"). Between 81 and 77 BC Cornelius Scipio brought 3,000 Latin colonists to Lake Como. From 59 BC Julius Caesar , as pro-consul, brought up another 5000 colonists, most importantly 500 Greeks from Sicily. Their names are still borne by their descendants. Bellagio became

9350-505: The province under Piedmontese rule. Bellagio thus became part of the Kingdom of Italy under the House of Savoy until Germany created in 1943 the puppet Italian Social Republic under Benito Mussolini . Tourism in the Kingdom of Italy had now become the principal economic resource of the people of Bellagio and from this period on the history of Bellagio coincides with that of its hotels. The first

9460-485: The public. Just behind the hill of the promontory into the lake, protected from the winds, is the building complex of Villa Serbelloni . The villa dominates the town's historic centre. It can be reached from Via Garibaldi. It was built in the 15th century in place of an old castle razed in 1375. Villa Serbelloni was later rebuilt several times. In 1788 it came into the possession of Alessandro Serbelloni (1745–1826) who enriched it with precious decorations and works of art of

9570-474: The resort to Blackstone Inc. for $ 4.25 billion. MGM continues to operate the property under a lease arrangement. Bellagio is located on 77 acres (31 ha). It includes a 156,000 sq ft (14,500 m) casino and 3,933 rooms. The resort's signature attraction is the Fountains of Bellagio , a dancing water fountain synchronized to music. It is performed in an 8.5-acre man-made lake, located in front of

9680-490: The resort were reopened over the next few days. A preliminary investigation by the county found that the main power line failed because of premature deterioration, the cause for which remained unknown. A partial power outage occurred on December 31, 2011, shutting down the resort's buffet and several hundred hotel rooms in the main tower's west wing. Another partial outage occurred in March 2018, after leaking water made contact with an electrical panel. The six-hour outage affected

9790-550: The resort's fountains. Hyde Bellagio closed in July 2019, and was replaced by the Mayfair Supper Club. In February 2012, The Light Group opened Lily Bar & Lounge, which also served as a nightclub. The resort's bars are served by a pump room containing 1,800 bottles of alcohol. The alcohol travels distances ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 feet before reaching any one of the resort's 53 bars. Bellagio opened with 16 eateries, some of them overseen by award-winning chefs. Picasso

9900-574: The resort's revenue was expected to come from non-gaming amenities. Bellagio employed 9,500 people, 3,200 of them coming from other properties also owned by Mirage Resorts. Casino executive Bobby Baldwin served as the resort's president. Bellagio received positive reception. The level of luxury would eventually inspire other Las Vegas resorts to become more upscale. Las Vegas developer Irwin Molasky said, "In our lifetime we will never see another building or hotel with such beauty and grace". Brian Greenspun of

10010-441: The resort, reached an estimated 25,000 people. Within the first day, the resort had received more than 80,000 visitors. The property included 3,005 hotel rooms, a casino, and high-end shops and restaurants. The resort's main attraction was an 8.5-acre man-made lake, featuring a water show known as Fountains of Bellagio . Other attractions included a conservatory and the $ 285 million Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art . More than half of

10120-608: The resort. Other attractions include the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art , and a conservatory and botanical gardens . The hotel lobby features Fiori di Como , a sculpture by glass artist Dale Chihuly . It is the world's largest glass sculpture . Bellagio has numerous restaurants, including Le Cirque and Picasso , the latter by chef Julian Serrano . Other chefs at the resort have included Todd English , Michael Mina , Jean-Georges Vongerichten , and Wolfgang Puck . Bellagio includes an 1,800 seat theater for performances of O ,

10230-618: The road to the western shore. These two climbs, with the ascent to the Sanctuary, are part of the Tris del Lario competition. Treks of all degrees of difficulty are possible around and above Bellagio on the Larian Triangle. Bellagio Lifestyle gives the major treks with maps and route descriptions. The traditional Bellagino feast day dish is the Tóch  [ it ] . Eaten with a wooden spoon, it

10340-563: The slopes. Resorts for different purposes also exist. An example is Yulara , Northern Territory , which exists to serve Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) in Australia . Bellagio, Lombardy Bellagio ( Italian: [belˈlaːdʒo] ; Comasco : Belàs [beˈlaːs] ) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region of Lombardy . It

10450-467: The sport of golf , and they include access to one or more golf courses and/or clubhouses. Golf resorts typically provide golf packages that provide visitors with all greens and cart fees, range balls, accommodations, and meals. In North America , a ski resort is generally a destination resort in a ski area. The term is less likely to refer to a town or village. A megaresort is a type of destination resort of an exceptionally-large size, such as those along

10560-507: The succession to the bishop of Como between Milan, supporting a bishop imposed by the German Emperor, and Como, which had already designated as bishop Guido Grimoldi, consecrated by the Pope. The war lasted ten years (1117–1127), with a series of small victories and defeats on land and water. Bellagio participated with its fleet as an ally of Milan, Isola Comacina and Gravedona . The war ended with

10670-451: The territory of Campione d'Italia ). The inhabitants of these two places, which later belonged ecclesiastically to the parish of Bellagio (St. John), were obliged to hand over some of their produce (olive oil, chestnuts ...) to the monks, an obligation preserved for several centuries. There followed the rule of the Ottonian dynasty of Germany. During the reign of Henry V began a long war over

10780-436: The thief would be able to cash in the chips without getting caught. Furthermore, MGM announced after the robbery that it would discontinue the $ 25,000 chips within four months. The thief, son of a Las Vegas judge, was arrested in February 2011, after arranging to sell $ 25,000 chips to an undercover police officer. Approximately $ 793,000 in chips remained unaccounted for, most of them $ 25,000 chips. The robber pled guilty as part of

10890-474: The town of Civenna : the new municipality retains the name of Bellagio. Bellagio is situated upon the cape of the land mass that divides Lake Como in two. The city centre occupies the tip of the promontory , while other districts are scattered along the lake shores and up the slopes of the hills. The great Pleistocene glaciations with their imposing flows coming from the Valtellina and Valchiavenna modelled

11000-561: The troops of Sforza in 1449 during the war of succession, was one of the first towns on the lake to take sides and adhere to Sforza rule. In 1508, under Ludovico il Moro (1479–1508), the estate of Bellagio was taken from the bishop of Como and assigned to the Marquis of Stanga, treasurer, ambassador and friend of il Moro. Stanga built a new villa on Bellagio hill, later ruined in a raid by Cavargnoni. In 1535, when Francesco II Sforza (the last Duke of Milan ) died, there started for Lombardy and

11110-517: The villa, the chapel and the glass house constitute an ensemble in which the neoclassical style reaches one of its highest peaks. Rowing is based at the Bellagina Sporting Union, a club specializing in football and especially rowing: world rowing champions Enrico Gandola , Alberto Belgeri , Igor Pescialli , Franco Sancassani and Daniele Gilardoni were born in Bellagio and began their racing careers with Bellagina. From Bellagio starts

11220-408: Was added in the 2004 expansion. Fountains of Bellagio is a free musical fountain show performed in the resort's 8.5-acre lake. Each show is choreographed to a specific song or track, coming from a variety of musical genres. The fountains dance along to match the rhythm of the music, and water shoots as high as 460 feet. The fountains are a popular attraction, and among the most photographed places in

11330-446: Was also reduced. The design and planning process took a total of 28 months, dating to 1993. Wynn said "there was no need to rush the project. We wanted to get it right". Jerde's design firm spent a total of four years designing the project. Wynn's in-house design team, Atlandia Design, handled the interior. Aside from the Dunes, a Denny's restaurant was also demolished to make way for Bellagio. Construction began on November 1, 1995, and

11440-595: Was completed in November 2019. Under the deal, MGM acquired a five-percent ownership stake in the venture and continued to operate the resort through the lease. In July 2023, MGM Resorts announced an agreement with Marriott International to bring its properties within Marriott's international reservations system and its Bonvoy loyalty program. The new partnership, which began in 2024, has Bellagio marketed within The Luxury Collection division of Marriott as Bellagio,

11550-633: Was completed. The fame of the lakeside town became well known outside the borders of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia : even the Emperor Francis I of Austria visited in 1816 and returned in 1825 to stay in the Villas Serbelloni, Trotti and Melzi. The Romantic discovery of landscape was changing how the Italian lakes were seen. Stendhal had first visited in 1810: What can one say about Lake Maggiore, about

11660-411: Was expanded in 2004, as the game saw a rise in popularity. The casino includes a high-limit poker area, originally known as Bobby's Room. It was named after Bellagio president and longtime MGM executive Bobby Baldwin . As of 2018, the minimum buy-in was $ 20,000. It was the most popular high-limit poker room in Las Vegas, until the nearby Aria resort opened in 2009. The Aria's poker room offered players

11770-457: Was forced to swear loyalty and pay tribute to Como. In 1169, after the destruction of Milan by Frederick Barbarossa (1162), Como attacked Isola Comacina, devastating it and forcing the inhabitants to flee to Varenna and Bellagio, at that time considered impregnable fortresses. The Lombard League was formed, in which Bellagio also participated as an ally of Milan, intervening in the Battle of Legnano (1176) against Barbarossa and Como. Towards

11880-513: Was opened in December 2001. It was owned by Chris and Keith Barish , along with partner Andrew Sasson . It was inspired by a New York nightclub of the same name. The Las Vegas location became popular among celebrities. Light closed in September 2007, and was replaced by a new upscale nightclub known as The Bank. It was operated by Sasson's company, The Light Group . The 6,600 sq ft (610 m) club included two bars and three resident DJs. It

11990-451: Was popular among tourists, and also attracted locals with various promotions and contests. It eventually closed in 2018. In March 2011, SBE Entertainment Group announced that it would bring its Hyde Lounge nightclub brand to the resort, taking the place of Fontana Bar. Hyde Bellagio opened on December 31, 2011. The 10,000 sq ft (930 m) space featured 40 tables and capacity for 714 people. It included outdoor seating overlooking

12100-575: Was the present Hotel Metropole, founded in 1825 from the transformation of the old hostelry of Abbondio Genazzini into the first real hotel on the Lario, the Hotel Genazzini. Following this example in the space of a few years came several splendid hotels many of which are still operating, frequently in the hands of the same families who founded them: the Hotel Firenze, built on the old house of the captain of

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