Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas

Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas

Welcome to the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas.

The Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas is a 30 story luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. It is owned by MGM Mirage and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.

Inspired by the Lake Como resort of Bellagio in Italy, Bellagio is famous for its elegance. One of its most refreshing feature is an 8-acre lake right in front of the hotel, by the strip, where you have the so called Fountains of Bellagio. It’s a large dancing water fountain synchronized to music, which you might remember from the movie Oceans 11.

Once you enter the lobby, you will see this beautiful set of 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers that cover the ceiling. This masterpiece, called Fiori di Como, was made by Dale Chihuly, a famous American glass sculptor and entrepreneur. Bellagio is also home to Cirque du Soleil's  production of  "O".

The Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas was designed by Steve Wynn and built by his company, Mirage Resorts. Construction was done in 1993, on the same site where the old Dunes Hotel and Casino used to be. It took $1.6 billion to build the Bellagio.

The Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas opened on October 15, 1998, in a lavish ceremony that is rumored to have cost more than US$88 million. Opening night's entertainment began with Steve Wynn giving a 40-minute welcome speech followed by the opening of the Cirque du Soleil production of "O."

When it opened in 1998, the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas was considered the most expensive hotel ever built. In 2000 it became an MGM Mirage property when Mirage Resorts merged with MGM Grand Inc. to create the MGM Mirage.

The Bellagio employs approximately 10,000 people.

Fountains at the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas
The Fountains of Bellagio is a vast, choreographed water feature with performances set to light and music. The performances take place in front of the Bellagio hotel and are visible from numerous vantage points on the Strip, both from the street and neighboring structures. The show takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings, and every 15 minutes from 8 p.m. to midnight. Before a water show starts, the nozzles break the water surface. Shows may be cancelled without warning because of wind. A single show may be skipped to avoid interference with a planned event. The fountain display is choreographed to various pieces of music, including songs by Andrea Bocelli and Frank Sinatra.

The fountains are set in a 8-acre man-made lake. Contrary to a common urban myth that the lake is not filled with treated greywater from the hotel, it is actually serviced by a fresh water well that was drilled decades ago to irrigate a golf course that previously existed on the site. The fountains actually use less water than irrigating the golf course did. They incorporate a network of pipes with more than 1,200 nozzles that make it possible to stage fountain displays coordinated with more than 4,500 lights. It is estimated that the fountains cost $75 million to build.

The Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas also contains a Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The displays are changed out five times a year and reflect the current season (winter, Chinese New Year, spring, summer, and fall). Colorful displays decorated with many flowers are often used, and small fountains may also be present.

The Bellagio has received numerous awards, and is rated a Five-Diamond hotel by AAA.

Restaurants at the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas
The nicest thing about staying at this elegant hotel is that you don't even need to get out of the premises to get excellent cuisine. See sample reviews below as a guide.

Le Cirque at the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas
*****(5 Stars) 1/12/2010 Jane P. from Orange County, CA
From start to finish, a well put together meal, great service, great ambiance. Walked in, had a drink at the bar. The bartender knew literally everything there was to know about mixology, along with some weird obscure interesting facts about the liquor I was drinking.

Besides having fantastic company, the dinner was a perfect 10. The drinks were great, well balanced. Started off the meal with a "compliments from the chef" chestnut soup. Was absolutely delicious.

Had the lobster salad as an app, my lovely date had the chilean sea bass, I had the rabbit. Exquisite dinner, deceptively filling. With a couple rounds of cocktails, the meals, the food... the bill came to $300 with tip. Cheaper than I thought it would be, so that was a nice surprise.

I requested a table near the window for the water show and it was reserved for me. Was the perfect start to a romantic evening, and I'm looking forward to going back. Great food, great service, great place. Five stars.

*****(5 Stars) 1/10/2010 from Liza T. New York, NY
Ah, Le Cirque at the Bellagio.. *contented sigh*
Our meal was delicious. Extremely memorable. Service was great. Decor was beautiful and playful. We saw a famous football player.This is currently my top meal of all time. The dish that really took the cake was the additional supplement we got of risotto topped with huge shavings of black truffles. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. A heaven filled with roundish black mushrooms!
The desserts deserve a special mention - we got the 'circus of desserts' which includes basically all their desserts and you should totally do it if you have a big group - all the deserts were delicious and special.

Highly, Highly Recommended. Oh yeah, one more thing.. we all left totally stuffed - I know portion size is something people complain about at 'fancy' restaurants but that was NOT the case here. We were all loosening our belts. :D

Jasmine at the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas
****(4 Stars) 12/12/2009 William W. from San Francisco, CA
Chinese food for the affluent located at none other than the world famous Bellagio Resort and Casino. Normally I wouldn't give a place like this a second thought with its suggested dress code and prices five times the norm, but when Lady Luck intervened I suddenly felt an urge to splurge.

The place is downright formal in its mannerisms. When I entered the restaurant and inquired about getting a table the hostess greeted me and asked for my last name. I was asked to take a seat at a small reception area opposite the bar while my table was being prepared. I found the experience quite interesting because from the moment the hostess wrote down my last name every staff person addressed me as Mr. W.

The server, the waitress, a floor supervisor ... everybody addressed me as Mr. W. as if they had written my last name somewhere near my table for all to see. Once inside the fancy dining room with its gigantic crystal chandeliers hanging down I was seated at a small table with a clear view looking out the huge glass windows where three times during my meal the fabulous fountains of the Bellagio performed their artistic magic. There I was enjoying this amazing spectacle from a most unique vantage point behind the fountains.

At Jasmine they pull your chair out when you go to sit down, they help to push your chair in once you are seated, they unfold your thick fabric napkin for you and they gently place it on your lap. I was often taught those steps to be used for a special lady, but I never imagined having a lady do those things for me.

Jasmine certainly has its service perfected. As for the cuisine, I didn't select any extravagant selection here. In fact, my selections were downright homey, just went for the shark fin soup, pineapple fried rice and the Choy Sum salad, all excellent. I'm pretty certain this type of restaurant can handle the fancy dishes well.

I would rate the food as a solid 4.0 stars and the service is definitely a 5. This meal left me nice and full, and the restaurant is a convenient two minute walk along the casino floor to the Cirque du Soleil's "O" Theatre.

*****(5 Stars) 11/8/2009 Jake S. from Phoenix, AZ
Elegant dining room, view of the Bellagio fountains, and the only restaurant at Bellagio that plays the fountain music along with the show so you can watch the "choreography."

The Peking Duck is amazing! Prepared tableside with care. I've had Peking Duck at a high end place in Beijing, and Jasmine met my already high expectations. What stood out for us was the Sommelier, Sarah. She was attentive, friendly, and paired an amazing Pinot Noir from Martinelli that went perfectly with the duck.

We quizzed her a bit and she really knows her stuff. Thanks Sarah! I will be back!

Michael Mina at the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas
*****(5 Stars) 2/4/2010 Stephanie L. from San Bruno, CA
I have been to the Michael Mina in San Francisco many many times with my boyfriend now. So, naturally, when we decided to head to Las Vegas, we had to try the Michael Mina in the Bellagio Hotel.

In comparison, the Vegas Michael Mina athe the Bellagio Hotel is much less pretentious and more casual than the SF one. The staff is more welcoming to walk-in's and don't blink at the sight of jeans and a T-shirt. My boyfriend and I decided on the Cookbook Tasting Menu, a selection of Michael Mina's signature dishes. One of the best choices I ever made! In SF, I usually just go for the 3-course tasting menu.

Tuna Tartare (Appetizer) - nice balance of sesame seed oil and salt/pepper along with a quail egg on top. I would have preferred something other than toast but overall the dish was delicious. Flown in everyday from Hawaii!

Lobster Pot Pie - as always, delicious. Unfortunately, a much smaller portion that if you were to get the 3-course menu. Understandable though because you have so much food. The lobster was cooked beautifully but the sauce is slightly different from the one I get in SF. I prefer the SF lobster pot pie but this one was good too.

Chilean Sea Bass - they make their own dashi! The sauce was a bit on the salty side due to the buttery-ness of the sea bass but this was actually my favorite dish of the night! The dish was flavorful and the sea bass was the right texture.

Filet Mignon/Kobe Beef - my boyfriend opted for the Kobe Beef selection which was delicious, tender, and perfect. It actually seemed like he had a larger portion of beef than my filet mignon! Each of our dishes came with a large piece of foie gras. Overall, this dish was delicious but very heavy and we were very full by the time this dish came out.

Dessert - a trio of desserts. If I wasn't so full at the end of the meal I would've probably enjoyed it much more. Our trio came with the delicious rootbeer float with a warm chocolate chip cookie, an "opera cake", and a smore-type dessert.

We were celebrating our anniversary dinner and our waiter, who was very cool, gave us free champagne. He was also very helpful in helping us select our wines and cocktails. Bravo!

A must place to eat in the Bellagio! Especially if you're going to see "O". Be prepared to spend about 2-3 hours there though!

*****(5 Stars) 1/29/2010 Megan L. from Atlanta, GA
I love this unpretentious dining experience. Michael Mina serves up fine dining and excellent service, while making you feel welcome and comfortable. The decor is warm, with bookcases filled with glasses and dishes, making you feel like you are at someone's home. The kitchen opens up to the restaurant, so you get a little behind-the-scenes action, which also brings the fancy-factor down a bit.

We had the Cookbook Tasting Menu, which is a selection of Michael Mina's best-loved dishes. My favorite course was our first, the tuna tartare. It was light and fresh, with pine nuts adding a nice crunch and pears that balanced the spicy flavor.

I thought the lobster pot pie would be my fave, but it was a little too hot and a bit awkward to eat. Each course was quite nice but of course, dessert was the absolute best. It was a trio of desserts - a coconut s'more with homemade marshmallow, opera cake topped with bittersweet ice cream (yum) and a mini root beer float. The root beer float was AMAZING!

Service was great and they moved our courses along at a nice clip, which I appreciated since it had been a long day and I was not interested in a five hour dinner.

Picasso at the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas
*****(5 Stars) 2/2/2010 Emily J. from Metuchen, NJ
5 Stars for the 125 year tawny port alone. Yeah, that's right! 125-year tawny port! I was like the most delicious tawny port reduction known to man, and I'm a tawny girl! Um, excited much, me? Oh, and it's about $159 a glass...so come prepared... Delish pre-dinner cocktail (apple martini NOT made with that green sour apple crap), delightful champers to start. Did the prix fixe with wine pairing...with the kobe beef on offer for today. Oh butter yum steak killer melty buttery deliciousness. Did I mention it was fanfuckingtabulous?

Service excellent; sommelier was attentive, fun and knowledgable with the wine pairing (and the post-prandial port). Dessert was meh-very chocolately thing, and the "take away" breakfast pastry paled in comparision to the flaky butter goodness that are the pastries at Bouchon.

****(4 Stars) 1/24/2010 Madeline R. from Los Angeles, CA
I really love Picasso located inside the Bellagio Hotel with a view of the fountains.. I always asked to be seated on the terrace, so I can enjoy the show.. even though I have been seated inside and enjoyed the art work as well. I love the tasting menu's - I really loved the truffle menu they had when I was there... there was a squash soup that was amazing!

Very romantic.. very expensive, very posh! If you want to splurge in Vegas.. this is a good choice, if you are staying at the hotel - a must!