Paris Las Vegas

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox casino Paris Las Vegas is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. Property features include a Template:Convert casino, 3,672 hotel rooms, a 1,400-seat performance theater, and various restaurants. The Paris-themed resort also includes a half scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, rising Template:Convert. Replicas of other Paris landmarks are featured as well, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Paris Opera House, and the Musée d'Orsay.

Construction of Paris Las Vegas began on April 18, 1997, and the resort opened on September 1, 1999. It is located on Template:Convert, directly south of the Horseshoe Las Vegas resort, also owned by Caesars. In 2024, one of the Horseshoe hotel towers was renovated to become part of Paris, which previously had 2,916 rooms.

History

The site of Paris Las Vegas was originally occupied by the Galaxy Motel and a small strip mall; the latter had included the Little Caesar's casino and a stand-alone sports book known as Churchill Downs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bally Entertainment announced the Paris resort project on May 16, 1995. It was initially set to begin construction later that year, with the opening expected for late 1997.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It would be built on Template:Convert just south of the company's Bally's Las Vegas resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Chanen Construction, based in Phoenix, Arizona, was hired as construction manager.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, Hilton acquired Bally Entertainment in late 1996,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Chanen was fired from the Paris project amid the ownership change.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Construction of Paris Las Vegas eventually began on April 18, 1997,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with Perini Building Company as the general contractor.<ref name=Connection/> In 1998, Hilton transferred ownership of its gaming properties – including Paris and Bally's – to Park Place Entertainment, a corporate spin-off which would be renamed Caesars Entertainment in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Paris Las Vegas opened on September 1, 1999,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> following a private VIP party which included Nevada governor Kenny Guinn, Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman, French actress Catherine Deneuve, and businessman Donald Trump.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Paris Las Vegas employed 4,200 workers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Bright/> The resort project cost $785 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Unlike high-end resorts opening on the Strip around the same time, Paris targeted a middle-class clientele.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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Bally's Jubilee Tower (left), before it became part of Paris (right)

Paris was built as a sister property to Bally's.<ref name=Excitement/> The two resorts are connected,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and initially shared operations, including a single gaming license and hotel reservation system.<ref name=Excitement/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In late 1999, a fraud lawsuit was filed against the resort by Steven Mattes, a high roller who gambled there during its opening weekend. Mattes accused the casino of reneging on an agreement to provide him with a $2 million line of credit. A jury ruled in his favor in 2002, awarding him $8 million. However, the verdict was challenged by the resort and ruled erroneous in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The case was summarily dismissed the following year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mattes appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear it in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2001, the resort's performance theater hosted the first BET Awards show.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Flag of France had hung from the resort's exterior since opening, but was briefly removed in 2003, amid France's opposition to the invasion of Iraq.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Harrah's Entertainment acquired Caesars Entertainment in 2005 and took on the latter's name in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A power outage occurred in November 2016, lasting more than 12 hours and trapping 11 people in elevators throughout the resort, before being rescued by fire crews. A work crew had been making floor repairs in the resort's boiler room and accidentally drilled into the property's main power and backup generator lines, causing the outage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Another outage occurred in October 2020, after rodents interfered with an off-site transfer switch near the resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Six people had to be rescued from elevators, and power was restored within three hours.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2022, Paris and Bally's became the first Strip resorts to host the World Series of Poker,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which returned to the resorts for 2023 as well.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Design

Template:Multiple image Paris Las Vegas was designed by architect Joel Bergman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Paris-themed facade along the Strip was created by Keenan Hopkins Suder & Stowell Contractors Inc. According to Dave Suder, "Paris Las Vegas was not intended to be a true, historical recreation of the real buildings in Paris, France. Everything was stylized, sized and proportioned to fit the project. But, the actual detail that went into the work is very detailed. The sculpted elements were carefully executed."<ref name=Stylized>Template:Cite news</ref> The facade includes replicas of the Arc de Triomphe (two-thirds scale), the Louvre, the Paris Opera House,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Bright>Template:Cite news</ref> and the Musée d'Orsay.<ref name=Stylized/> The designers traveled to France to study these landmarks.<ref name=Bright/><ref name=Smith/>

The resort's half-scale Eiffel Tower replica rises Template:Convert, with an observation deck at Template:Convert, capable of holding up to 96 people. The tower also includes a restaurant, situated 11 stories above ground.<ref name=Point/> The tower's legs measure Template:Convert at their base, and three of them rest within the casino floor.<ref name=Smith/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Upon the resort's opening, the three interior legs contained a sports book, a casino host area, and a bar, respectively. The fourth leg rests outside the resort along the Strip, and initially served as a ticket booth for guests to visit the observation deck.<ref name=Point>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Paris hotel, Las Vegas, 31 May 2013 001.jpg
Montgolfier balloon sign

Bergman consulted Gustave Eiffel's blueprints for the original Eiffel Tower.<ref name=Bright/><ref name=Smith/> His firm created the replica's architectural design, while its structural design came from the Las Vegas-based Martin & Peltyn. It was built by Schuff Steel, based in Phoenix, using 5,000 tons of steel.<ref name=Smith>Template:Cite news</ref> Although the replica tower was created with welded steel, it also includes faux rivets to match the design of the original.<ref name=Point/>

Interior design of the resort's public spaces was handled by Yates-Silverman,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with assistance from Kovacs & Associates of Chicago.<ref name=Connection>Template:Cite news</ref> The interior was inspired by the Paris street scene of the 1920s,<ref name=Stylized/> and includes restaurants and shops located in a recreation of the Rue de la Paix shopping district.<ref name=Excitement>Template:Cite news</ref> The casino floor also features a replica of the Pont Alexandre III bridge.<ref name=Bright/>

The resort's main sign along the Strip depicts a Montgolfier hot-air balloon, with a diameter of Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The $6 million sign, rising Template:Convert, was designed by Bergman and built by Las Vegas-based Federal Signs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Paris mayor Jean Tiberi was impressed with the project's size and design.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, some French residents expressed pessimism about the project, stating that Paris could not be adequately recreated.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Clear

Features

File:Paris hotel tower (2).jpg
The original 34-story hotel tower

Paris Las Vegas includes a Template:Convert casino.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> To increase foot traffic, a new entrance along the Strip was added in 2003. The project included a new lounge and nightclub known as Risqué,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which closed in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Chateau Nightclub and Gardens opened the following year with Template:Convert of space, including outdoor areas overlooking the Strip.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The original hotel tower is 34 stories,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and includes 2,916 rooms.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Connection/> An $87 million hotel renovation, covering 1,600 rooms, was underway in 2019.<ref name=Jones2019>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2023, it was announced that the 756-room Jubilee tower of the adjacent Horseshoe Las Vegas (formerly Bally's) would be incorporated into Paris Las Vegas as the Versailles tower.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The 26-story Jubilee tower was originally completed in 1981.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A $100 million renovation project was launched to convert the building.<ref name=Yeskel/> Its height would be increased 17 feet with a Parisian-style roof, and a skybridge would connect to the existing Paris tower.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Balconies were also added to rooms on the older tower's west-facing side, overlooking the Fountains of Bellagio.<ref name=Levitan/> The tower conversion was finished in 2024,<ref name=Yeskel>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Levitan>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> bringing the total room count to 3,672.<ref name=Yeskel/>

Restaurants

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File:2012.10.04.170606 Bistro Paris Hotel Las Vegas Nevada.jpg
Patio dining along the Strip at Mon Ami Gabi

Paris Las Vegas opened with 10 restaurants,<ref name=Connection/> 7 of which served French food. Other choices included Chinese, Italian, and Mediterranean.<ref name=True>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Among the original restaurants was Tres Jazz, by businessman Robert L. Johnson. It was the fourth in a chain of restaurants owned by his television channel BET. The restaurant included live jazz music and a television broadcasting the BET on Jazz network. With Tres Jazz, Johnson became the first black person to own a restaurant inside a Strip resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> BET was sold in 2001, and Johnson announced plans to purchase Tres Jazz from the network along with two partners.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They opened a new restaurant later that year, replacing Tres Jazz.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Since the resort's opening, it has also featured Mon Ami Gabi, part of a chain of French bistros.<ref name=True/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Eiffel Tower Restaurant seats 250 people and has long been overseen by French chef Jean Joho.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Chef Gordon Ramsay opened his first Las Vegas restaurant, Gordon Ramsay Steak, at Paris in 2012. It was successful, leading to four other restaurants along the Strip.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Hexx Kitchen & Bar opened in 2015, and includes outdoor dining along the Strip.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The adjacent Hexx Chocolate & Confexxions opened as the first "bean-to-bar" chocolate maker in Nevada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An addition to Hexx Kitchen, Alexxa's Bar, opened three years later.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Beer Park also opened in 2016, featuring food and more than 70 varieties of beer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A revamp of the restaurant offerings was underway in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Vanderpump à Paris, by reality television star Lisa Vanderpump, opened in March 2022, marking her second Strip restaurant.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nobu also opened its second Strip location at Paris a month later.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Other new restaurants included the 194-seat Bedford by Martha Stewart, marking her first restaurant venture. She was involved in the recipes and design, the latter inspired by her 1925 farmhouse in Bedford, New York.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Shows and entertainers

Paris Las Vegas opened with a 1,400-seat performance theater.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The venue has hosted numerous shows, though with minimal success.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Bat/><ref name=Radke23/> Notre-Dame de Paris, a popular musical in England and France, opened at the resort in January 2000. The Las Vegas run received mixed reviews, selling only 130,000 tickets before closing in July 2000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

We Will Rock You, a jukebox musical, opened in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It closed the following year,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as Harrah's sought to revamp the entertainment offerings at the newly purchased resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Producers, a Broadway musical comedy,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ran from 2007 to 2008. To suit the Las Vegas demographic, the show was condensed to 90 minutes, down from the 150-minute Broadway version.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the show's first three months, the cast included actor David Hasselhoff as Roger De Bris, until he departed due to scheduling conflicts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Producers would be the last resident show at Paris until March 2010, when Barry Manilow began a two-year residency.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower at night.jpg
Eiffel Tower light show

The musical Jersey Boys opened in 2012,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and lasted until 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was replaced a year later by Circus 1903, replicating various circus acts from the early 20th century and incorporating life-sized elephant puppets.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although popular elsewhere, the Las Vegas version saw minimal success and concluded its run in January 2018, five months after opening.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Circus 1903 was replaced shortly thereafter by Inferno, a pyrotechnic show starring Joe Labero and others as they performed fire-related stunts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bat Out of Hell: The Musical opened at Paris in September 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Bat>Template:Cite news</ref> Like previous shows at the resort, it closed due to low ticket sales in January 2023.<ref name=Radke23>Template:Cite news</ref>

Aside from the theater, hypnotist Anthony Cools also performed in his own venue at the resort from 2005 to 2020,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and had also opened a topless variety show there in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Jeff Civillico performed a comedy show in the Anthony Cools Showroom from 2017 to 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Until 2006, the resort interior offered free entertainment from various performers, including street musicians, mimes, and living statues.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A free five-minute light show debuted in 2019, illuminating the Eiffel Tower in red, white, and blue. The show, which cost $1.7 million to create, recurs throughout each night.<ref name=Jones2019/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In media

See also

References

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