Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Cosmopolitan features 3,027 hotel rooms,[7][8] many of which feature their own private terrace; a 110,000 sq ft (10,000 m²) casino; 300,000 sq ft (28,000 m²) of retail and restaurant space; a 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m²) spa and fitness facility; a 3,200-seat theater; and 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m²) of meeting and convention space. The Cosmopolitan's 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m²) casino features views of the Las Vegas Strip. The Pools at the Cosmopolitan features three different types: a relaxing pool, day club pool and nightclub pool.

The Cosmopolitan is also home to the Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub, which was the top grossing nightclub in the United States in 2012.[9] In January 2014, the Cosmopolitan added a new nightclub concept, Rose. Rabbit. Lie.

Cosmopolitan lobby

Plans for the property were first announced in April 2004.[10] The developer, 3700 Associates, was a joint venture formed by David Friedman (a former Las Vegas Sands executive), Ian Bruce Eichner (a real estate developer), and Soros Fund Management.[10] The developers purchased the site, an 8.5-acre U-shaped parcel surrounding the Jockey Club timeshare building, for $90 million from a company controlled by New Frontier owner Margaret Elardi.[10] Further details about the project, including the Cosmopolitan name, were released in November 2004.[11]

The Cosmopolitan's design team was led by Friedmutter Group as executive architect, with Arquitectonica as the design architect for the building's themed exterior. The building was engineered by DeSimone Consulting Engineers. The interior design team included Digital Kitchen, Prophet, the Friedmutter Group, The Rockwell Group, Jeffrey Beers, Adam Tihany, and Bentel & Bentel.

The resort was built on what used to be the parking lot for the Jockey Club. Because the Cosmopolitan occupies much of the parking lot, it was agreed that the Club residents could use part of the Cosmopolitan's parking garage.

The Cosmopolitan was the second Las Vegas hotel, after The Palazzo, to feature an underground parking garage underneath the hotel. As a result, the parking garage was built first. In December 2007, work finished on the 70-foot (21 m) hole for the parking structure, while other foundation work remained in progress. The hotel was originally planned to open and be operated by Hyatt as the Grand Hyatt Las Vegas.

Original plans called for the casino to be on the second floor, but this was later changed and the casino was built on ground level, like most other Las Vegas hotel-casinos. Planned condo units were cancelled and replaced with studios and other hotel rooms.[12]

In January 2008, it was reported that the $3.9 billion project faced financial complications, as Eichner's company defaulted on a $760 million construction loan from Deutsche Bank when the developer missed a payment after failing to secure refinancing for the project. Construction moved forward as the developers searched for new financing. In late February 2008, Global Hyatt Corporation and New York-based Marathon Asset Management agreed to recapitalize the condominium-hotel project.[13] However, one month later the developer said Deutsche Bank AG would begin foreclosure proceedings.[14] They bought the hotel for $1 billion during the summer and hired The Related Cos., developers of Time Warner Center in New York, to re-position the asset, manage the development process and assist in leasing the retail and restaurant collection.[15][16] Related recommended many revisions, including bringing the casino entrance onto the strip.[17]

In June 2008, Hearst filed a trademark suit against the owners of the casino. Hearst owns the trademark to Cosmopolitan magazine. In March 2010, the suit was settled, and the resort was renamed Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.[2]

In August 2008, it was announced that MGM Mirage, Starwood, Hyatt and Hilton Worldwide were in talks to acquire the property.[18] It was speculated that MGM Mirage would integrate the project into Bellagio and CityCenter; Starwood were to establish its W Hotels and St. Regis Hotels brands; and Hyatt would have continued with its plans to operate a Grand Hyatt. In April 2009, the Sun reported that the hotel would be managed by Hilton and would become the Hilton's first in their new Denizen hotel line.[19] Later that month, however, those plans changed; Starwood sued Hilton, claiming trade-secret theft and essentially killing the Denizen brand.[16]

In June 2009, 400 homeowners filed a lawsuit against the developers, claiming breach of contract and seeking refunds for their deposits. They believed that the projected finish date of June 2010 was unrealistic and expressed fear that the developers might turn the condo rooms into hotel rooms only or "finish the building as a shell and not do any interior work."[16]

In April 2010, it was announced that the Cosmopolitan would open in stages, beginning in December and ending in July 2011. It was the only hotel-casino to open on the Strip in 2010. The project officially opened on December 15, 2010, and became part of Marriott International's Autograph Collection, a collection of independent hotels with access to Marriott's reservation and rewards system. In January 2014, the Cosmopolitan announced that points through their Identity rewards program could be redeemed at 3,800 of Marriott's properties.[20]

In May 2014, the Cosmopolitan was sold by Deutsche Bank to Blackstone Group for $1.73 billion.[21]

The July 2015 fire at the Cosmopolitan, seen from the rooftop terrace of Marriott's Grand Chateau. The picture was taken twenty minutes after the fire was reported.

On July 25, 2015, a fire broke out on the pool deck of the resort, burning trees and cabanas, and sending plumes of smoke into the air. Two people were treated for smoke inhalation as a result of the blaze, including one person who was transported to a local hospital.[22] The cause of the fire was not immediately known.[23]

In March 2010, the casino announced several celebrity chefs and restaurants that would open there.[24] Included were Bruce and Eric Bromberg's Blue Ribbon, Costas Spiliadis' Estiatorio Milos, Scott Conant's Scarpetta, and David Myers' Comme Ça, which has been shuttered and replaced with other dining options.

On May 2, the resort announced that José Andrés would be joining the resort with three restaurants, creating his namesake restaurant, "é by José Andrés", and one based on his tapas restaurant, Jaleo. Another restaurant, China Poblano, is a new concept combining Mexican and Chinese cuisine.

Additional restaurants include: D.O.C.G. a restaurant and wine bar by Scott Conant; Holstein's, a specialty burger restaurant. Also, STK, a steakhouse by Todd Mark Miller; along with The Henry, Va Bene Caffè, and Wicked Spoon.[25] The Cosmopolitan also gained the restaurant Eggslut in 2011, following success in their Grand Central Market location in Los Angeles. Starbucks also opened a location in the hotel in 2015 with direct access to the strip.

The addition of a modern supper club called Rose, Rabbit, Lie was added in 2015. The club offers chic meals, live entertainment and specialty drinks.[26]

In 2018 several new restaurants were added at the hotel at Block 16 Urban Food Hall, a collection of grab and go or counter style speciality restaurants. Hattie B's family restaurant based in Nashville, TN opened a casual, counter service style serving a southern flair called Hattie B's Hot Chicken.[27] Pok Pok Wing Chef Andy Ricker comes via the Portland site serving Asian style foods.[28]

Chef and owner Christina Tosi added a Milk Bar serving desserts and stacks and follow the same format as her stores in New York City, Toronto and Washington, D.C.[29]

Currently the production troop Spiegelworld is performing the show Opium. This is an adults-only show that takes place on a spaceship called OPM 73 with a destination of Uranus. The crew performs several acts of unique feats and super human abilities loosely tied together while on the journey. The audience sits around a stage that elevates and falls throughout the performance and solicits participation from select members of the audience. There is a bar available prior to the start of the show and there are no intermissions during the performance.[30] Spiegelworld also performs the show Absinthe at Caesars Palace.

In April 2011, Cosmopolitan security staff allegedly removed a transgender guest named Stephanie from a women's restroom, photographed her, and said that she would be banned for life if she did not leave the premises. Shortly after the incident, the hotel-casino was flooded with complaints on its Facebook page, which prompted the hotel-casino to issue an apology to the transgender community and to Stephanie that they would "welcome her back to the resort anytime." The incident also prompted the hotel-casino to train its staff on awareness initiatives involving the sensitive issue.[31]

In May 2019, the tabloid news website TMZ reported an incident between Meek Mill and the hotel claiming he was racially discriminated against while trying to enter the hotel's nightclub. Mr. Mill's lawyer sent a demand letter stating in part, "... we have learned that the Cosmopolitan maintains a list of African American recording artists who should be denied access for no other reason than their culture and skin color. Such course of conduct constitutes discrimination per se, in violation of state and federal law, and exposes you to significant monetary damages." The letter goes on -- "...we urge you to promptly issue an apology to Mr. Williams and grant him immediate access. In the event you fail to heed this one and only warning, we intend to pursue all legal recourse against you." [32] The hotel later apologized[33] stating "we (the hotel) did not act in a respectful manner and were wrong" and confirmed a zero tolerance for discrimination.

• The Cosmopolitan was the setting for The Killers music video for "Shot at the Night".[34]
• The Cosmopolitan was the setting for Top Chef Masters Season 4.[35]

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  Casino floor at the Cosmopolitan
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  Night view from the east side.
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  Cosmopolitan construction as seen from Caesars Palace
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  The Cosmopolitan nearing completion in March 2010
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  The street front view from across the Strip
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  Viewed from the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower
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  Night view

• Autograph Collection Hotels
• List of tallest buildings in Las Vegas

• 'Cosmo says hello: Guests see model of condo-hotel', Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal, October 26, 2005.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

• Official website