Who Owns Bellagio?

Situated in one of the most legendary areas of the Las Vegas Strip – Paradise, Nevada, the Bellagio is revered as one of the most luxurious, star-studded, and popular 5-star resorts that includes a casino and an extravagant hotel. Its casino and hotel provide nothing short of an opulent and extravagant experience with all sorts of amenities imaginable.

With its magnificent and breathtaking architecture, globally renowned amenities, and unmatched entertainment events, the Bellagio has been attracting millions of local and international visitors e ever since it was founded in 1998.

If you want to know who owns Bellagio, you are certainly in the right place. We’re going to take a comprehensive look into the history and ownership of the hotel and discuss why it is such an iconic attraction in Las Vegas.

The Bellagio was the creation of the brilliant, forward-thinking, and famous casino owner Steve Wynn. Steve Wynn started the project with the sole objective of completely revolutionizing the modern luxury hotel and casino scene in Las Vegas.

The resort itself was designed and developed by the renowned architect Jon Jerde. It was constructed on the site of an older and equally renowned hotel named Dunes Hotel Casino. It didn’t take a lot of time for the Bellagio to become synonymous with high-end sophistication, class, and sheer opulence after its launch in 1998.

Table of Contents

A Look Into The Bellagio’s Extravagant Background

The Bellagio is among the many forerunner real estate owned by MGM Resorts International, which is a world-renowned entertainment conglomerate with a powerful presence in the gaming and hospitality industry of the US. MGM Resorts also owns a series of popular and sought-after casinos, hotels, and resorts not just in Las Vegas but outside the United States as well.

When understanding who owns Bellagio, it is equally important to note that the hotel-casino is also cherished for its grandiose rooms, incredible dining options, and a variety of globally reputed attractions.

Staying at the Bellagio, guests can absolutely lose themselves to a slew of impeccable amenities, extravagant surroundings, and world-class food and entertainment. From the beautiful and awe-inspiring dance of the Fountains of Bellagio to its finest art gallery, the Bellagio isn’t just a luxurious hotel resort. It is a cultural icon.

With its promontory fame in the gaming and hotel industry, the Bellagio stands as a true testament to boundless and peerless luxury and is the go-to destination in Las Vegas, effortlessly surpassing the expectations of its guests.

Who owns Bellagio — Image credit: Antonio Janeski

An Important Glimpse Into the Hotel-Casino’s Ownership History

Over the decades since the hotel’s launch, the Bellagio has gone through several strategic ownership changes and acquisitions. Let’s take a look at its prominent ownership background in a nutshell.

Mirage Resorts

The Bellagio was once under the ownership of Mirage Resorts. This was a company that was founded by the brainchild of the Bellagio, Steve Wynn. It was his company that built the hotel on a location previously home to Dunes Hotel Casino. The Bellagio announced its opening on the 15th of October, 1998.

MGM Resorts International

Just two years after the successful launch of the Bellagio, Steve Wynn’s company, Mirage Resorts, made a deal to sell the hotel resort to MGM Resorts International in 2000. MGM Resorts was and still is considered one of the greatest hospitality and gaming organizations in the world.

This acquisition opened a new chapter in Bellagio’s quest for continuous aesthetic and technological revolution.

Blackstone Inc.

In 2019, Bellagio was acquired by the multinational conglomerate Blackstone Inc. Blackstone Inc. is known as one of the most powerful investment firms in the world, and it has a portfolio of hundreds of companies. The company bought the hotel resort for a whopping $4.25 billion. However, despite the change in ownership, the leadership remains the same. The hotel resort is managed and operated by MGM Resorts International.

Understanding the Mind of the Innovative Entrepreneur and Hoteling Extraordinaire

To know who owns Bellagio, you have to first know the brilliant mind behind the brand. Steve Wynn, known for his immense reputation and prominence in the US casino industry, is the brainchild of the Bellagio.

Wynn started with a vision to completely innovate the modern casino and hoteling scene in the Las Vegas Strip, playing a significant role in the creation of an ultra-luxurious and technologically savvy resort and hotel-casino. He wanted to develop a premier destination that would captivate visitors not just from the US but from all over the world.

Wynn’s dedication and futuristic design contributions, particularly when you talk about the Bellagio, transformed the entire casino industry in Las Vegas. To this day, the Bellagio is known as a hallmark of impeccable design.

An Illustrious Visionary

Now a billionaire, Steve Wynn is still to this day hailed as a revolutionary visionary in the global casino industry. Throughout his trailblazing career, Wynn has played an extraordinary role in transforming the hospitality and gaming landscape of Las Vegas, launching avant-garde hotel and resort concepts while simultaneously evolving luxury hotel-casinos.

Steve Wynn’s benefaction and augmentation of the Bellagio goes beyond the development of the hotel. He singlehandedly and most intricately designed and envisioned the style and concept of the hotel resort. He made sure that each detail was in line with his vision of providing sheer luxury and epic experiences and transcended sophistication in all aspects.

His focus on meticulously laying out the hotel’s design and development, along with his dedication to excellence, made him the torchbearer or the benchmark of modern hotel and casino designs in Las Vegas.

Bellagio’s Instrumental Role in Becoming a Pop-Culture Icon

The Bellagio’s timeless prestige, awe-inspiring design innovation, and sheer elegance have transformed it into something more than just a luxurious hotel-casino on the Las Vega Strip. It transitioned into a cultural icon.

The Bellagio has been the venue of choice for Hollywood film producers and has appeared in several blockbuster movies, such as Ocean’s Eleven, starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney. In the movie, you can see the hotel in all its pristine glory. It was a top choice to pick the hotel as background for the film.

It allowed the world to witness the beautiful architectural prominence, captivating the essence of Las Vegas’s hotel and casino culture.

Changes in Ownership Since Its Founding

When understanding who owns Bellagio, it is important to note that the hotel, in 2019, witnessed a change in ownership. In a deal estimated to be over $4 billion, primo investment firm Blackstone Inc bought the hotel-casino. However, the management and supervision of the hotel day to day-to-day operations were decided to be placed in the hands of MGM Resorts.

MGM Resorts International’s Lease Arrangement

Before Blackstone, the Bellagio was acquired by MGM Resorts International, a premier hospitality and entertainment organization in the US. However, even since Blackstone’s acquisition, MGM Resort has retained management control over the hotel. This was made possible thanks to a lease agreement.

It was a win-win situation for both companies as MGM Resort had the infrastructure and marketing expertise to run the hotel while Blackstone focused on continuously propelling the hotel to the future.

Bottom Line

The Bellagio, with its long-standing reputation and interesting history, is the result of one man’s innovative foresight and vision, Steve Wynn. Since its launch, the hotel has retained its position and reputation as the top-most luxurious hotel in Las Vegas.

References & more information