Bellagio opened on October 15, 1998, replacing the demolished Dunes resort with a new hotel and casino overlooking a large lake. Its European village imagery took its name from Bellagio in Italy. The change was visible from the Strip: the old Dunes pylon and tower gave way to a different arrangement of hotel buildings, water and lakeside public views.
From the Dunes site to a new resort
Steve Wynn’s redevelopment followed the Dunes’ 1993 demolition. MGM’s historical FAQ dates Bellagio construction to May 1996, several years after the earlier resort closed. That interval matters when reading the site: Bellagio was a new development on historic casino ground, rather than the Dunes renovated under an Italian name.
Water on the Strip and on stage
Water also shaped the resort’s entertainment. Cirque du Soleil’s O opened on the same date as Bellagio, October 15, 1998. The aquatic production became a continuing part of the property’s identity, reaching its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2023. The lake outside and the theatre inside offered different ways of making water part of a casino resort’s spectacle.
Corporate change and the Spa Tower
The resort changed after its first opening. MGM’s annual report places the Mirage Resorts acquisition in May 2000 and identifies Bellagio among the acquired properties. A further physical expansion arrived in December 2004, when the Spa Tower opened. The main hotel and later tower belong to different construction phases within one resort.
Renovating the existing resort
Renovations continued inside those buildings. In March 2023, MGM announced a $110 million redesign of Spa Tower rooms and suites after a remodel of more than 2,500 main-tower rooms. The announced designs again drew on northern Italy and Lake Como. This was an update to the existing Bellagio, rather than another resort opening; the announcement’s projected completion date is not treated here as proof of completion.
Real estate and casino operations
The ownership story also requires a distinction. In October 2019, MGM announced an agreement for a Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust joint venture to acquire Bellagio’s real estate and lease it back to an MGM subsidiary. Real-estate ownership and casino operation were separate parts of the arrangement. That dated transaction should not be mistaken for a new name or a closure of Bellagio.
Two resorts, two histories
Nevada’s June 30, 2026 gaming report lists Bellagio as a licensed Strip casino. The modern property and the former Dunes each retain their own history. The retained Dunes photograph shows the earlier resort in 1983; the main illustration presents Bellagio across its lake. Neither is presented as an opening-day view.
