On June 27, 2003, the 1,013-room Venezia Tower opened. Built at a cost of $1.5 billion, it was one of the most expensive resorts of its kind when it opened. Actress Sophia Loren joined Adelson, the chairman and owner, in dedicating the first motorized gondola. The resort opened on May 3, 1999, with flutter of white doves, sounding trumpets and singing gondoliers. Groundbreaking for the hotel began on April 14, 1997. On November 26, 1996, eight years after it was purchased by the owners of The Interface Group-Adelson, Richard Katzeff, Ted Cutler, Irwin Chafetz and Jordan Shapiro, the Sands Hotel was imploded to make way for The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. This project would be situated on the former Sands property. In April 1996, Sheldon Adelson announced plans to create the largest resort on the Strip. The Venetian-Palazzo complex includes the world's second-largest hotel, with 4,049 rooms, 3,068 suites and a 120,000-square-foot (11,000 m 2) casino. The Venetian resort complex includes the adjacent Palazzo resort and The Venetian Convention and Expo Center center, as well as the upcoming MSG Sphere at The Venetian. The Venetian is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Apollo Global Management.
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Designed by KlingStubbins, the hotel tower contains 36 stories and rises 475 feet (145 m). The Venetian Las Vegas is a luxury hotel and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States, on the site of the old Sands Hotel.