Bellagio finishes first phase of hotel room upgrades

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Bellagio is the latest Las Vegas hotel to have undergone major renovations.

The resort recently finished the first phase of a $70 million room upgrade, making 500 renovated rooms available for reservations. By mid-December, the luxury hotel plans to have fully renovated more than 2,500 guest rooms in its main tower.

Created by MGM Resorts International design group, the new rooms follow three different designs and color schemes -- the resort king rooms feature indigo and silver or green tea and plum, while the resort queen rooms feature an amber and butterscotch motif.

The rooms are listed as deluxe resort rooms on the Bellagio's website. MGM Resorts spokeswoman Stacy Hamilton said there was a $30 premium to "guarantee you get one of the new rooms now."

Rates for a stay in one of the upgraded rooms during August and September start at $209.

In a statement, Bellagio said the upgraded rooms include new luxury features from a cashmere-covered mattress to 40-inch mounted flat-screen televisions. The rooms also provide 60 percent greater energy efficiency along with organic wool carpeting and eucalyptus furniture.

The guest rooms in the main tower at the Bellagio have not been renovated since 2004, she said. The spa tower and the hotel suites, which were remodeled four years ago, are not part of the multimillion-dollar upgrade.

Bellagio's renovations follow several other Strip hotels that have undergone major upgrades within the last year, including Tropicana Las Vegas, Wynn Las Vegas and the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower.

For example, owners of the Tropicana have spent almost $200 million to redesign the facade, remodel the rooms and open new restaurants and other attractions.