<P> The Venetian resort complex is (together with the adjacent Sands Expo Convention Center and The Palazzo Hotel and Casino Resort) the world's second - largest hotel, with 4,049 rooms, 3,068 suites ranging in price from $169 to $10,000 per night and a 120,000 - square - foot (11,000 m) casino . Since its opening, The Venetian Macao is the largest casino in the world, trumping The Venetian, Las Vegas . </P> <P> In April 1996, Sheldon Adelson announced plans to create on the property the largest resort on the Strip . This project would be situated on the former Sands property . 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 . Groundbreaking for the hotel began on April 14, 1997 . </P> <P> The resort opened on May 3, 1999, with flutter of white doves, sounding trumpets and singing gondoliers, with actress Sophia Loren joining The Venetian Chairman and Owner, Sheldon G. Adelson, in dedicating the first motorized gondola . Built at a cost of $1.5 billion, it was one of the most expensive resorts of its kind when it opened . </P> <P> On June 27, 2003, the 1,013 - room Venezia Tower opened . It was built on top of the garage parking lot . </P>

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