A massive blue building on the Las Vegas strip is no longer an eyesore.
Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened at midnight Thursday.
Construction on the hotel began in 2007. However, financial troubles caused delays and changes in ownership. Many in Las Vegas wondered whether the hotel would ever be completed. It sat nearly 70% complete for about a decade.
Now, the building is back in the hands of the original owners, the Soffer family, who also own the iconic Fontainebleau location in Miami. It took about a year to complete the remaining 30% of the property.
"It is a great move; people know about the Fontainebleau. It will attract their attention; if it opened as the grand something or other, it might not relate to many people," said historian Paul George. "Everybody has heard of the Fontainebleau."
Celebrities showed up in droves for the midnight grand opening, including Tom Brady, Cher, Justin Timberlake and the stars of "Breaking Bad."
"It's absolutely insane," Aaron Paul said. "I mean, look at this place ... I didn't know chandeliers could be that big."
The resort features more than 3,600 hotel rooms and nearly 200,000 square-feet of casino floor.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Las Vegas.
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