Caesars Palace, which will mark its 50th anniversary next year, is spending nearly four times the original cost to renovate the building's first hotel tower.

A $75 million renovation of the 587-room Roman Tower began this month, which will include a renaming of the Julius Tower.

When the late Jay Sarno opened Caesar Palace on Aug. 5, 1966, the hotel's first guests stayed at the Roman Tower. The tower cost $19 million.

The rooms will be upgraded and modernized and will welcome their first guests on Jan. 1. The renovation is expected to be completed by April.

"As we welcome our landmark golden anniversary, we continue to recreate Rome and Las Vegas," Caesars Palace President Gary Selesner said in a statement.

The rooms designed by KNA Design will include new interiors, upgraded furniture and bathroom fixtures, and stylish designs.

"We set the bar for luxury when we first opened nearly 50 years ago and we are proud to continue to raise the bar for excellence in every way," Selesner said.

Smaller than flawless openings

In 1966, the opening of Caesars Palace, then Streep's most elaborate resort, did not go without a hitch.

As mentioned in Sarno's biography of David G. Schwartz's "Grandissimo - The First Emperor of Las Vegas," work was still being completed in his room when about 2,000 guests, including Hollywood celebrities, local dignitaries, state and local politicians, arrived for the opening ceremony.

"Some guests would still check in to find hard-working carpenters and plumbers, while others would have to wait outside their rooms while the crew was laying down carpets," wrote Schwartz, director of UNLV's Game Research Center. "One visitor starlet was surprised when a group of workers 'accidentally' stormed in as she was changing into a bikini."

According to Schwartz's book, Sarno financed the construction of Caesars Palace with a loan from the Teamsters Pension Fund. Jimmy Hoffa, the chairman of the Teamsters at the time, attended the opening night celebration, but left without staying in his suite for a night. The room was given to a young businessman named Steve Wynn, who came to Las Vegas to pay off his late father's debt.

Caesars Palace is the company's only strip resort included in the bankruptcy of Caesars Entertainment Operations Company, Caesars Entertainment's largest operating division. The company owns nine properties on or near the strip.

CEOC hopes to eliminate $10 billion of the department's debt by converting it into a real estate investment trust. In addition to Caesars Palace, CEOC owns Caesars Atlantic City, Reno in Hara, and more than a dozen local properties.  슬롯사이트 순위