We put your question to Dawn Britt, communications director for the Venetian and Palazzo. She replied, "The Venezia tower is fully operational and open to the public … Offers from The Venetian are redeemable for stays in the Venezia tower."
However, in June 2009, the "Five Hundy by Midnight" Web site reported, "customers are no longer able to book rooms in the Venezia Tower online or by calling the reservation line … A friendly Venetian reservations rep told me Venezia rooms are still available but only from The Venetian’s casino marketing department or Expedia." A Five Hundy reader chimed in to say that a Venetian reservation agent told him/her that Venezia rooms were set aside for members of the casino’s Club Grazie loyalty program. Another Internet user found that, if one used the Chinese-language link atop the reservations, you could book Venezia rooms without any difficulty – another indication that they were being sequestered for premium players.
A bit of history: Sheldon Adelson always intended to build the Venetian in two large-scale phases. Phase II, also known as the "Lido," eventually morphed into what is now Palazzo. However, between the $1.5 billion Venetian’s 1999 opening and the late-2008 debut of Palazzo, there were several fallow years when the casino’s financial performance – and, after 9/11, the tourism market – didn’t warrant a second full-fledged tower. During the decade in which Phase II was in constant on/off fluctuation, Venetian ownership devised what might be called Phase I.5.
This was the Venezia, a relatively low-cost ($275 million) addition which, because it was built atop an existing parking garage, did not add to the property’s footprint, despite increasing the resort’s room inventory by 1,013 suites. Perks for Venezia guests included dedicated concierge and check-in facilities, a wedding chapel and easy access to Bouchon, a Thomas Keller-helmed fine-dining establishment embedded in the tower’s pool deck. The hybrid facility known as Venezia opened to the public in late June 2003.
