What Idiot Came up with Grandstands Blocking the Bellagio Fountains?

I read about the grandstands in front of the Bellagio fountains for the Formula 1 race in VitalVegas yesterday. I agree with Scott Roeben that these grandstands are an abomination. The fountains are the most beautiful (free) show on the Strip, and these idiots are going to hide them with bleachers. Surely someone could think of a better way?

In his VitalVegas blog post, Scott Roeben opines, "Are casinos so enamored by the financial windfall of F1 they’re willing to desecrate a beloved attraction, the Bellagio fountains, that’s been photographed by millions of tourists for decades and inspired millions more to visit Sin City?"

He continues, "Adding to the sheer stupidity of this eye-assaulting grandstand idea is the fact it doesn’t benefit Bellagio as the stands are facing the other way, toward Paris and Planet Hollywood and Bally’s/Horseshoe, all owned by Caesars Entertainment, a competitor. And don’t get us started about the fact Bellagio hotel guests won’t be able to see the race from their rooms (it will be obscured by the grandstand), presumably one of the reasons they’ll be paying an ungodly premium for a room at that time."

We know and like Scott and find ourselves agreeing with his take on all things Vegas more often than not (though we could argue that he sometimes crosses the line between humor and a little too much cynicism). But in this case, unless it's the greatest piece of sarcasm we've seen lately, we have to respectfully disagree with him, as well as the valued QoD correspondent who submitted this question.

In fact, we're surprised by this sentiment about the grandstand.

Bellagio opened on October 15, 1998, which means that the hundreds of millions of tourists who've visited Las Vegas between now and then have had 24 years, one month, and 18 days (but who's counting?) to enjoy and photograph the fountains. And hundreds of millions more will have even longer to do so after the Las Vegas Grand Prix has come and gone next November.

Furthermore, anyone in Las Vegas a little before, during, and a little after the race who isn't there for the race has either just emerged from under a rock or failed an intelligence test. They'll be paying through the freakin' nose for those Bellagio hotel rooms, along with rooms all over Las Vegas, and who -- except people with way more money than brains -- would do that if they weren't there for the race?

So we feel fairly confident in saying that everyone sitting in those Bellagio bleachers will be none the worse for wear by having their backs to the fountains and, instead, focusing on the Boulevard in front of them as the Grand Prix race cars zoom and roar by at 200 miles an hour -- for the 50 laps of the race.

Meanwhile, anyone paying for a room at Bellagio will almost certainly have purchased the room-race-ticket package, so the room is the last place they'll want to be, Strip view or no Strip view. Many will no doubt be sitting in those grandstands, so for the life of us, we can't see where anyone could consider them a bad idea, let alone "sheer stupidity." Sheer stupidity, in our opinion, would be if the grandstands faced the fountains, so that people who paid in the thousands for room-and-race packages could see the waters dance, for the millionth time, to Bing Crosby's Thanksgiving song, "I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful for," rather than what they came for, the Grand Prix.

Money is the name of the F1 game and those grandstand seats are worth millions upon millions to MGM Resorts and Formula 1 while they're sitting at center Strip. So to answer Scott's question, who in the world would ever doubt that the casinos are "so enamored by the financial windfall of F1 that they might desecrate the beloved fountains" – or almost anything else for that matter – to profit from the largest event in the history of the city? It’s a Strip casino, after all.

What's next? Keep Las Vegas Boulevard open on New Year's Eve, so the poor poor visiting souls won't be thwarted -- thwarted! -- in their deepest and most devout desire to cruise the Strip in their cars on that particular night?

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Comments

Hoppy Nov-22-2022

Not so fast

What about the shade trees? Your whole response rides on the grandstands being temporary - 'for the 50 laps of the race'. The grandstand 'area' won't be temporary. It will be left with as few trees as a LIV golf tournament.

John Nov-22-2022

Wow!

Calling Roeben out!  The snark will run like blood in the streets!

rokgpsman Nov-22-2022

F1 race is about as exciting as a soccer match

The person's name that came up with the grandstand idea? 
That would be Mr Max Profit of course, he makes most of the decisions in Las Vegas these days. To be fair, most auto races have elevated seating so more spectators can see the cars zip by. Otherwise the folks standing a few rows back in the crowd wouldn't get much of a view. In any case, they'll only see the cars for a few seconds each lap due to the speed. It's a late nite event in Nov, might be chilly. The race itself could take less than 90 minutes since it's only 50 laps, each lap is 4 miles long. Maybe they'll leave the streetside trees alone so they can block a racecar or tire from careening into the fountain if an accident occurs.

Vegas Fan Nov-22-2022

F1

Provided they take them down afterward I guess they won't be too bad.
Also, don't ask/tell lva anything you don't especially want to be a qod.

Dave_Miller_DJTB Nov-22-2022

Rendering

I'm surprised that the picture of the rendering wasn't included in the QOD reply. It's all over the internet and social media. One of the questions it raised is the fate of the trees.

In the rendering, the first row of seating is a good twenty feet up, with a walkway and vendors underneath. It may be high enough that it is above the trees but blocking the fountains.

The Mirage Volcano is rumored to be eliminated in the Hard Rock conversion. The F1 committee has requested that the volcano remain at least until after the first F1 race, to be a nice backdrop to the race.

Wouldn't the F1 committee prefer the more iconic Bellagio fountains?

Regardless of the fate of the volcano, wouldn't the Mirage want its own grandstand on its property, thereby blocking a view of the volcano? At least the Bellagio fountains shoot water higher than the top of the grandstand.

View aside, wouldn't TI, Caesars, Cosmo, Park MGM and NYNY also want grandstands? What about the other side?

VegasVic Nov-22-2022

Roeben

He's a paid shill.  Always has been. The anti LVA

Luis Nov-22-2022

Grandstand ja.

I would rather see water dance to the music of Sinatra, Elvis, etc, than sit in an uncomfortable siting area watching a bunch of cars go by every so often, obstructing the waterfalls of Bellagio.

Lotel Nov-22-2022

all fake

Its for a  lot of rich people that will pretend they are F1 race fans. while they look at the Fake Paris, Fake Eiffel Tower, Fake Elvis , Show girls, Fake Volcano. Fake  etc, etc, rich Suckers.  and it looks like the race will start at 10pm.  enjoy that or fall asleep watching

Kevin Lewis Nov-22-2022

The real abomination...

...is that whenever the Grunk vs. Thog World Thickweight Championship, or the annual Nun Beating Festival, or the Association of Blind Proctologists convention is in town, EVERYBODY pays quadruple room rates, whether or not they have any interest in those events or the place they stay has any access to or anything to do with them. I wanted to stay at the El Cortez and was quoted $399 a night--the El Cortez!--and when I asked why, was told the Electric Dildo Carnival was in town. It's something I would have run screaming from rather than attended, but I would still have had to pay a huge premium.

DwWashburn9 Nov-22-2022

Just a puff of wind

I've dined at a restaurant at the Bellagio that had outdoor dining facing the fountains.  It was a windy night and every time a gust of wind came up during the water show we got wet. Can't imagine sitting in seats that cost thousands of dollars in the November cold and then be doused by the windblown fountain.

Sandra Ritter Nov-22-2022

I don't get it

Formula 1 is coming to Chicago too. I don't understand wasting time or money on that. What is the big deal?

Roy Furukawa Nov-22-2022

F1

I am a Formula 1 fan and follow the races all season. Lots of car tech have come from F1 like traction control, adjustable suspensions, paddle shift dual clutch gearboxes, etc. It is more of a European sport, but these are still the best race cars and they don’t just go in around an oval.

[email protected] Nov-22-2022

Perfect Answer AC

As the dudes on the HomeBoy Shopping Network said all the time..Mo money..Mo money Mo money. The casino/hotels are maximizing revenue period...end of story.

O2bnVegas Nov-22-2022

why not?

It won't block the view of fountains from those rooms, right?  Try it and see how it goes.  If everyone hates it, fine, never again.  But I'm betting it will be a winner.

Candy

David Miller Nov-22-2022

Don't Get It

 I will never understand the attraction people have for these kind of races. And to host one in Vegas, shutting down the strip, gouging people for the privilege of sitting on bleacher seats - I don't get it.

rocks2oldies Nov-22-2022

Racing on the Strip

All these car races are for the immature that never grew up, so they can puff their chests in an effort to show who the badazz is.  So dumb and a waste of money.  Not everyone is into racing.  It's boring, boring, boring.  Besids, sitting in the stands guarantees you won't see anything.  Just as bad as standing along the sides.  This should be done out where the Las Vegas Speedway is, not in the middle of town.  Good luck to all those who go.  I won't be there, thank God!

Raymond Nov-23-2022

Grandstands

I don't think there's enough room to put up a grandstand at another point along the Strip part of the race route except in front of Caesars'.  Certainly there isn't by the Cosmo, Paris, and Cromwell up to Harrah's.  NYNY and Park are south of the race route IIRC.

David Miller--At least half of the "appeal" of F1 is to people who want to be seen there and to be able to say they were there.  Hanging with the "pretty people" rather than having a life of their own.  I find F1 to be better technology and worse racing than NASCAR.

Question of the Day - 22 November 2022

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