Giada De Laurentiis in Las Vegas to open

More details have emerged on one of the most buzzed-about hotels to open on the Las Vegas strip, which will be headlined by celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis. After months of anticipation, boutique hotel The Cromwell is now taking reservations for stays beginning on May 21. Parisian-inspired, ornate black railings snake through the hotel while windows are framed with black awnings and grand crystal chandeliers hang suspended from barrel-vaulted ceilings. All of the 188 rooms are also made to evoke the City of Light with hardwood flooring and vintage, trunk-style furnishings. Meanwhile, the star attraction for the hotel will be the opening of celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis's first restaurant, Giada, which will serve traditional Italian dishes. Located on the second floor, the restaurant will have a seating capacity of 260 guests which will include an outdoor dining area and feature automatic retractable windows that offer sweeping views of Las Vegas landmarks like the Bellagio fountains, Caesars Palace, and Bally’s Grand Bazaar Shops. In keeping with her signature California-influenced Italian cuisine, Giada will serve fresh, lighter versions of traditional Italian favorites. Signature dishes include lemon spaghetti, eggplant rollatini, marsala herb chicken meatballs, vegetable Bolognese rigatoni and lemon ricotta cookies. The open kitchen concept will also allow guests to watch as chefs prepare fresh pasta, breads and desserts, while the restaurant will bring the first antipasto station to the Strip. The restaurant is set to open at the end of May, during Memorial Day weekend. The Cromwell opens in what used to be Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon and is a $185 million renovation. In addition to 40,000 square feet of casino space (3,716 square meters), the hotel will feature the Strip’s only rooftop pool deck and beach club, Drai’s, sprawled across 65,000 square feet (6,039 square meters) lined with towering palm trees and individual cabanas. Another highly anticipated Las Vegas hotel opening for 2014 is the SLS Las Vegas (formerly The Sahara), a massive 1,600-room resort and casino that will be headlined by The Bazaar, helmed by celebrity chef José Andrés, and a Fred Segal retail boutique. The SLS Las Vegas is set to open in September. And the Delano Las Vegas, the newest addition to the Mandalay Bay Resort Complex, will also open in the fall and feature 1,100 suites. Source: Relaxnews