Venetian, Palazzo offer holiday sparkle with Venice festival

Yes, Virginia, that is an ice rink in front of The Venetian.

And a holiday tree. And strolling carolers and giant snowflakes and a certain seasonal attitude in the air.

Though Las Vegas is in the midst of its annual slow period, when visitor levels drop and room rates dip, John Caparella hopes the hotel-casino's winter spectacular will set a precedent on the Strip.

"We wanted to do something very big that would draw people in," says Caparella, president of The Venetian and Palazzo. "We think what we're going to do is ... build traditions that people will want to participate in."

The two hotel-casinos kicked off the Winter in Venice holiday celebration Monday night when an "angel" lit the 65-foot-tall tree, signaling the beginning of 49 days full of holiday festivities. At the heart of the attraction are the tree, made of 60,000 light-emitting diodes, and an outdoor ice-skating rink that isn't made of ice.

Knowing that this is a softer time of year, Caparella thought a holiday-related festival would attract visitors who might not come during December or early January.

"I think we're going to create some memorable events that people will want to participate in annually," Caparella says. "This isn't just a one-year event."

The attraction is based on what Caparella and his team imagined an old-time winter in Venice might have been like. They came up with a scene in which people ice skate while strolling entertainers and stilt-walkers on candy-cane stilts roam about, interacting with guests. Hot apple cider and hot cocoa are handed out while carolers sing. Every night at
6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30, a tree-lighting ceremony takes place, followed up by a laser light show set to music.

It's a good idea, says Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter. Over the years, various Strip resorts have hosted similar holiday attractions. Caesars Palace used to freeze the fountains in front of the property and allow ice skating. The Hard Rock Hotel once offered ice skating at "the Hard Rockerfeller Center." Excalibur was known to do a big holiday-related attraction, while the Rio once made a point of erecting the tallest Christmas tree in town. Many hotels decorate for the winter holidays but few are as elaborate as the Winter in Venice extravaganza.

"There's always been someone who stepped up and did something. And they came and went," Curtis says. "They're picking up the slack where there's an opening to do that kind of production."

Dana Beatty, floral and horticulture director for The Venetian and Palazzo, researched holiday decorations on the Strip to help in designing the tree and other displays. To her knowledge, nothing this big has ever been done on the Strip. There's Bellagio's display in its conservatory and botanical gardens, which features complex floral designs and thousands of flowers, but it's indoors. Conservatory workers were scheduled to begin installing the winter display today.

Beatty says it took 30 people seven days to construct the tree, which weighs 15,000 pounds. Smaller versions of the LED tree are in front of the Palazzo. Giant snowflakes adorn The Venetian's facade, some measuring 72 inches in diameter.

The ice rink is made out of a synthetic material and doesn't require refrigeration or electricity, making it ecofriendly, says Kim Grange, vice president of facilities for the two resorts. A water-soluble product coats the top of the rink, making it feel as though you are skating on ice, Grange says.

The rink is approximately 32 feet by 75 feet and weighs about 3,200 pounds. It was assembled with big butcher blocks of the synthetic ice, creating one solid, flat surface. It took 10 to 15 team members working six days a week over three weeks to construct the rink.

Both hotel-casinos are offering room packages during the Winter in Venice festival. One package at the Palazzo features "elves" who tuck guests in and deliver milk and cookies. That's $249 per night. Both resorts are offering in-suite Christmas Eve and Hanukkah packages complete with decorated Christmas trees and seasonal decor. Those cost $200 in addition to the room rate, which varies.

Before the Sands was imploded to make way for The Venetian, it was known to do over-the-top displays and attractions, Curtis says. Now, it seems that The Venetian has come full circle.

"The job of every one of these things is to draw attention to your resort," Curtis says. "When people look at something they tend to say, 'Let's go see what it's about.' I think it will be cool if (Winter in Venice) does its job."

For more information on Winter in Venice, visit venetian.com or palazzo.com.

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4564. Follow @StripSonya on Twitter.