DEC. 3 UPDATE: On Saturday, Zhang Zhun from China, was among the crowd of spectators at the Grand Opening for the Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
NOV. 19 UPDATE: The doors to the Lucky Dragon have opened to the public earlier than expected and people didn't waste any time heading to the casino.
NOV. 18 UPDATE: The Lucky Dragon is opening to the general public on Nov. 19. It is a soft opening. The grand opening is not until Dec. 3.
The hotel-casino is the first new-build on or near the Las Vegas Strip since The Cosmopolitan opened in 2010.
ORIGINAL STORY
The Lucky Dragon is getting closer to its opening date and a very important piece was installed over the last two weeks.
A 1.25-ton glass dragon chandelier was hung over the center bar of the Asian-themed casino just off of the Las Vegas Strip.
Designed and constructed by Preciosa Lighting in the world famous Crystal Valley region of the Czech Republic, the chandelier was formed at the hands of Bohemian Crystal Alchemists who have been preserving the tradition and perfecting the craft of glass sculpture since 1724. The process, which began in May of 2015, was helped along by the hands of nearly 800 craftsmen.
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Facts about the dragon chandelier:
- 800 employees of Preciosa Lighting worked 12 40-hour weeks to construct the chandelier
- 288 hand-blown glass orbs surround the dragon and make up the entire chandelier
- The dragon is nearly 15 feet tall and the overall height of the sculpture is 23 feet
- The are 762 individualized glass scales on the body of the dragon
- The dragon traveled approximately 7,000 miles from Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic to Las Vegas
The Lucky Dragon is the first casino resort in Las Vegas that was designed from the ground up to create an authentic Asian cultural and gaming experience.
The nine-story hotel has 203 rooms, including 22 suites. The 27,500-square-foot casino places an emphasis on table games such as Baccarat and Pai Gow and has a high-limit gaming area known as the Emerald Room and a luxurious VIP gaming parlor. In addition, the property has an oasis garden escape with pool, a spa with four treatment rooms, an indoor-outdoor tea garden featuring an extensive list of tea curated by Las Vegas' only tea sommelier, 5 Asian-themed restaurants, and staff and signage to accommodate guests from throughout Asia as well as English-speaking guests.
The resort will open on Dec. 3. It is now accepting reservations through its website.
