LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The excitement of Resort World's grand opening Thursday night has carried over to Friday - the first full day open - as many tourists and locals are getting the chance to see the property for the first time.
"I think it's the future," said LJ Glenn Jr. who went to the party Thursday night and was heading back Friday.
At 117,000 square feet, Resorts World has a presence.
"The hotel feels like a hotel airport because it's so big," said Cameron Tyagi, who also went to the grand opening Thursday.
Inside, the old ways of gambling are reimagined with cashless wagering at table games and slot machines. There are also more than 40 restaurant and bar options and a 5.5-acre pool area.
"I'm telling you $4.3 billion they spent on this hotel," said Tyagi. "Most expensive hotel they've built. They have something special for sure."
For longtime locals like Richard Killian, the excitement over the new comes with a bit of nostalgia for the past.
"It's going to be the biggest bang on the Strip," Killian said. "It's a great replacement for the Stardust. The Stardust was an evolution that we watched from our bedroom window. It came down and this went up."
Killian and his wife live just two blocks away. They moved from Tahoe 52 years ago so he could be part of the grand opening of another resort-casino - The International, which became the Hilton Las Vegas, now the Westgate. Killian worked in the slot machine repair shop.
For a town that's always evolving, Resorts World is the newest...for now.
"In the early '60s, there were about 80,000 people here maybe. Now we got over 2.2 million," he said. "Amazing."
Resorts World will open new parts of its property over the next several months. Miley Cyrus will perform at the dayclub on July 4 and the first residencies will begin in November.
