Published Tuesday, May 19, 2020 | 10:39 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, May 19, 2020 | 12:18 p.m.
The Venetian is taking hotel reservations for stays starting June 1, when it plans to reopen its casino, more than a dozen restaurants and shops, parent company Las Vegas Sands said today.
The company, which plans to emerge from the coronavirus shutdown in phases, said it would reopen the adjoining Palazzo at a later date.
The Venetian also announced a program to offer thousands of free hotel stays for essential workers and first responders.
The Strip properties have been shuttered since mid-March, when Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered nonessential businesses statewide closed to help blunt the spread of the coronavirus.
Sisolak allowed some businesses — dine-in restaurants, hair salons and retail stores — to open May 9 under strict social distancing guidelines. But he did not set a date for casinos to resume operations.
Las Vegas Sands did not indicate whether it had received any confirmation the state plans to lift the closure order by June 1.
Sisolak said last week he wanted to see two full weeks of data —from virus testing capacity and results to hospital-bed usage — before deciding whether to further ease restrictions.
“We will be evaluating when it is safe to move into the second phase,” he said. “Our goal is to continue reopening Nevada in a safe manner. What we do now will determine what we can do next.”
The Venetian said it will employ more than 800 initiatives to enhance safety and minimize risk to guests and workers.
“Additionally, as we prepare for opening, we will be performing COVID-19 testing on all Venetian team members over a two-week period to ensure our workforce is ready to serve,” the company said in a statement.
The Venetian is also launching a program to donate up to 50,000 free room nights to frontline workers and first responders.
For every night booked through its Share the LOVE program, the Venetian will donate a free night for a first responder or essential worker as a thank you to those on the front lines battling the coronavirus, the company said.
