Marriott and Witkoff to turn unfinished Fontainebleau into integrated resort
by Tom Walker | 14 Feb 2018
A deal to develop the project has been struck between New York-based developer Steve Witkoff and hotel giant Marriott International
The unfinished Fontainebleau resort tower in Las Vegas, US, will finally get a new lease of life, following a deal struck between New York-based developer Steve Witkoff and hotel giant Marriott International.
Witkoff and Marriott have announced plans to turn the Fontainebleau building into an integrated resort, featuring two hotels operated under Marriott’s luxury brands The Edition and JW Marriott.
Construction work on The Fontainebleau Las Vegas tower – designed by Carlos Zapata Studio in partnership with Bergman Walls Associates – first began in February 2007, but came to a halt in 2009 following the global financial crisis the year before. The project eventually went into bankruptcy and the 60+-storey building – the tallest in Las Vegas – was often referred to as the “towering monument to the recession”.
Now, five months after acquiring the property for a reported US$600m (€485.5m, £432.5m), the Witkoff Group has revealed its plans to bring the resort back to life.
To be called The Drew, the resort is set to open in 2020 and will feature more than 4,000 bedrooms across the two hotels.
While no exact details of the facilities have been revealed, in its former iteration the Fontainebleau building was expected to include – upon completion – a 95,000 sq ft (8,800sq m) casino and a 60,000 sq ft (5,600sq m) destination spa, as well as a 3,300-seat performing arts theatre.
Whether those plans will change has been unconfirmed.
Steven Witkoff, chair and CEO of Witkoff Group, said: “With Marriott International, we have the opportunity to ensure we unlock the unparalleled value of this asset.
“This acquisition, made in partnership with New Valley LLC, is a well-designed, structurally-sound project with a significant discount to both replacement cost and the implied public market valuations of comparable Las Vegas Strip resorts.”
Two Blackbirds Hospitality, led by hotelier and former Cosmopolitan CEO John Unwin, will oversee the launch and operations of The Drew Las Vegas.
Founded in 1997, the Witkoff Group specialises in identifying, acquiring and developing what it describes as “undervalued properties” in key locations.
Steve Witkoff Marriott International The Fontainebleau The Drew Las VegasMore news
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by Magali Robathan | 19 Jun 2026
The London Museum’s new site will open in Smithfield, East London, on 28 November 2026. The new museum, designed by Asif Khan and Stanton Williams, alongside conservation architects Julian Harrap, will tell the story of London and its history, and will also act as a social space for residents and visitors. Items on permanent display will include the vest worn by King Charles I at his execution, Emmeline Pankhurst’s hunger
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by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
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by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company. Ownership has transferred to president Carmel Lewis, chief creative officer Christian Lachel and vice presidents of story and creative, Brad Shelton and Matthew Solari. The move formalises a leadership structure that the company says has been operating in
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by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
Palazzo di Varignana, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, has created a new tailored health programme designed specifically for families. Families with young children can visit the 650-hectare estate, located near Bologna, to experience a retreat designed by the resort’s scientific director, Dr Annamaria Acquaviva. A dietitian and expert in mindfulness and longevity science, Acquaviva has created the programme to help children and teenagers build healthy and lasting habits.
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Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
by Helen Andrews | 03 Jun 2026
Lithuanian care operator Addere Care has launched a “wellness care hospital” in Vilnius. It's the company’s second Lithuanian site, following a hospital in Trakai, but the first to offer professional medical care in a spa resort environment. The new 4,400sq m facility has been developed within a reconstructed former hotel. It features 160 rooms and a day care centre that can accommodate up to 12 patients at a time. The
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A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
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All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing. Van Phu Real Estate Development JSC owns the property, which is set along the Son River in the UNESCO-listed landscape of Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park. The site borders the world’s largest cave system by volume (38.5 million cubic metres), the Son
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