The Venetian Las Vegas

This guide to The Venetian in Las Vegas begins with the 1996 implosion of the Sands, the hotel where Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack once played the Copa Room, cleared to make room for something new. It follows Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire bus-tour-operator-turned-builder behind what replaced it, and the private walkthroughs where he reportedly broke into unrehearsed arias under the painted sky ceiling. Look up at that same ceiling now, and listen for the gondoliers who still sing as they row.