MGM Grand Hotel and Casino
- This article is about the first MGM Grand in Las Vegas. See MGM Grand Las Vegas for the current hotel and casino.
The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino was a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip at the intersection with Flamingo Road. Built on a 43 acre (174 km²) site, by Kirk Kerkorian, the hotel with 2,084 rooms opened on December 5, 1973 and was the largest hotel in the world at that time.
The hotel had a movie theme to reflect Kirk Kerkorian's interest in movies from his ownership of MGM and the hotels use of MGM in its name. The hotel was designed by architect Martin Stern, Jr.
History
The site was first occupied by the Bonanza Hotel and Casino. It was later renamed the New Bonanza Hotel and Casino shortly before construction on the MGM Grand began.
It suffered a fire that started in a casino restaurant and traveled up into the hotel, killing 87 guests on November 21, 1980. It was rebuilt in only eight months with the remodel adding a tower which opened in 1981. See MGM Grand Las Vegas hotel fire for more details.
The hotel was sold in 1986 to Bally Entertainment Corporation and reopened as Bally's Las Vegas.
Film
In 1985, the MGM Grand was the setting for the fictional boxing match between Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago for the movie Rocky IV.
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