Clooney invests in new role as hotelier

George Clooney, known for ripping off casinos in the movies and spending time in them in real life, will add his creative touch to a new Las Vegas resort. Picture / Reuters

LOS ANGELES - Film star George Clooney is taking on a new role - hotelier - in a US$3 billion ($4.3 billion) resort, casino and condominium project in Las Vegas.

Clooney will invest in a resort hotel, casino and condominium project near the Las Vegas Strip with nightclub owner Rande Gerber and two developers.

The resort, to be called Las Ramblas, will be developed by Related Las Vegas and Centra Properties with Clooney and Gerber helping plan and design the hotel, restaurants, entertainment venues and casino.

"We're putting more than just our names to this project," Clooney said. "We're investing financially and creatively to develop an idyllic environment that reflects our personal tastes and interests."

He said he and Gerber, who is married to model Cindy Crawford and operates clubs in New York and Los Angeles, hope to lure their Hollywood pals to Las Ramblas.

When completed, the resort will house more than 4400 hotel rooms and condominiums in 11 high-rise buildings. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2006, and the first four towers are expected to be completed in early 2008.

The project is the latest in a host of mixed-use developments that aim to add high-end residences and condos to the Las Vegas Strip.

- REUTERS