LAS VEGAS — Ahead of the grand opening of Caesars Palace in August 1966, a flashy advertisement ran in newspapers. “I, Caesar, invite you to an orgy of excitement at my Palace of Pleasure,” it read. Accompanied by a cartoon of a half-naked lady feeding grapes to the Roman general, the ad promised “high-powered action,” “luscious food” and “Bacchanalian raptures.”

But last month, as I looked around my $400-a-night hotel room, I wondered where my Dionysian dreams were hiding. There were pink stains on the carpet, deep black dents in the baseboards and a Keurig with no pods. After opening every drawer in the entertainment console, I found them — sealed away in an $11.99 “coffee kit.” My orgy of excitement died in an instant.

Although today Caesars Palace seems as ancient as the Pantheon, when it debuted on the Strip, it transformed Las Vegas. In the mid-1960s, the Strip was a dusty desert dotted with boxy hotels. None had a grand, unified theme, and no employees wore costumes — until Jay Sarno came along.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

The developer had a vision. Instead of an ordinary hotel, he wanted a temple to excess. Its name would be Caesars Palace, no apostrophe; in Sarno’s kingdom, all guests would be playing the part of Caesar. He drew inspiration from the Roman and Greek aesthetic of Hollywood, not Europe, and designed the waitresses’ flirty toga-style dresses himself. The ladies were encouraged to purr, “I am your slave,” to guests; after gamblers put in their order, the women replied, “Yes, master.” 

A vintage postcard of Caesars Palace on the Vegas Strip.

Sarno spared no expense. The casino floor was overlooked by an enormous chandelier glittering with 100,000 crystals, plus a few mirrors so that security could watch for cheaters. A glamorous shield-shaped swimming pool was constructed, then nearly ruined by Sarno’s plan to sacrifice a live pig to piranhas before every meal. Luckily, even in Las Vegas, there are limits: He was talked down, and the pigs of Nevada breathed a sigh of relief. 

The casino opened with a $1 million party. The plumbing didn’t work in some of the 700 hotel rooms, but the 250 slot machines and 30 gaming tables sure did.........

© SFGate