CityCenter’s debut last December altered the Las Vegas Strip with both its enormity and beauty, and if all goes according to plan, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will follow suit one year later. The new 2,995-room luxury resort, marked by a vertical design with two 50-story towers, is scheduled to open this December.

Like CityCenter, the new resort will be all about luxury: oversized residential styled rooms, ranging from 730 square feet to 5,400 square feet; diverse dining venues from some of the top U.S. chefs; and first-class amenities with service to match. The difference between the two new resorts: almost 60 acres. The Cosmopolitan’s footprint, situated between Bellagio and CityCenter, covers just 8.7 acres, compared to CityCenter’s vast 67-acre layout.

“The Cosmopolitan is about creating a resort experience that is truly different than anything that exists right now in Las Vegas,” says John Unwin, CEO of The Cosmopolitan. “When you combine spacious suites, high design from talent like David Rockwell, a curated award-winning dining collection, unparalleled service and gaming, we know we are giving guests an experience that’s been missing in Las Vegas and harkens back to an era when guests felt connected, inspired and engaged by their resort.”

The resort will also feature a nightclub and ultra lounge; 150,000 square feet of convention and banquet space; a 50,000-square foot spa, salon and fitness center; three pool environments; and a 110,000-square-foot casino. Oversized hotel and condo-style rooms will feature spacious living space with décor from David Rockwell; luxurious bathrooms with Japanese soaking tubs, rain showers and marble floors; and state-of-the-art technology control panels and plasma screen TVs. Other interior architects involved include Jeffrey Beers, Adam D. Tihany and the Friedmutter Group.

Some of the new restaurant concepts coming to Las Vegas will be the Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill by restaurateurs Bruce and Eric Bromberg; Comme Ca by LA-chef David Myers; New York City’s Estiatorio Milos by restaurateur Costas Spiladis; Scarpetta and a casual wine bar by award-winning chef Scott Conant; and steakhouse STK from The One Group.

Deutsche Bank bought the half-finished resort for a reported $1 billion in August 2008 after developer Ian Bruce Eichner and his company, 3700 Associates LLC, entered foreclosure. The project, which broke ground in 2005, will total nearly $4 billion when complete.

“Deutsche Bank concluded that building a new brand, with a unique identity and guest experience, was central to the overall vision for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas,” says John Gallagher, director in Deutsche Bank’s media relations group. “As a result, rather than partnering with a existing hotel brand, the Bank brought on some of the best executives in the gaming and lodging space to form a highly experienced management and operations team, led by John Unwin. We're confident that this team will help The Cosmopolitan become a premier feature of the city's business and entertainment landscape. “

Unwin has more than 30 years of management experience in the industry, most recently serving as GM of Caesars Palace for the past five years.