The Barbary Coast had a nearly three-decade run at the northeast corner of Flamingo Road and the Strip — a focal point in the resort corridor, sitting quietly since the 1990s as it was dwarfed by megaresorts such as Bellagio, Caesars Palace and Horseshoe Las Vegas.

Built and opened by Michael Gaughan, he never took the small hotel-casino above eight floors as other Strip properties expanded.

Caesars Entertainment — then known as Harrah's Entertainment — took it over in 2007 in a Strip land swap with Boyd Gaming, three years after Gaughan's Coast Casinos was merged into Boyd.

After three name changes — one of which lasted only a few months — Caesars handed the keys of the property, then known as the Cromwell, to businesswoman and reality television star Lisa Vanderpump. 

The company was already a partner with Vanderpump, her husband Ken Todd and design partner Nick Alain, opening restaurants and lounges in five Caesars properties, including three on the Strip. They spent the past year transforming the small resort into the Vanderpump Hotel, remodeling all facets of the public spaces, including the 40,000-square-foot casino.

"It's right in the middle of the bloody Strip," Vanderpump, who is from London, England, told The Nevada Independent in an interview Wednesday.

"It's a boutique hotel that I can put my name on and make it sexy. I can give it an identity. What's not to like about that? It took us a minute to say yes because you can't just pull off this journey quickly," Vanderpump said.

 The property celebrated its grand opening Thursday night.

After acquiring the Barbary Coast, Harrah's renamed the property Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon in 2007. After the company changed its name to Caesars, executives decided to upgrade the property and brought in the New York-based Gansevoort Hotel Group with plans to attach that name to the property. While under construction in 2013, the Gansevoort name was discarded when a company investor was found to have ties with organized crime in Russia.

Caesars announced a few months later it selected the name Cromwell, which didn't go over well in some circles, tying it to Oliver Cromwell, a controversial 17th century English ruler.

The Vanderpump name isn't controversial.

"We're a design company, right? It's not like I'm, and I use the word loosely, a celebrity. But people know me. I've been on reality television for so many years," Vanderpump said.

For Caesars, she created Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace, Vanderpump à Paris at Paris Las Vegas, Pinky's by Vanderpump at Flamingo Las Vegas, and two Wolf by Vanderpump — one at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe and another at the non-gaming Caesars Republic in Scottsdale, Arizona.

One Vanderpump space that was unveiled ahead of the hotel's grand opening is Gigolo, a cocktail lounge that replaced a bar near the check-in area. Named for her beloved Pomeranian — there's a statute of "Giggy" in the lounge — it offers guests an exclusive cocktail list and specialty drinks.

The Vanderpump's 188 rooms and suites were upgraded along with the casino. The former 65,000-square-foot rooftop pool deck and event space, now has a new name — Soleia. GIADA, the restaurant operated by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, remains in its second-floor space with views of the Strip.

"Every concept she creates becomes the place to be and be seen," said Caesars Regional President Sean McBurney in a statement, adding that the company was comfortable with changes Vanderpump brought to the property, including Gigolo. 

Vanderpump said she and Alain jumped into the hotel's remodeling immediately following the announcement, which was rolled out in video.

Vanderpump was first introduced to American audiences through Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She is also the star and executive producer of the spinoff Vanderpump Rules. She is currently starring in Vanderpump Villa on Hulu. She and Alain also have a luxury bedding and home accessories line and a line of pet accessories.

The Vanderpump Hotel is the 40th concept in her portfolio.

"Everything goes through me. Everything's curated through me. But that in itself, food, beverages, every uniform, is a lot," Vanderpump said. "As a design team, we try to do one project at a time. We regroup and then we get going on the next project."

Beyond Gigolo there are several designs in the casino that have a personal touch from Vanderpump. A wall of personal and family photos line the north portion of the casino. The Vanderpump "V" logo is everywhere: on chairs in front of slot machines and gaming tables and on the carpeting throughout the casino. There are photo opportunities for guests with a London taxicab and red British phone booth.

Vanderpump said she hoped to have more projects with Caesars, adding her fondness for the Carano family of Reno, which merged its Eldorado gaming operations with Caesars in a $17.3 billion deal in 2020.

"I love working with them. They're just so personable, and they give me a lot of support," she said.

Caesars announced last month that it agreed to a $17.6 billion acquisition by Fertitta Entertainment, whose CEO is Tilman Fertitta. The all cash deal includes Fertitta's assumption of nearly $12 billion of Caesars' outstanding debt and the promise he will take the company private.

Vanderpump said she doesn't know Fertitta, whose business empire includes dozens of restaurant brands, and what effect his ownership could have on her agreements with Caesars.

"That's not something I'm involved with. I've been working on this hotel," she said.

The now-Vanderpump remained open during the renovation, although spaces were closed intermittently for remodeling. 

Gaughan, who said he hasn't visited the former Barbary Coast in several years, thought Vanderpump, who he doesn't know, has done some nice work for Caesars.

Gaughan said he "didn't know anyone" when he visited the casino a few years ago when it was the Cromwell. "I think Frank (Toti, his business partner) and I might sneak over there in a few weeks to take a look at it and see if we recognize it."