Alumni Meet the Alum Who Runs One of Vegas’s Most Iconic Resorts Stories You May Like Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Hotelie Runs Iconic NYC Bar Famed Restaurateur Recalls a Career on the Front Lines of Fine Dining On ‘Undercover Boss,’ a Hotelie Gets His Hands Dirty—Literally Having grown up working in his family’s small hotels, Patrick Nichols ’08 never expected to be helming a property in ‘Sin City’ By Beth Saulnier As a newly graduated Hotelie, Patrick Nichols ’08 went westward for his first post-Cornell job: financial analyst at Las Vegas’s famed Venetian Resort. He’d spend about a year there before heading to his next gig—on the other side of the globe, in Singapore—little suspecting that lady luck would someday bring him back not just to the Venetian, but to its top job. Today, Nichols is president and CEO of the Italian-themed, all-suite luxury resort, located at what he calls the “bustling epicenter of the Strip.” Not only is the Venetian one of the vacation mecca’s most iconic properties, it’s the biggest in North America in terms of guest rooms (and number two in the world, behind one in Malaysia). “The scale is the first thing you notice; it’s massive—68 acres, 19 million square feet, more than 7,100 suites,” Nichols says. “Unlike some of the newer resorts in town, we are themed, and you can see that everywhere in the public spaces. I think that creates a sense of place, which harkens back to the golden days of Vegas.” Unlike some of the newer resorts in town, we are themed, and you can see that everywhere in the public spaces. I think that creates a sense of place, which harkens back to the golden days of Vegas. Opened in 1999, the resort was an early leader in the local convention industry, predating the city’s own facility; it remains the nation’s largest privately owned convention center. The resort also boasts restaurants by celebrity chefs like Thomas Keller and José Andrés, two casinos, and a multitude of entertainment options, including an immersive performance space, the Sphere, that’s one of the city’s newer landmarks. Leading a company "town hall" in February 2026. In addition to the original Venetian—which, Nichols explains, is meant to have the feel of its namesake’s lively streets and canals—the resort now includes another hotel, the Palazzo. “It’s like Milan,” he says, “more sophisticated, a little more design oriented, less themed—a little quieter, but not quiet.” As Nichols notes, while in some ways Vegas’s reputation as “Sin City” is alive and well—you can still smoke indoors (other than in eateries), and sipping an adult beverage on the sidewalk is perfectly legal—in recent decades it has become a destination for vacationing families and business travelers alike. The Venetian: A Mini-Tour A gondolier on the canal. The Sphere. A Japanese restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Tetsuya Wakuda. The swimming pool. One of the many Italianate public spaces. The Voltaire, a venue currently headlined by burlesque star Dita Von Teese. A European-style lobby bar. A guest suite. “There’s certainly no normal day,” he says of his job. Stories You May Like Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Hotelie Runs Iconic NYC Bar Famed Restaurateur Recalls a Career on the Front Lines of Fine Dining “There are probably 30,000–40,000 people here at any given time; it’s like a little city, with the same infrastructure. Whether it’s facilities issues, burst pipes, fires, medical emergencies—things invariably happen. I’ll come into work with an agenda of what I want to accomplish, and someone will pop into my office in the morning and say ‘Hey, do you have a second?’ and my day is completely derailed. And I love that; there’s always a new and unexpected challenge.” There are probably 30,000–40,000 people here at any given time; it’s like a little city, with the same infrastructure. For Nichols, hotel operations are a family business: his parents ran small properties in Minnesota’s Mississippi River Valley. “I really grew up in the industry,” he says. “My summer jobs, well before high school, were working for my parents. Front desk, housekeeping, landscaping, painting, wiring wi-fi networks, changing pool filters—you name it, I did it.” Nichols (second from left) with classmates at Commencement. On the Hill, he was a member of the Big Red sailing team and served as president of his fraternity, Theta Delta Chi. Perhaps surprisingly given his background, he was aiming for a career in finance rather than hospitality when the economic downturn limited those prospects—serendipitously, as it turned out. My summer jobs, well before high school, were working for my parents. Front desk, housekeeping, landscaping, painting, wiring wi-fi networks, changing pool filters—you name it, I did it. “It took me like 60 days to realize, ‘This is a ton of fun, and this is an industry I want to be in forever,’” he recalls. “I thought I’d be in Vegas for a year or two. And like most people who move to Vegas for ‘one or two years,’ it turned out to be a lifetime.” After spending a year in Singapore launching the luxury Marina Bay Sands hotel, Nichols returned to Vegas to become director of strategic planning at the Cosmopolitan, which hadn’t yet opened—and had been taken over by Deutsche Bank after its developer defaulted on a billion-dollar loan. A selfie with chef Thomas Keller (center) and restaurateur Simon Kim, who both have establishments in the resort. He stayed there for more than a decade, helping steer it to success despite skepticism about its concept. (Among other things, he explains, the resort is on a relatively tiny, eight-acre footprint, so its layout is heavily vertical, with restaurants on the third floor rather than on the traditional casino perimeter.) Nichols eventually rose to general manager and chief strategy officer before moving to the Venetian, where he heads an operation with 9,000 staff and has overseen a $1.5 billion investment that he calls the largest renovation of any hotel in the world. “I’m a big believer in a simple philosophy called ‘management by walking around,’” he observes. “I make an effort to walk around the resort for at least an hour every day, giving our guests and team members an opportunity to tell me what they feel. Those insights are some of the most valuable. Having a drink or dinner with guests is a great way to understand what people actually think about your business.” (All images provided.) Published September 7, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. 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