Deutsche Bank helped finance the project, and eventually took over ownership in September 2008, after the original developers defaulted on a loan.

The resort's interior underwent several redesigns, and plans to include a condo hotel component were ultimately scrapped.

[3][4][5] The development group purchased the future site of the resort for $90 million, from a company controlled by Margaret Elardi, former owner of the New Frontier.

County building planners had concerns about the project's density;[25] its hotel towers were built directly alongside the Jockey Club,[25][24] separated by five feet at the closest point.

[27] With the Cosmopolitan facing foreclosure, Hyatt partnered with project lender Marathon Asset Management to buy out Eichner and complete the resort.

[42] Ahead of its opening, the Cosmopolitan had run Surrealist and sexualized advertisements, which generated a mixed response but nonetheless created publicity for the resort.

[52][53] Like at other Las Vegas casinos, the Cosmopolitan's younger target demographic showed less interest in gambling, an important revenue generator.

[70][71] The fire began in a pool cabana and spread across flammable fake trees, made of high-density foam and plastic.

[81] In February 2009, columnist Robin Leach and two Las Vegas show producers filed a class action lawsuit against 3700 Associates and Deutsche Bank.

Leach and the producers had purchased units at the Cosmopolitan, and their suit alleged breach of contract over the lengthy construction schedule and delays.

[95] Subsequent protests included support from members of the California School Employees Association,[96] and the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance.

[97][98] The Alliance to Protect Nevada Jobs (APNJ) was opposed to these protests, stating that they were hurting Las Vegas tourism.

[104] In April 2011, Cosmopolitan security staff allegedly removed a transgender guest named Stephanie from a women's restroom, photographed her, and said that she would be banned for life if she did not leave the premises.

[105][106][107] In November 2017, former football player and actor O. J. Simpson was banned from the Cosmopolitan after spending time in a restaurant and lounge there with friends.

Mill accused the Cosmopolitan of racial discrimination and threatened to sue, until the resort issued a public apology a few days later.

[6] After taking ownership of the resort in 2008, Deutsche Bank hired The Related Companies, a real estate developer, to oversee the project.

The original design was partially inspired by Eichner's wife Leslie, and described by the Las Vegas Sun as "a flashy, glam-rock look, with bold prints and big mirrors".

[120][84] Deutsche Bank had the room interiors and public spaces reworked to better suit the property's Las Vegas clientele.

[17] Designer David Rockwell was ultimately credited with Friedmutter and CAD for the resort interiors, including the hotel rooms.

In addition, Blackstone removed 40 chandeliers from the casino floor to make it more spacious, and replaced nearly half of the slot machines.

[137] The hotel also built 21 luxury penthouse suites in the top four floors of the Boulevard Tower, using space that had sat undeveloped since the resort's opening.

[141][142][143] Brothers Bruce and Eric Bromberg opened Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, marking their first restaurant outside of New York.

[169][170] Estiatorio Milos, a Greek seafood restaurant, was among the resort's original eateries,[2][171] eventually closing in 2020 and relocating to the Venetian.

[178] The parking garage interior walls feature graffiti by artists such as Shinique Smith, Kenny Scharf, Retna, and Shepard Fairey.

[179] For the casino floor, Roark Gourley created sculptures depicting giant shoes, which became a popular photo spot among visitors.

[185] The hotel lobby features floor-to-ceiling columns wrapped in LED screens, depicting various forms of digital art.

[201][202] In 2017, the resort introduced a virtual concierge named Rose, designed to help guests and provide recommendations about amenities.

[221][222] Set on a spaceship called OPM 73 with a destination of Uranus, the adults-only dinner show features circus-themed routines, loosely tied together with a comedic storyline.

Superfrico, an Italian restaurant with a menu by chef Anthony Falco, was simultaneously opened by Spiegelworld to accompany the show.

[228][229] In 2011, Condé Nast Traveler named the Cosmopolitan to its Hot List of 124 hotels, writing that the resort, despite "fulfilling the formula of any glitzy, behemoth Vegas casino-hotel, manages to feel both unique and intimate.