Lisa Vanderpump Admits She Was 'Nervous' to Open Her New Las Vegas Hotel: 'It's Very Personal'

Lisa Vanderpump may be a savvy businesswoman with decades of success under her belt, but that doesn't mean she's immune to moments of uncertainty.

"Well, you're always nervous when you're putting yourself out there. I'm in a very unique position because this is personal to me. It's Lisa Vanderpump. It's going to be on my Instagram. People are going to be commenting directly to me. The head of another corporation probably isn't looking at their Instagram, wondering what people think about their hotel — but for me, it's personal, and the hotel itself is personal before people even walk through the door. It's got my pictures, my family, my dogs. It's got artifacts from my life. It's very personal," the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 65, exclusively told OK! ahead of the Grand Opening of The Vanderpump Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev., on June 11.

"I just focus on what I do," she continued. "I'm blessed to have a design partner who shares my vision. We agree on almost everything, and that's invaluable because when you're constantly butting heads with somebody, it just slows the whole process down. It's actually a very unusual partnership. And then I have a daughter who's not only brilliant — she really is — but she can handle an incredible amount of work. She also runs our Vanderpump Dog Foundation, and we've got so many other projects going on. Whether it's my rosé, my flower brand, or other ventures, she's involved in all of it. I remember when she was about two years old, I said, 'I've given her a racing car for a brain. I'll just have to teach her how to drive it.' She was valedictorian. To have somebody by my side who's so capable is just brilliant."

The hotel, located right on the Las Vegas Strip, has many playful nods to her British heritage, from a striking mural of Vanderpump strolling through a rainy London street to the iconic red telephone booth in the lobby. There's also a gallery of black-and-white photographs from the star's life — from family and close friends to a mix of furry faces.

"I love that about this hotel. It's playful, it's beautiful, it's cozy, it's s---. 'Behave accordingly' feels exactly like what Vegas should be," she noted.

"I wanted it to feel cheeky, naughty and funny, while still giving guests great room service, beautiful beds, luxurious sheets, lovely glassware and real attention to detail. To me, that's perfection," she added. "If I said, 'Look, I have this 188-room house — would you like to come stay?' that's exactly how I want it to feel. If Lisa Vanderpump invited you to stay at her house, you'd walk in and think, 'What on earth?' There would be clouds, teacups, dogs, velvet... It's not corporate."

Since the entrepreneur and Caesars have a "great relationship," they thought opening a hotel was the next step for her, after having successful properties in Vegas, such as Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace, Vanderpump à Paris at  Paris Las Vegas, and the recently opened Pinky’s by Vanderpump at Flamingo Las Vegas, located just steps from The Vanderpump Hotel.

Beyond Las Vegas, she continues to grow her hospitality brand with popular destinations such as WOLF by Vanderpump at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe and, most recently, WOLF by Vanderpump at Caesars Republic Scottsdale, alongside her successful ventures in wine, spirits and lifestyle entertainment.

"When they mentioned The Cromwell, I thought it couldn't be a more perfect property because it's a boutique hotel. I mean, if it were in London, 188 rooms would be considered a large hotel, but here it's still a boutique property. I also loved the location. How can this little hotel sit right in the middle of all these giant resorts? Then they said they were going to put my name on it and asked if I'd be interested. I was like, 'H---, yeah,'" she quipped of the transformation.

Still, there were some trials and tribulations.

"I don't think people recognize just how much goes into it. Even though there are only three or four room types, there are still 188 rooms to think about. That was definitely a challenge. Now, opening restaurants almost seems easy. Coming up with a unique concept for the Gigolo Bar was exciting. Obviously, the name came from my love of Giggy. Having rescued thousands of dogs through the Vanderpump Dog Foundation, it felt meaningful. People laugh because there's this giant statue and portraits of Giggy, but he's symbolic. Through the foundation, we've rescued more than 3,000 dogs in Los Angeles, so he represents a lot to me," she shared of her late pup.

Though Vanderpump juggles quite a bit, she never thought a hotel was in her future.

"Years ago we actually had a hotel that was attached to our home. It only operated for a month or two because people kept wandering into our house. So, no, I never really imagined running a hotel. It always seemed like an enormous amount of work," she said.

"Well, producing television shows and creating concepts like Vanderpump Villa has been pretty iconic too. Life is full of surprises. If you'd asked me 10 years ago whether I'd be doing this now, I wouldn't have believed you. So... what's next? I honestly don't know," she continued.

For now, she's soaking up this "incredible" time in her life.

"I'd love to build out a complete lifestyle brand. I love cooking. I love entertaining. I love bedding. So I'd probably like to develop all of those kinds of things. But we're also a very philanthropic family. Our Vanderpump Dog Foundation has been a huge undertaking and something we're incredibly proud of. For 12 years we fed the homeless every week in Beverly Hills. I like projects that make a difference, and the dog foundation is certainly one of the things I'm most proud of," she gushed.

"To me, Vegas is the playground of the world. It really is. There are so many problems in the world, and then you come to Vegas and, for a little while, none of that exists. It's all about enjoying yourself. Go to the clubs. See a show. Have dinner. Go to Pinky's. Go to the Gigolo Bar. Everything is right here. You can forget about everything else that's happening in the world. And it's so accessible for so many people. I'm a huge fan of Las Vegas," she concluded.