The Venetian
Nowhere nails the surreal quality of Vegas better than The Venetian, a luxurious hotel complex that transports even the most skeptical Vegas-goers to Venice’s Piazza San Marco. Yes, there will be gondola rides along the Grand Canal, which is flanked by over 160 luxury stores (think: Bottega Veneta, Fendi, and Barneys New York) and restaurants. Yes, there will be all of the gilding and marble you’d expect from a replica of Venice rendered in painstaking detail. Even in the hotel rooms, which feature sunken living rooms offset by in-room curlicued wrought-iron gates and views of the (surprisingly) beautiful Strip. The whole experience requires a touch of imagination to make it all jive, but it’s over-the-top fun and unabashedly opulent—exactly the way it should be.
PRO TIP: Request a room in the Venezia Tower, the newest part of the hotel that’s lavishly decked to impress (even if it requires a few extra minutes walking to get to your room).
DETAILS: Rates from $159.
