Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

92
CHAPTER 5 . WHERE TO STAY
The Venetian has five pools and whirlpools, but so far its pool area is disappointing—sterile
and bland. Pools are neoclassical (think rectangles with the
corners lopped off), and the fourth-floor location probably means that more
dense foliage is not going to be forthcoming.
The Canyon Ranch SpaClub is run by a branch of arguably the finest getaway
spa in America. This is an unbelievably lavish facility, certainly the finest
hotel spa in town. From the Bed Head and Bumble & Bumble products on sale
in the shop to the nutritionists, physical therapists, and acupuncturists on the
staff, to the vibrating massage chairs that you rest in during pedicures—geez,
what more could you want? Well, we want our own home gym to be as nice as
the one here, with ample equipment, racks of big TVs, and a staff eager to help
you with advice and bring you bottled water. The $30-a-day fee is high, but it
does include a full day’s worth of classes ranging from regular aerobics to yoga,
Pilates, and dance. Did we mention the rock-climbing wall?
The Grand Canal Shoppes rank with Caesars’s shops as an absolute mustsee.
Like Caesars, the area is a mock Italian village with a blue, cloud-studded,
painted sky overhead. But down the middle runs a canal, complete with singing
gondoliers. (The 10-min. ride costs about $12, which seems steep, but trust
us, it’s a lot more in the real Venice.) The whole thing finishes up at a small
re-creation of St. Mark’s Square, which features glass blowers, traveling musicians,
flower sellers, and the like. Expect to run into famous Venetians such as a
flirty Casanova and a travel-weary Marco Polo. It’s ambitious and a big step up
from Animatronic figures. Oh, and the stores are also probably worth a look—
a decent mixture of high-end fashion and more affordable shops.
And let’s not forget that this is the only hotel in town with a branch of the
famed Guggenheim Museum, called the Guggenheim-Hermitage (p. 180).
Note: Summer 2003 saw the opening of a new $250 million Venezia tower
with 1,013 rooms (reportedly even more luxurious than the current ones), making
the Venetian the third-largest hotel in the world. Also inside the tower are
several new restaurants, including the first restaurant outside of Napa Valley by
Thomas Keller, arguably the finest chef in America.
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 888/2-VENICE (283-6423) or 702/414-1000. Fax 702/414-
4805. www.venetian.com. 3,354 units. $125–$399 double. Extra person $35. Kids under 13 stay free in parent’s
room. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: Casino; wedding chapel; showroom; 17
restaurants; 5 outdoor pools; health club and spa; video arcade; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; business
center; shopping arcade; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; executive-level
rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, fax, dataport, fridge, hair dryer, iron and board, safe.
EXPENSIVE
Bally’s Las Vegas With all the fancy-pants new hotels in town, it’s so hard
to keep up with the Joneses, or the Wynns as the case may be. And here’s poor
Bally’s, with a perfect location, and it’s got no big fountain or Eiffel Tower or
anything to make a passerby think “right, gotta go gamble there,” much less a
tourist booking long distance to think “right, gotta stay there.” And we aren’t
really going to make you change your mind, though lately, we might give you a
reason to consider it. After all, you can get a room for a ridiculously low rate
these days, and those rooms, which are larger than average, have recently been
redone to an admirable degree, with some swell touches including modern curvy
couches, big TVs, wireless Internet access, and marble this and that. The public
areas still feel dark and dated, but the hotel is connected to its sister property,
Paris Las Vegas, which is swanky and modern enough. Also, it will be a stop on
the new monorail system, so you’ll be able to go just about everywhere by foot