Even after seeing travel TV shows and movies depicting Las Vegas, I'll admit that I was unprepared for the size and opulence of these mega-hotels. My lenses weren't wide enough to capture the huge, domed lobby of the Venitian. The walls and ceiling were covered with (fake) murals and frescos, there was a large fountain with a gold statue rising out of the center, and behind the check-in counter manned by 20 odd employees was a beautiful period painting of Venice harbor. Incredible.
This "hotel" has multiple towers that rise 36 stories into the air. Between the Venitian and its sister resort next door called the Palazzo, you can stay in one of 4,000+ suites, or 4,000+ hotel rooms. The casinos total over 120,000 square feet. I think we counted 40 some restaurants - several of which were established by celebrity chefs. And each floor has so many stores you'd think you're in the Mall of America. The resort also has a few large theaters where they host concerts and shows. Everywhere you turn there are beautiful, flashy, exciting, tempting or tasty things to look at, buy, experience or taste. The whole experience was very overwhelming. I can see how people (and many, many dollars) get lost in these places...
Our hotel room was pretty incredible, considering we spent less than $150. It had a large, comfortable bed, sunken living room with cool, retro, art-deco accents, and a massive marble bathroom with a huge shower and jacuzzi tub. I'm sad we only had one night to enjoy it!
After we checked in and freshened up, we went for a stroll along the grand canal and watched as other hotel patrons got gondola rides from one end of the indoor mall to the other. We couldn't believe that this Italian waterway was built on the 2nd floor of the hotel. Crazy!
The baby could only tolerate so much sight-seeing and strolling before he needed to eat. Choosing a restaurant in which to satiate that craving was not easy. Too many delicious options!! But, since we were splurging, we decided to indulge one of my long-time desires to eat at a restaurant owned by one of the celebrity chefs I watch on TV. Mario Batali is a well-known Italian chef, author and TV personality. Recently he opened this restaurant called Carnevino with famous wine connoisseur Joe Bastianich. The restaurant concept is focused on high quality beef and boose with an Italian flair. That meal ended up costing us about as much as our room, but it was delicious! Definitely an experience for the memory books. =^)
James got a filet mignon with wine sauce, and I got the garganelle bolognese (pasta with meat sauce). We also got a unique side dish made of fergula, which is a small, round pasta, baked with pecorino cheese, butternut squash and herbs. The portions were small, but we were plenty full and happy with our choices!
After dinner we needed to work off a few calories, so we took a walk up the strip to see the fountain show in front of the Bellagio. Again, I was impressed and overwhelmed by all of the lights and crowds. Talk about being overstimulated. The design of the hotel and shop-fronts on the strip do have a certain beauty. It's just too bad that everything you see is completely fake. This whole place is an illusion designed to draw you in and entice you to spend money. So sad.
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| Good shot of our hotel lit up at night |
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| Waiting for the fountains to begin while looking across the pools at Paris |
After the fountain show was finished, we took a cab back to the hotel, grabbed some dessert at a gelato shop, listened to some live music while we enjoyed the tasty treat, and then finally retired for the night. As much as we wanted to milk our Vegas experience for all it was worth, we couldn't forget that we had a 12+ hour drive ahead of us the next day.
Over all I would say that I enjoyed our stay in Sin City, but don't feel a desire to go back any time soon.
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