The distance between Las Vegas, Nevada and Venice, Italy is nearly 5,900 miles and almost nothing at all. That’s because 25 years ago, the Venetian Resort Las Vegas opened with the mission to do more than just emulate La Serenissima, but to bring some of the best of it to Sin City.
“Our founders, Sheldon and Miriam Adelson went to Venice, came back to Vegas and said, ‘let’s build a Venetian,’” explains Patrick Nichols, the property’s president and CEO. “They wanted to take what they loved about Venice and bring it to Vegas, and they built what is now the second largest hotel in the world.”
The living room of the Chairman Suite in The Palazzo tower at the Venetian Resort, which also features a terrace, hot tub, pool, bar, 24-hour butler service, and more.
And while Venice itself is famous for sinking just a bit each year, the Venetian Resort is instead on the rise. The property—which is home to more than 7,000 suites in its three towers, over 40 restaurants (including classic Italian spots as well as offerings from Thomas Keller, Tetsuya Wakuda, and Wolfgang Puck), and the cabaret-style nightspot Voltaire, where Kylie Minogue and Christina Aguilera have had residencies—is about a year into a $1.5 billion refresh that Nichols says will “reaffirm the Venetian Resort as the leading luxury hotel on the market.”
Here, Nichols shares the details on his own favorite room as well as the inside track for a bit of la dolce vita right there on the Strip.
What do you consider to be the best room at the property and why?
We’re 7,100 suites, and every room in the resort is a suite. We average close to 700 square feet per room, so there’s not a bad suite in the building. If we’re talking the very best suite, though, I’d have to go with the Chairman Suite in the Palazzo Tower. There are four total, and each has a villa feel to it, with massive terraces, hot tubs, pools, bars, dining areas, 24-hour butler service, gyms, steam rooms, saunas, and between three and four bedrooms. They’re up there with the best suites in the world.
How much does it cost per night?
Right now, the Chairman Suites are invite only, so you have to be invited to stay at one. They’re reserved for our most valuable casino guests.
The pool at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, which has nearly 7,100 rooms across two towers, and more than 40 dining options, including the Rosina Cocktail Lounge, where Nichols recommends ordering and off-menu whiskey sour.
How would you describe the guests and the vibe at the hotel?
The Venetian Resort is one of the most recognizable brands in Las Vegas, and you stay that way over a 25-year period by being consistent in delivering great service time and time again, and by creating new experiences every time someone visits. So, we’ve been open for 25 years but guests who visit every year always have something new to discover in addition to the service and luxury they remember.
What feeling about Las Vegas do you hope to impart to guests?
There’s a sense of whimsy at the Venetian Resort, and part of it is that we’re a themed hotel based on one of the greatest destinations in the world. We’ve brought the best parts of Venice to Las Vegas, but we also do everything with a view of who are guests are and what stories they’ll want to tell their friends when they get home. So, we’re a thoughtful Italian resort but we definitely hold a specific place in Las Vegas.
The terrace of the Chairman Suite in the Palazzo Tower at the Venetian Resort, which is also home to Voltaire, an intimate nightclub where superstars like Kylie Minogue and Christina Aguilera have performed.
What’s a local attraction that you always recommend?
The first would be Voltaire, which is a completely unique, if not new, take on entertainment. It harkens back to the old show rooms of 1960s Las Vegas and has a capacity of 1,000, as well as some of the best acts in the world. When everybody else is going bigger, we’re getting more intimate. That said, there’s nothing hotter in Las Vegas than the Sphere; it’s absolutely spectacular. And if you want to get off the strip for a local experience, I think Vegas has one of the best Chinatowns in the country, there’s incredible food and great businesses and it’s always evolving.
Adam Rathe is Town & Country‘s Deputy Features Director, covering arts and culture and a range of other subjects.