Reviewing the Venetian Hotel & Casino

The Venetian Hotel & Casino

3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109

GRADING
Overall Score: A
Staff: A
Room: A
Amenities: A
Recommended?: Yes

All along the Las Vegas strip, you can take a trip through various parts of the world. Walk from Paris to Egypt to New York and even ancient Rome in a matter of minutes. One of Las Vegas’s newer themed casino and hotel is the Venetian, modeled after Venice, the infamous city of canals in Italy. With incredible attention to detail as well as recreating the finest elements of Venetian history, art, and culture, the Venetian clearly sets itself apart from other casinos on the strip.

With its sister casino, the Palazzo, these two casinos create an expansive casino floor, resort, and shopping experience amidst Venetian architecture. In fact, the Palazzo and the Venetian Hotel operate as one unit. This one unit combined is the second largest hotel in the world with over 7,000 rooms.

During your stay, note that the Venetian is a member of the IHG hotel group. If you are member of their rewards club, make sure you collect the points earned from your stay.

The Hotel & Lobby

Upon entering the Venetian hotel, you will notice that the attention to detail is extreme. Every architectural element was carefully planned and aesthetically implemented. Paying homage to its namesake location, the Venetian incorporates Italian design into its painted ceilings, its choice of marble, and the detailed fountains complete with ornate statues.

After checking in, take a few minutes to appreciate the artistic splendor within the Venetian’s lobby and main floor. Concierge and luggage hold are located at the front entrance and there are a few luxury shops just off the lobby.

The presence of security within the hotel and near the elevator banks is reassuring. When walking into the elevator area, be prepared to show and scan your hotel room key.

The Room

While staying at the Venetian Hotel this past August, I stayed in a Luxury Suite, which is the standard 650 square foot room.  All rooms at the Venetian are suites, which is a detail that sets this hotel (as well as the Palazzo) apart from others. Rooms are larger than typical hotel rooms, with a separate sleeping and sitting area; the seating area is sunken, two steps down from the sleeping area. The rooms are decorated in neutral tones with splashes of gold, purple, and crimson. Luxurious details are found in the furnishings as well as the room decor. Everything in my room appeared to be new; I noticed hardly any wear and tear on anything within the room.

The air conditioning worked exceptionally well in August, keeping the room cool. To keep out the sun, the room has blinds and curtains that are controlled with a wall switch.

The bed was comfortable with clean linens. Daily housekeeping is provided but in order to get your linens changed each day, you need to place the “please change my sheets” placard on the bed. Towels on the floor are always replaced.

Across from the bed is a wall mounted television and dresser. There is another tv on the same wall in the sitting area as well. The Venetian suite contains a stocked mini fridge with a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks for guests. You can also find an assortment of snacks (as well as an “intimacy kit”) available above the mini fridge. As expected, prices are extremely high for these in-room items.

There was no coffeemaker in the room, but there were some wine glasses, drinking glasses, and the usual ice bucket. Also, there was a small, round dining table and a three chairs next to the large window. Next to this dining table was a small desk with a phone, USB ports, as well as tourism magazines. The room was definitely well equipped for the average tourist.

I really enjoyed having the extra space in the Venetian’s room to stretch out. So many times, just finding a place to store an open suitcase becomes a challenge. Having the separate sitting and dining area was a very nice addition and made for a much more comfortable stay.

Bathroom

The bathrooms in the Venetian Hotel are incredibly spacious and luxurious. There is a separate shower and soaking tub, surrounded by marble tiles and ample lighting. The double vanity features a full wall mirror and there is even a tv mounted above. In addition, the toilet has its own private room and there is a separate seating area for makeup and hair. Included in this vanity area is a lighted (albeit dimly lighted) magnifying mirror.

The towels in my room seemed much softer and larger than standard hotel towels. Plenty of toiletries were provided, as well as a blowdryer. Note the telephone in the small room with the toilet.

Overall, I was very pleased with the bathroom. With plenty of towels, space, and overall cleanliness, I couldn’t have asked for more.

Pools

The Venetian resort is located right next to its sister resort, the Palazzo, and shares many of its amenities, including the pools.

At the Venetian, there is a daily Resort Fee of $45 plus applicable tax per night, payable upon check-in. The daily Resort Fee includes: access for two to the fitness facility at Canyon Ranch spa, in-suite Internet access (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), boarding pass printing at the Concierge desk, unlimited local and toll-free calls, and access to thousands of top magazines and newspapers through the free PressReader app (not something many know about or even use).

Some pools in Las Vegas are so warm that they’re hardly refreshing. That was not the case at the Venetian. The pools here were on the chillier side, but tolerable. When I visited in August during the heat of the summer, there was still open space not only in the pool, but around the pool as well. There are plenty of lounge chairs to choose from and cabanas to rent.

There is a pool bar that offers seating around the bar (outside the water) and waiters walk around the pool deck, offering to take orders. Free cold water was available at the bar.

Fitness Center

As part of your resort fee, Venetian Hotel guests have access to the Canyon Ranch Spa. This spa houses a complete fitness center, salon, spa, as well as two dining facilities (one in the Palazzo). You will need to show your room key as well as sign in before getting access to the facility.

The fitness area has strength training machines, racks, barbells, free weights, medicine balls, and more. There is a separate area with cardio machines, including ellipticals, stationary bikes, treadmills, and stair climbers. Water and towels are provided.

There are strength machines for most major muscle groups, as well as cable machines. You’ll also find power lifting equipment, yoga mats, stability balls, and kettlebells. Attention rock climbers: Test your strength at Canyon Ranch’s 40 foot indoor rock climbing wall. Be sure to check dates and times for availability. Fitness classes are also available.

Overall I was pleased with the fitness facilities here; it was a bit busier than I expected at 8:00 in the morning, but considering the size of the hotel, the busyness was tolerable. You’ll find the Canyon Ranch Spa and Fitness Center on the fourth floor of the Venetian hotel. You can even grab a green smoothie afterwards at the Canyon Ranch Cafe.  Click here to go to the Canyon Ranch website.

Shopping and Dining

The Venetian is home to Grand Canal Shoppes, a mall featuring 160 stores, many selling luxury brands. The mall is designed to recreate a shopping experience similar to Venice. The ceilings are painted to look like the sky, there is a canal throughout the shoppes that gondolas float through, and walkways are made to appear like cobblestones.

Many restaurants are located in the ‘indoor piazza’, and plenty of gelato, macaroons, and other sweets are close by.

Casino

The opulent atmosphere of the Venetian continues onto the casino floor. Large, ornate chandeliers illuminate delicately painted ceiling murals, which all overlooks the newest in casino technology. New technology is apparent all over the casino floor with newer slot machines, interactive Roulette and Blackjack machines, as well as the occasional slot machine with in-seat theater audio. There is something for everyone here at the Venetian casino, with $0.01 and $0.25 machines, all the way up to the high limit slots and tables.

You’ll find the Venetian also contains a race and sports book which is open 24 hours, Imperial Baccarat, and plenty of table games. Of course, there are bars and lounges scattered throughout the casino floor and plenty of fine dining.

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Overall, I was very pleased with my stay at the Venetian Hotel. Yes, prices were high for everything, but that’s what the Vegas Strip is becoming, a luxurious playground. When you pay for a nicer room at hotels like the Aria and the Venetian, you definitely get more of a luxurious experience all around. So if you can afford to spend the extra cash, I’d recommend the Venetian Hotel for your next Vegas vacation!

Happy Travels!

Julie

sources: wikipedia.com, venetian.com