The Venetian

Visiting the Venetian on a Las Vegas vacation, it is possible to forget you are in the middle of a desert while you are socializing in the  bustling Marketplace, strolling past the Grand Canal Shoppes, or better yet enjoying a gondola ride on the canal.  Your mind won't exactly be tricked into thinking you are actually in Venice, but it won't matter because you will still be enjoying the beautiful architecture and distinctive atmosphere of this very grand resort. 

St Mark's Square at the Venetian

 The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino is conveniently located mid-strip at the site of the old Sands Hotel.  The Sands was imploded in November, 1996, and by May 3rd, 1999, the 1.5 billion dollar Venetian was being opened with grandiose fanfare.   Trumpets blared, whites doves soared into the sky, gondoliers sang, the slot machines rang, and Sophia Loren christened a motorized gondola.

View of the Front of the Venetian

Outdoor Gondola Docks the the Venetian

The Venetian is a marvel of a themed Las Vegas vacation destination.  It is an expansive resort with 4,049 large and airy suite-styled rooms that feature sunken living rooms.  Upgraded rooms and a wedding chapel are available in the Venezia tower along with some glitz and a separate entrance.  The casino is 120,000 square feet of themed fun with Venetian art on the ceilings.  The Venetian has a lot worth seeing, even if you are just visiting for the day rather than staying there.  There are great shops to visit along the faux Grand Canal including Jimmy Choo, Mikimoto, Valentino, and Kenneth Cole, and a slew of others.  A gondola ride with a singing gondolier on the same faux Grand Canal is a kick in pants.  The replica of St. Marks Square offers a Venetian stew of things to see and do:  dine, drink, shop, have yourself painted or get a mini-bust made of your face.  Roaming characters in colorful period costumes are everywhere, walking on stilts, singing and performing and enthusiastically interacting with guests.  It really makes for a robust and entertaining environment. 

A Costumed Character at the Venetian

The Human Statue, Very Cool but a Little Creepy!

Mini Busts Made on the Spot

Featured entertainment at the Venetian includes the Blue Man Group performing in the Blue Man Theatre,  men in blue paint pounding on PVC pipes making raucous riffs.  A shortened version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera  is also featured.  And for entertaining yourself at the other end of the artistic spectrum,  the Venetian is home to the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum which opened there on October 7, 2001.  The museum features exhibits displaying masters from Picasso to Renoir as well as more contemporary artists.  

This is an incredibly life-like display of the Blue Man Group.

Additional highlights that make the Venetian a Las Vegas vacation pick include some fine restaurants, interesting bars and clubs, and Madame Tussauds.  Bouchon is the bistro owned by Chef Thomas Keller and featuring regional French cooking.  The Tao Nightclub is considered one of the best in Las Vegas.  Rich woods and gorgeous stone are used in presenting an Asian theme.  Remarkable details include a twenty foot tall Buddha statue whose serene contemplation marks a counterpoint to club energy, an infinity pool filled with Koi fish, artful lighting, a forty foot outdoor terrace with views of the Las Vegas strip, private sky boxes with mini-bars, great audio and two dance rooms.  

Breathe...!  What else are you gonna do at an oxygen bar?

For something really different and typically only found in larger metropolitan areas, the Venetian has Breathe, one of the many oxygen bars that can be found in Las Vegas.  Breeze on in and inflate yourself with the finest of o2!  These oxygen bars seem to floating on a cushion of popularity and are well patronized.

Yet another element of the variety to be found at the Venetian is a branch of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.  Some of the wax figures are so life-like it is spooky.  Touching of the freestanding exhibits is actually allowed which can add great fun to a visit and provides unique photo opportunities.

Entrance to Madame Tussaud's in the Venetian