Red rock casino resort & spa

How did it strike you on arrival?
This hotel channels all the glamour of old Vegas, with backlit onyx, tinted glass and thousands of Swarovski crystals reminiscent of classics like the Desert Inn. But it also feels really contemporary and natural: Since it backs up against the stunning Red Rock Conservation Area, its rooms and public areas are very much in keeping with the colors of the desert—natural hues and dark woods with pops of color.

What’s the crowd like?
This hotel is hugely popular with a drive-in crowd from California and elsewhere, because of its proximity to the conservation area. It's right off the beltway, so about a 20-minute drive to the Strip, but most people come here to be away from Las Vegas Boulevard. As are the other casinos operated by Station Casino, it's known as a locals' casino, and gets tons of foot traffic. Its restaurants, too, are popular with the locals, and since the adjacent Downtown Summerlin opened, with its own retail and restaurants, this area feels like a paradise for Las Vegans. It recently completed at $35 million renovation, which included expanding the restaurant offerings. And those who associate locals’ casinos with old-timers playing bingo should check out the new High Limit Room, a 9,000-square-foot salon of table games attended by dedicated butler service.

The good stuff: Tell us about your room.
I most recently stayed in a deluxe king, a 500-square-foot room with a great view of the mountains. The hotel has stayed current with frequent upgrades, and was always smartly and timelessly outfitted in dark chocolate browns and neutral tones with pops of color. The King Deluxe is one of quite a few room categories (including a recently renovated 7,500-square-foot penthouse), and is the smallest of them all but feels spacious.

We’re craving some deep, restorative sleep. They got us?
Bright white Egyptian cotton sheets feel cool and luxurious and the bed was among the best I've slept on in Las Vegas. It was high and firm, with four big fluffy pillows and a big duvet.

How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that find its way into your suitcase?
The mini-bar is pretty standard, and with standard mini-bar prices. But there are nice amenities, too, like TVs in the bathrooms (actually in the tub, not up on the ceiling, so you can relax in the tub and watch TV).

Please tell us the bathroom won’t let us down.
Bathrooms are big, dark walled and dual vanity affairs with marble baths and countertops. They feel large and luxurious. The products are Gilchrist and Soames.

Maybe the most important topic of all: Wi-Fi. What’s the word?
The Wi-Fi was great, and included in the daily $40 resort fee.

Food & Drink One of the most standout restaurant additions in all of Las Vegas arrived here in 2020, when James Beard Award winner and legendary Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri relocated to Red Rock from The Palms (which had closed, and later sold). His nOsteria Fiorella, with its sunny patio that has fantastic views toward Red Rock Conservation Area, is one of the best new restaurants in the Vegas Valley. Go there for beautiful handmade pastas, whole branzino cooked over a wood fire, and beef short rib pappardelle. Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill (the very same from Bruce and Eric Bromberg) is another addition to Red Rock’s renovated dining scene. Loyalists can be comforted that this iteration still serves their fried chicken. A new location for the city’s legendary Lotus of Siam restaurant and a Greek sleeper hit, Naxos Taverna and Kallisto Oyster Bar are other recent additions.

Room service: Worth it?
This is an 800-room hotel (not a 4,000-room hotel, like some on the Strip), but its in-room dining menu is just as vast as many of the largest hotels. There are lots of fresh-pressed juices and a la carte options at breakfast, with prices that are lower than those of the Strip. Signature breakfasts include building your own omelets, and winners on the dinner menu include a burger from Red Rock's T-Bones steakhouse, which is prime ribeye and lobster.There's also a nice kids' menu—this is a kid-friendly place—and a good, solid in-room drinks menu, too.

Staff: If you could award one a trophy, who gets it, and why?
I loved that when I called the operator to ask to be transferred to someone at the concierge desk (to help me log in to the Wi-Fi), he told me he could help me, and walked me through logging in. It was nice not to be put on hold.

Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.
The spa was a part of the $35 million hotel overhaul, and is well worth checking in. Managed by spa company Well & Being, it is like checking into a destination spa that also happens to have a bustling casino and restaurant scene downstairs. Classes like yoga accompanied by live music in an indoor-outdoor setting; fitness extras like a "Bod Pod" that measures your body fat; classes like wall yoga; and all sorts of specialty spa treatments like Thai massage and acupuncture make the spa exceptional. Add that to excursions you can easily take into Red Rock Conservation Area for hiking, and you can easily engineer a fabulous destination spa experience for yourself.

Accessibility Red Rock is one of the easiest resorts in Las Vegas for those with accessibility needs. Virtually all the dining is on one level. The casino and gaming areas, IMAX Complex, bowling alley, fitness center, spa and salon, as well as guestrooms and registration area are all accessible.

What was most memorable—or heartbreaking—about your stay?
The most memorable things about this hotel are its big pools (there are three acres of pools) with cabanas and a poolside bar, as well as the completely fabulous and overhauled spa on one side. Then on the casino side, there's a wealth of great restaurants (and more on the way) plus a movie theater, bowling alley, and even a kids zone where you can drop off the little ones for about $10 an hour and get some time for yourself. It feels like two very separate sides to one great resort.

Bottom line: worth it, and why?
Staying in this resort is absolutely the best way to see a part of Vegas that most people who just go to the Strip are missing. It manages to be in tune with the gorgeous red rock mountains but also give visitors and locals a fantastic restaurant and gaming scene (locals frequent the movie theater and the bowling alley).