Venetian casino resort

As a regular visitor to Las Vegas, I can say from experience that deciding where to stay in Sin City is often the most difficult part of planning a trip there.

Do you lean into the hyper-themed resorts that transport guests to far-flung places like France, Egypt or ancient Rome? Do you book a room at a newer resort that forgoes the kitsch in favor of a more contemporary, classy ambiance? Or do you base your stay on which property offers the best suites? (And there are some wild, over-the-top suites on and off the Strip.)

On my most recent trip to Las Vegas to see my favorite band, The Chicks, in concert, I decided to lean into the themed side of Las Vegas and booked a room (well, suite) at The Venetian. I had just few simple must-haves for my stay: a great pool, a big room at an affordable price and a central location that made it easy to walk to other great attractions. The Venetian checked all of those boxes and more.

If you're considering a stay at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas , here's what you need to know before booking.

Related: Best hotels in Vegas for a Sin City getaway

What is The Venetian Resort Las Vegas?

In Las Vegas, bigger is usually better — and The Venetian happens to be one of the biggest hotel complexes on the planet. Originally opened in on the former grounds of the historic Sands Hotel and Casino, today the resort comprises over 7, all-suite rooms across three towers: The original Venetian Tower, the more secluded Venezia overlooking the Strip and The Palazzo, an attached sister property that has a slightly more upscale vibe.

Across all three of the towers, the resort leans heavily into its Italian theme, from a replica of St. Mark's Campanile on Las Vegas Boulevard to a larger-than-life reproduction of Michelangelo's works in the Sistine Chapel, not to mention an indoor shopping mall with real canals and gondolas for guests to ride. If you're a big fan of resorts that transport you from the desert of Las Vegas to a living fantasy, this one certainly does it in a way that's both fun and elegant without feeling tacky or like it's trying too hard.

The resort also fields plenty of amenities to keep guests busy during stays both long and short. There are more bars and restaurants than you could count on all of your toes and fingers (including many restaurants from celebrity chefs), a recently renovated five-acre pool deck, two casino floors, a mall, an ice bar, a wax museum, a spa and one of the most popular nightclubs in town.

It's also important to note that The Venetian is attached to The Venetian Expo (formally the Sands Expo), so the massive resort welcomes a huge number of travelers for conventions and conferences.

How to book The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

There are a handful of ways to book rooms at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, and, like pretty much every Las Vegas resort, rates can fluctuate dramatically throughout the year, especially when big events like the upcoming Formula 1 race and Super Bowl LVIII are taking place.

Looking at the direct booking calendar for the rest of the year, you can find rates as low as $ per night to upwards of $1, per night. If booking directly, sign up for the resort's Grazie Rewards to unlock special rates and deals to save money on stays.

The Venetian is also part of IHG's InterContiental Alliance, meaning guests can earn and burn IHG One Rewards points for stays. Playing with various dates on the IHG website, many of the single-night dates I put in came back empty for award bookings. The nights I did find availability for ranged from 37, points to 88, points apiece. That said, even if you do have IHG elite status, don't expect much preferential treatment.

Folks who hold an American Express® Gold Card can enjoy benefits through The Hotel Collection when booking a minimum two-night stay. They include a $ credit to use on qualifying dining, spa, and resort activities, plus a room upgrade (when available).

Every room's a suite with lots of space

One of the main draws to The Venetian is the fact that entry-level rooms start at square feet for a Luxury King Suite and square feet for a Luxury Two Queen Suite — and go up in square footage from there. The rooms are divided into a sleeping area with one or two beds, a inch TV and a closet, and a sunken living room with a soft fabric couch, multiple armchairs, a large desk, another inch TV and a round dining table with chairs.

There is also a stocked mini fridge with loads of options, including spirits, wine, Champagne, beers and sodas. There's also a table-top snack section, all of which you can purchase by simply taking the product and consuming it. Just note, like nearly everything in Vegas these days, nothing here comes cheap.

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Overall I found my Luxury King Suite Strip View on the 33rd floor comfortable and classy, if a little dated in terms of style. Considering Vegas is a place where proper rest can be elusive, I thoroughly appreciated having so many places to sit and kick back between the hustle and bustle of my trip. At night, I found the bed utterly comfortable and hallway noise remained at a minimum (just know even the thickest of doors and walls might not stop 4 a.m. bachelorette party giggles in the corridor).

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One slight gripe I had during my three-night stay was that while my room technically had a view of the strip, it was very obstructed by the small Venezia tower directly below. Fortunately, though, there was a direct view down to The Mirage, my favorite resort in town, and its iconic volcano that erupts hourly in the evenings. (Sadly, the volcano will soon be torn down and replaced with a giant guitar-shaped building as the resort transforms into a Hard Rock-branded property.)

My favorite part of the suite was the bathroom, which featured a shower, a large soaking tub, a double vanity, a separate room hiding the toilet and a small TV in the corner. At square feet, the bathroom was the perfect place to get ready for the evening — and even better for washing away the previous night's debauchery.

It's also worth noting that there are club-level rooms available, which give guests access to the Prestige Club Lounge. Prestige Club suites come with a private check-in area (and Las Vegas check-in lines can be brutal), prosecco upon arrival, daily continental breakfast, afternoon tea and coffee, appetizers and cocktails in the evening, a dedicated concierge and more.

The pool just got an incredible makeover

For an early May visit to Las Vegas, I knew carving out time at the pool was a must, and luckily The Venetian has two pool decks spread over five acres for visitors to enjoy: The Venetian Pool Deck and The Palazzo Pool Deck. Recently the resort totally overhauled The Venetian Pool Deck and its four pools by giving it some fine Italian upgrades, revamping the cabanas and swapping out the old lounge chairs for new ones

Though I wanted to reserve a cabana with a plunge pool, I wasn't willing to spend over $1, for air conditioning, a couch and shade, even though they were gorgeous. Instead, we opted to reserve the exact area of lounge chairs we wanted using the resort's digital reservation site for $50 per chair.

Arriving early, the pool started out quiet and relaxing, and the drink service was fast (though expensive). I'd recommend getting there as soon as the pool opens so you can snag the exact chair you want, which for us, was in a corner area away from the bigger groups of chairs that felt too close together.

By early afternoon, though, the entire vibe of the pool had changed as all the chairs filled up, bachelorette parties were raging, and techno music was blaring from speakers hidden throughout the area. It wasn't rowdy, but don't expect to sit and read a book. To make things more wild, the wall of Tao Beach Club seemed to butt up against the area where I was sitting, so the noise of partying crowds and giant smoke machines was a factor in the later part of the day.

That said, I had a blast people-watching at the beautiful pool. What I didn't enjoy was the sunburn that followed — don't underestimate that Las Vegas sun, y'all.

Related: The best hotel pools in Las Vegas

There's food for every taste bud

One thing that's harder than picking a hotel in Las Vegas is deciding where to eat (and then securing a reservation). At The Venetian, nobody should go hungry — and even the pickiest of eaters should find something to eat. Dining options range from a fast-and-easy food hall with the likes of Subway and Chipotle to a Strip outpost of the Michelin-starred restaurant Bouchon by James Beard Award-winner Thomas Keller. In fact, The Venetian claims to have the largest restaurant collection in Las Vegas.

Folks who love Asian food should check out a franchise of Hong Kong favorite Mott 32 for upscale Chinese delicacies like Peking duck or head over to the Shinjuku-inspired Wakuda for some of the best sushi in town. With Vegas's reputation for restaurants from some of the world's top celebrity chefs, it shouldn't come as a shock that The Venetian hosts eateries from Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Lorena Garcia and others. Also, at Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, larger-than-life milkshakes will certainly leave an impression.

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To really transport yourself to Venice, stop for breakfast at Zeppola Cafe and enjoy a cold brew ($) and a ham and cheese croissant ($14) under the faux sky in an Italian-inspired plaza in the Grand Canal Shoppes. For dinner with the same ambience, grab a table at Brera Osteria for a $60 prix-fixe Italian dinner featuring dishes like an Italian chop salad, chicken parmigiana and tapioca panna cotta.

When those late-night munchies hit, Grand Lux Cafe, an offshoot of The Cheesecake Factory, is open 24/7 right off the casino floor. Or, is there anything better than a 4 a.m. burger from room service?

 Home to some of Las Vegas's hottest clubs

Las Vegas is known for its wilder-than-wild club scene, and The Venetian happens to be home to one of the city's most popular nightclubs, Tao, alongside Tao Beach Day Club. At Tao, regular folk and celebrities dance all night on the main dance floor and in private boxes, sip straight from the bottle and tables and enjoy sets from some of the world's biggest DJs. Purchase tickets online starting at $20 for women and $30 for men, but prices vary based on the event.

At Tao Beach Day Club, dubbed "an Asian-inspired tropical oasis," the party moves poolside for an outdoor extravaganza that's loud, boozy and definitely a scene — I wouldn't know since my only experience with it was listening to the sounds of it echo across The Venetian Pool. Presale tickets for events like Thursday's Out of Office party start at $

Kitschy attractions abound

There's plenty to do at The Venetian besides partying and gambling. For starters, jump on a gondola inside the Grand Canal Shoppes or outside of the front of the hotel on the strip for a serene ride for $39 per person. Or, jump on the series of people movers outside the Strip exit of the Shoppes and head to Madame Tussauds to see wax versions of Vegas legends Elvis and Celine Dion. You can also catch a show like the Atomic Saloon Show, a "raunchy romp through the wild, Wild West as it never was," or see a rotating assortment of headliners.

The Canyon Ranch spa is the place to relax and recharge

Spas in Las Vegas are a dime a dozen, but Canyon Ranch Spa + Fitness Las Vegas takes it to the next level. I personally didn't book a treatment during this trip. However, there's basically no service they can't pull off, from couple's stone massage and HydroFacials to simply sitting back in the Salt Grotto taking in the salubrious scene. On the fitness side, classes are available daily, and there's a foot rock climbing wall to enjoy. If you work up an appetite, there's even a Canyon Ranch Grill.

One of the world's most state-of-the-art entertainment venues is opening soon

Set to open on Sept. 29 with a series of concerts from U2, the Sphere is an immersive entertainment venue unlike any other on Earth — in a building that's redefining the Strip. Inside the globe-looking structure, which can hold up to 20, people, a special screen will encapsulate spectators alongside special seats that will bring concerts and other visual shows to life.

Outside, the foot-tall Sphere (the largest spherical structure on the planet) will feature a ,square-foot LED display that can basically become anything — like city-sized basketball or, freakily, a human eyeball.

Checking out

I've been visiting Las Vegas since I could talk, and I'm a big fan of over-the-top Las Vegas resorts. The Venetian leans into its theme in a smart way that's more elegant than tacky. Combine that with an extensive dining scene, an epic pool, great shopping, huge rooms, a central location and the upcoming Sphere, and it's hard to beat.

All of those things, amplified with a ready-to-party convention crowd, also make it overwhelming at times, as there's just too much to see, do and experience in a single trip. Thankfully, my experience with the staff was great, and even when I was overwhelmed by it all, a friendly face was there to help me find what I needed or give me advice about what to do.

I wouldn't hesitate in the slightest to stay at The Venetian again, but next time I'll give the rooms at The Palazzo a try.

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