Forget about the old saying, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” As Open Jaw learned on a media FAM to Sin City recently, Las Vegas is alive with an array of new experiences, events, restaurants and attractions on and off the iconic Strip that will have everyone buzzing before, during and after their stay.
The “Entertainment Capital of the World” is still packed with exciting shows ranging from America’s Got Talent Live in a theater that fits more than 1,000 people to more intimate shows such as Atomic Saloon at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort to the Mayfair Supper Club at Bellagio Las Vegas, which combines fine dining with stellar performances - including some acts timed precisely to the Bellagio Fountains, visible from each seat.
But for years, Vegas has been expanding beyond its core – and the pandemic accelerated the pace of change. Over the last two years, Vegas doubled down on re-imagining itself on an entirely new level – especially for international visitors. Canada currently represents the city’s No. 1 international market.
“With all that’s newly opened and upcoming, there has never been a more exciting time for Canadians to experience Las Vegas,” Fernando Hurtado, senior director of global sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told Open Jaw.
“In recent years, three new resorts have opened, along with new restaurants, production shows and residencies, shopping, spas and more,” Hurtado said. “More new shows and residencies are set to debut soon including Awakening at Wynn Las Vegas and Maroon 5’s residency at Park MGM, and next year we’ll welcome the new Fontainebleau resort, the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, and much more.
"If Canadians haven’t done so already, now is the time to book travel to Las Vegas for 2023.”
High profile
The city’s been making a big push towards high-profile sporting events. In 2020, for instance, Las Vegas welcomed the Raiders as its NFL team, and in 2024, the city will host the Super Bowl.
And in NOV 2023, Las Vegas will welcome a Formula 1event – popular with global jetsetters - which promises to be among the hottest tickets in town. (The ticket sales date has not yet been announced.) The event will be held on Saturday, 18NOV, 2023, and take place with a historic, 10 pm “lights out” start.
The city is also home to the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Lights FC and other sports teams, luring fans from the rival teams who want to have a good time whether their team wins or loses.
Expanded lodging choices
An estimated $5.5 billion of development projects are underway or slated for completion over the next few years, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The city expects to add another 5,500 hotel rooms to its existing 150,000 rooms by 2024 with the opening of several properties including the Fontainebleau Las Vegas (previously called The Drew Las Vegas) on the Strip, which is expected to open in the third quarter of 2023.
And that’s in addition to the opening of newly built hotels such as Resorts World Las Vegas, which opened in June 2021. It’s a can’t-miss addition to the Vegas skyline, given the three-tower property’s deep-red color exterior and its size. The property houses three high-end hotels – the Las Vegas Hilton, Conrad Las Vegas, and Crockfords Las Vegas.
Also last year, the adults-only, sports-themed Circa Resort and Casino opened in downtown Las Vegas making it the first newbuild hotel since 1980 in that part of town. The glittering, 44-story hotel opened adjacent to the Fremont Street Experience pedestrian mall, and just a few blocks away from its sister hotel, the D Casino Hotel Las Vegas. This independently owned property opened as an adults-only hotel, and management takes that distinction seriously, with staff diligently checking visitors’ identification to prove their age at each entry point.
The hotel caters to sports fans (mostly men) with the largest sportsbook in the world where people can bet on soccer, hockey, football and basketball; a popular swimming pool area with public seating, premium cabana seating and giant video screens playing sports; and what is said to be the world’s longest bar.
Dining choices, from celebrity restaurants to comfort food
In the dining category, Martha Stewart’s been catching the most headlines with the 13AUG opening of her restaurant at the Paris Las Vegas. It’s hard to believe Stewart hasn’t had a restaurant before, given her prominence on the food culture and entertainment scene. Walking past the venue, passersby immediately get the feeling that they’re inside her Bedford, New York farmhouse with classic Stewart-style subtlety and neutral tones.
In the same resort, but worlds away in terms of style and decor, is the Vanderpump at Paris restaurant by reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump. This Parisian-style eatery showcases Vanderpump’s distinctive brand of opulence (along with her wines) at its finest, complete with a red-infused color palette, over-the-top Parisian-themed decor, giant bouquets hanging from the ceiling and dim lighting with accents from classic red fringed Parisian-style lamps. The menu – done in a newspaper style – is full of conversation starters, such as a charcuterie dramatically presented in a bird cage and a “Lovelocked” cocktail for two, with each glass coming with a tiny padlock in honor of the Paris tourist tradition of commemorating their relationship on the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge.
On the Las Vegas Strip, the Bally’s Las Vegas hotel is being converted into a Horseshoe Las Vegas property in the next couple of months. Each Horseshoe has a Jack Binion Famous restaurant that specializes in steaks aged 28 days, and this one location opened in June. “We’re trying to be a traditional classic steakhouse, but we turned items on their ear,” said Jon Vetter, the restaurant’s amiable general manager, citing the deconstructed baked potato as an example. Their goal is to treat customers like family, he said.
Of course, Italian cuisine is a fundamental part of Vegas history, and so classic restaurants such as Ferraro's are extending their hours and upping their wine inventories as customers return to Vegas. The restaurant, for instance, carries a $59,000 bottle of Petrus champagne, in addition to its menu filled with classics such as osso bucco.
Options off the Strip range from high- to low-tech
Regardless of how active people are or want to be, there’s a lot to see and experience in the area – including the desert. In fact, outdoor activities became in vogue during the pandemic, when people wanted to stay safe.
To that end, visitors can drive 30 minutes away from the Strip with their friends to discover one of the most surprising activities in Las Vegas – the chance to ride an electric-powered, 1,000-pound rail car with steel wheels on authentic, historic railroad tracks. According to Heather Abel, who runs Rail Explorers’ western region, interest in Rail Explorers’ offerings skyrocketed during COVID after a customer shared their experience on Tik Tok. The post drew more than 1 million views, sparking a wave of bookings, Abel said. She believes that one of the reasons it's so popular is that the contraption is accessible to many people, including people of all ages and abilities.
For those seeking high-tech immersive experiences, there are two new options located about a 10–minute drive away including AREA15, which features Meow Wolf’s mind-bending, immersive Omega Mart, plus Illuminarium, the large-scale experiential art and entertainment venue. One of the Illunimiarium’s current shows takes guests into outer space in a way you never thought possible.
Vegas from on high
One of the best ways for even veteran Las Vegas visitors to get a handle on the city is from the sky.
The 550-foot-tall observation wheel, located at the Linq on the Strip, lets riders ooh and ahh and snap photographs for 30 minutes as they slowly rise to the top, and then gradually descend back to earth. At the top of the High Roller Observation Wheel, riders can soak up the expansive 360-degree view as far as the eye can see. And in the spirit of Vegas being all things to all people, the wheel will in the coming months resume yogi-friendly rides, offering hour-long yoga classes on certain days.
If 550 feet isn’t high enough for your clients, Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters offers tours over Las Vegas from 1,000 feet in the sky. The company has been taking sightseers to see the Grand Canyon since 1965, and recently resumed its aerial helicopter sightseeing tours above Vegas. For high rollers, you can select a package that includes a pick-up in a stretch limo.
And don’t be surprised if you learn your pilot is also a comedian.
