Where to stay, dine, and unwind when you barely touch a slot machine.
Written By: Teresa Greco
Las Vegas has spent decades selling the story of chance. One evening, from the balcony of the Nobu Penthouse at Caesars Palace, where friends and I gathered for cocktails high above the Strip, it became clear the city is now betting on something else: immersive luxury. From Japanese-inspired suites and Michelin pedigrees to avant-garde spas and designer shopping, Las Vegas is steadily recasting itself as a destination where wellness, style, and world-class gastronomy take centre stage, not just the casino floor.
Over a carefully planned long weekend with friends that moved between Nobu, Fontainebleau, Resorts World, Caesars Palace, The Venetian, and Bellagio, I experienced a version of Las Vegas where the dice were almost incidental. This was a city designed for indulgent weekends of spa rituals, cabana afternoons, and serious shopping, punctuated by chef-driven dinners and Cirque du Soleil’s alchemy on water.
Where to Stay: Three Takes on Las Vegas Luxury
Our story began in a boutique retreat hidden inside one of the Strip’s most iconic addresses. Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace, the world’s first Nobu-branded hotel, feels like a quiet, design-forward secret within Caesars’ legendary walls. Rooms draw on kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending porcelain with veins of gold, pairing soft neutrals and clean-lined furnishings with a calm, residential feel. Thoughtful details and, for suite guests, generous living and dining spaces make it feel like a city apartment set above the Strip’s glow. Those who want to go bigger can move up to the multi-storey Nobu Penthouses or the ultra-exclusive Nobu Villa, with its onsen-style tub and expansive rooftop terrace.
A few minutes up the Strip, The Venetian Resort and its sister tower, The Palazzo, offer another way to stay on the Strip. Here, every room is a suite with separate living areas and room to breathe. Many frame views of the mountains, the Strip or the now-iconic Sphere rising directly behind the resort. Guests who opt for Prestige-level stays gain access to a private lounge with concierge service, bubbles and bites, a welcome pause between the city’s many distractions.
For travellers who prefer a striking contemporary tower, Fontainebleau Las Vegas presents a third option. The 67-storey, glass-clad resort at the north end of the Strip pairs clean-lined rooms and floor-to-ceiling views with a deep roster of restaurants, nightlife and retail, positioning itself as a modern hub for travellers who want a fresh take on luxury in Las Vegas.
Where to Eat: From Café Classics to Chef-Driven Feasts
In the new Las Vegas, breakfast can feel as curated as a tasting menu.
Mornings began at Brasserie B Parisian Steakhouse by Bobby Flay, a polished French-inspired brasserie on the Caesars Palace casino floor where café au lait meets brioche French toast and classic steak-and-egg plates.
Another day, I traded brasserie comfort for pastry artistry at Dominique Ansel Las Vegas, where the James Beard Award-winning pâtissier serves Cronuts, cookie shots and frozen s’mores that make breakfast feel like a celebration rather than a formality.
Of course, staying at Nobu Hotel means knowing that Nobu Restaurant & Lounge is only steps away. This Las Vegas outpost introduced teppanyaki tables to the Nobu brand and remains a destination for signature dishes like Black Cod Miso and Rock Shrimp Tempura, along with a handful of plates created exclusively for the Las Vegas menu.
The city’s taste for spectacle reaches one of its high points at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, now reborn at The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort. That evening, we opted for the tasting menu, a progression that opened with briny, dramatic Smoke & Ice Oysters, followed by “The Classic” Beef Tartare, hand-cut and precisely seasoned. The centrepiece was a beautifully charred Ribeye Steak Chuletón, carved for the table and served alongside the silkiest Buttered Potato Purée, the kind of comforting side that has rightly become a house signature. At the bar, the Floral Cloud – Fords gin lifted with lemon, maraschino and crème de violette and finished with a hibiscus-rose “cloud” – felt like the restaurant in a glass: pretty, perfumed and just playful enough.
For those who want to push the envelope further, Caesars Palace also shelters Restaurant Guy Savoy, home to the only Krug Chef’s Table in the United States and one of Las Vegas’ most decorated dining rooms, ideal for travellers who plan entire itineraries around Michelin-level cooking.
Where to Relax: Spa Rituals, Cabanas & a New Wellness Vegas
If the old Vegas was fuelled by late nights, the new one has discovered recovery.
At Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Lapis Spa & Wellness feels almost cinematic in scale: a sanctuary of hydrotherapy circuits, steam and sauna experiences, and treatment rooms that play with light, sound and water. The property’s wellness focus and collection of first-to-market restaurants and bars signal just how serious Las Vegas has become about high-end, non-gaming experiences.
Across the Strip, Resorts World Las Vegas offers its own wellness signature at AWANA Spa & Wellness, known for its Fountain of Youth circuit and multi-sensory Aufguss rituals. Guests move between vitality pools, crystal-lined relaxation rooms and rain-walk experiences before resurfacing into one of the city’s most ambitious outdoor pool environments.
That’s where we spent an afternoon at the Cabana Pool, one of several distinct pools within Resorts World’s elevated deck. This more intimate, circular enclave, dotted with private cabanas reserved for Crockfords’ guests, becomes a calm, curated pocket inside the larger resort playground. A dedicated server keeps the fridge stocked and the cocktails cold while you drift between loungers and the sun-warmed water: a resort-style day built around sunshine, service and the simple pleasure of slowing down.
Where to Shop & What to Do: From Grand Canals to “O”
The luxury narrative continues in the retail arcades. At Fontainebleau, an art-led aesthetic flows into the shops, where iconic labels and emerging designers share polished, gallery-like corridors; names like Alaïa, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Zimmermann underline just how fashion-forward this new resort intends to be.
From there, we traced a path to The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort, beginning with a champagne toast at Stuart Weitzman, wandering over to Jimmy Choo for a closer look at statement heels, and then on to Montblanc for timepieces and writing instruments, past rare books, art galleries, and leather-goods boutiques. Cobblestone walkways, singing gondoliers and stone bridges channel a stylized Venice, yet the brands make it clear this is modern, international retail dressed in romance.
For those who love a stealth-luxury find, Las Vegas North Premium Outlets deliver European and American designers at compelling prices, with Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, and Burberry among the standout names. It’s entirely possible to leave with a sharply cut suit, a new weekend sneaker rotation and change left for Champagne.
Evenings brought a different kind of curation. At Bellagio, we slipped behind the casino cage into The Vault, a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge imagined for high-limit baccarat guests and VIPs. Dark woods, precise lines and a spirits list that reads like a collector’s diary create a room that feels both discreet and deeply considered.
And then there is O by Cirque du Soleil, Bellagio’s long-running aquatic masterpiece, which remains one of the city’s purest expressions of art as escape. Performers dive, twist and dance across a shifting stage of water and fire, a reminder that Las Vegas’ true currency has always been awe, not chips.
The Road Ahead
Support the Blazer sits inside a kind, repeatable rhythm: the Spark Invitational Golf Tournament, the month-long challenge, and The Gala—a cadence partners can proudly stand beside and donors can trust. Anchored in the GTA and rippling across Ontario and Canada, the model scales precisely because it stays personal. Spark Charity Foundation’s mission is to create a ripple effect of generosity and compassion. RMHC Toronto can host up to 81 families at its main residential facility (“the House”). It also runs seven Family Rooms inside partner hospitals—quiet, in-hospital spaces where families can rest. Across these programs, 4,331 families were supported last year. That scale helps explain why aiming for seven figures makes sense.
Looking ahead, supporters are invited to take part next year — wear the blazer, share a small daily moment, invite a friend, sponsor a table, or start a team at work. The structure stays simple; the outcome is tangible: visibility becomes donations, and donations become real help for families. It’s a story Toronto can keep telling—one blazer, one family, one act of generosity at a time.