Copy My Trip: loving Las Vegas

12.07.2024 - 13:41 / lonelyplanet.com / Bruno Mars

Jul 2, 2024 • 7 min read

Lonely Planet contributor, Alicia Johnson, just returned from Las Vegas. Here, she shares some tips and insights for anyone planning a similar trip of a lifetime in the Nevada desert city. 

Sometimes, going to Las Vegas for a little pampering, delicious meals and watching one of the best musical artists put on a masterful show is the trip. 

I hadn't been to Vegas in decades, and since most of what I remember is long gone, I treated this trip as my first time. It was a quick four-day affair with a packed itinerary of uniquely Las Vegas experiences, and I was excited to see, smell, hear and taste it all. Here’s a snapshot of my trip. 

The Bellagio baby! It’s one of the most iconic hotels on The Strip and the perfect backdrop for any Las Vegas stay. The rooms were large and plush. Besides the roomy bathroom, with perfect lighting, my favorite spot to relax was the comfy seafoam-colored lounge chair with matching ottoman. 

Stretching across 77 acres with nearly 4,000 rooms, the Bellagio Hotel and Casino feels like a small metropolis. There are high-end stores, restaurants, conference halls and, of course, the steady hum of casino activity mixed with the bright lights of the slot machines. 

Like most of Las Vegas, the vibe at the Bellagio is whatever you want it to be. Want to get into the thick of it? There’s always action at the tables or night clubs like Club Pirvé or The Pinky Ring by Bruno Mars (I’ll get into that later). 

Looking for something more subdued and tucked away? There’s The Vault, a dimly lit, hidden bar right off the Bellagio casino floor serving incredible cocktails (try the La Vie En Rose or the Doves & Devils Margarita) and small bites (I still dream about the truffle spaghetti). 

Aside from the stunning chandelier above the bar, everything else is bathed in darkness, adding to that “if you know, you know” feel. 

What about a cool dip? The Bellagio pool is a beautiful place to relax and was a welcome respite with the over 100-degree temperatures. For this trip, I sipped refreshing drinks and lounged on the covered deck chairs in a private cabana. 

Las Vegas has slowly rebranded itself as a foodie enclave. Gone are the days of the $0.99 all-you-can-eat buffets, now the city attracts some of the best and the brightest chefs to flex their culinary muscles. The offerings are endless – in four days I sampled a little bit of everything.

There was the prime rib and the sweet potato with chilies at Cathedrale; the fried calamari and Lettre à Coco at LPM; and the cannoli and the chicken parm sandwich at Parm Italian. However, it was the meal at ORLA at the Mandalay Bay that really blew me away.   

I’m a sucker for Mediterranean cuisine and this was one of the best meals I’ve had.