LAS VEGAS — The most common refrain you’ll hear from anyone who’s been to Las Vegas — besides “what happens there, stays there” — is that it’s not like it used to be.
Vegas has evolved from the very first pair of dice thrown on a craps table like a desert tumbleweed. And it keeps changing, so much so that it’s virtually impossible for a Vegas experience to be repeated.
Since my visit in February, I can count on two hands the restaurants and bars that have opened, and at least one iconic resort, Tropicana, has closed its doors. Vegas is the Snapchat of destinations; as soon as you create a memory there, it disappears.
Here are some things to know about everything new in Vegas.
The sphere
A bright orb recently appeared in the Las Vegas sky. Getting inside should be at the top of your list.
The Sphere is an immersive concert arena featuring a 160,000 square foot LED screen. It kicked off last year with a series of U2 concerts, with tickets running into the thousands of dollars. This weekend’s Phish shows and next month’s Dead & Co. residency are also great tickets.
There’s another way to experience the world’s largest spherical structure and what could be the highest resolution screen ever: buy a $79 to $119 ticket to the Sphere Experience. Once inside, you can interact with AI talking robots, grab a drink and sit in the cinema room to watch a visually stunning Darren Aronofsky film, “Postcard From Earth”. You’ll feel the wind in your hair as you fly over the mountains, go on safari and hurtle towards space. (Really, there is a wind machine.)
New stations
It took two decades to build, but the Fontainebleau finally opened its ornate doors in December. The Strip’s tallest resort shines inside and out. With more than 30 bars and restaurants, plenty of public art, and high-end shopping, you might almost forget that it’s essentially a hotel-casino.
Across the street you will also find Resorts World Las Vegas. This collection of three Hilton brands under one roof – and several intriguing restaurants, including an Asian food hall – opened in 2021 and still looks shiny and new, complete with an expansive pool complex.
A 20-minute drive from the Strip, desert chic Durango opened late last year. The main draw is the mid-century modern casino floor, but there are also a handful of upscale restaurants and an upscale food hall, as well as a tasteful pool.
Gone are the days of flashing neon marquees, cave-like casinos and carpets scented with stale cigarettes. Las Vegas’ newest resorts are clean, airy and fresh, and don’t try to make you forget what time it is. The Fontainebleau has set its casino in an atrium under 42-foot ceilings, contrary to convention that gamblers will play longer if the space feels small and intimate.
At Durango, the casino is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and indoor and outdoor dining areas. Flooding slot machines with natural light might not seem that remarkable, but in Las Vegas, it is.
Mandalay Bay updates its rooms and adds adults-only mini golf. Rio is undergoing a $350 million renovation; so far, its exterior has been wrapped in programmable LED lighting and a dining room has been added. The volcano spectacle on the Mirage’s lawn is about to be replaced with a guitar-shaped tower to represent new owner Hard Rock International.
Downtown, the Plaza Hotel & Casino’s iconic glittering facade was transformed last summer into the circular Carousel Bar, an open-air cocktail bar offering tiki-style drinks and retro touches, as well as beer machines. outdoor video poker. The Plaza also unveiled a non-smoking, “social media-friendly” gaming space.
The 2,500 square foot area includes selfie backdrops and, more importantly, a separate air filtration system. (On the Strip, the only completely non-smoking casino is Park MGM.)
Various amenities
Millennials and Gen-Z don’t spend as much time or money at slots and tables. That doesn’t mean they don’t play; it just looks different, with more app-based options. Casinos are getting in on the action with mobile apps and sports betting.
Expect casino resorts to roll out more diverse amenities, from upscale bars and bowling alleys to ever more elaborate pool complexes and retro musical acts.
This year’s lineup at Fontainebleau’s new 3,800-seat theater is tinged with ’90s nostalgia, with Third Eye Blind, Hootie & the Blowfish and the Smashing Pumpkins. Kylie Minogue is in residence at the Venetian; Blink-182 and Jodeci play Vegas this summer; and My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy headline October’s When We Were Young festival. Of course, if Wayne Newton, Donny Osmond, Rod Stewart or Barry Manilow are more your jam, they’re all in residence as well.
Check out one of these new venues given to A-listers. Blake Shelton just opened a honkytonk, Ole Red. Bruno Mars is behind the Pinky Ring cocktail bar at the Bellagio. An “immersive art experience,” Shaq’s Fantasy Lab opened last fall, courtesy of the basketball star. And Van Halen’s Sammy Hagar will launch next month poolside at Sammy’s Island in Palms.
Gastronomy
If you thought Vegas was the epicenter of fine dining thanks to Wolfgang Puck, then you deserve another visit. While celebrity chefs are prolific on the Strip, some of the hottest restaurants around aren’t even owned by Food Network stars. These would be Mother Wolf from Los Angeles chef Evan Funke, popular Brooklyn steakhouse Peter Luger, Texas-based fast food chain Whataburger and Florentine sandwich shop All’Antico Vinaio.
Buffets have been pushed aside by food halls around the world. Resorts World’s Famous Foods imports Michelin-recognized Ah Chun Shandong Dumpling from Hong Kong and Boon Tong Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice from Singapore. Enjoy Korean fried chicken from Seoul Bird at Aria’s Proper Eats Food Hall and mezcal cocktails from Ghost Donkey at Cosmopolitan’s Block 16 food hall. Grab a slice of vodka at Prince Street Pizza at Eat Your Heart Out at Durango. And at the new Sundry Food Hall, enjoy dhaba-style dishes, tacos, rolls and fried chicken prepared by award-winning California chefs.
Snow and ice?
Yes, cold baths are all the rage in spas around the world. But I wasn’t expecting a snow shower. The Lapis spa in Fontainebleau has a 14-degree whirlpool machine in one of the many natural element-themed rooms. Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars features an Arctic Ice Room.
Meanwhile, there are a number of “ice bars” on the strip, where you can don a parka, snuggle up on a fur blanket and take photos with glasses of ice on your skis. When summer in Las Vegas hits triple digit temperatures, that’s where I’ll be.
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