The Venitian Las Vegas is one of the most iconic and prestigious Hotel and Casino resorts located on the Las Vegas Strip. The Hotel building is designed as a homage to the Italian city of Venice and is strongly themed around this concept, replicating various architectural features of the City such as St Marks Square, The Doge Palace, The Lions of Venice, the Rialto Bridge, and of course the Canals and waterways of the iconic Italian city. It also keeps the theme running throughout the interior with a flourish of fine Italian styling throughout.
The Whole resort concept is one of pure decadence and luxury. It’s one of the Strip’s highest-end offerings and can cost quite a pretty penny to stay here, so we take a look at whether staying at the Venetian Las Vegas is Worth it. We take a look at the rooms, the pool, the dining options, and the Casino to show you exactly what to expect from the Venitian and whether it’s worth the money. Welcome to The Venetian Las Vegas Review.
- Introduction
- Venetian Location
- History of the Venetian
- What We Love
- What We Don’t Love
- Best Rooms at the Venetian
- Room Price Guide
- Venetian Pool
- Venetian Casino
- What to Eat at the Venetian
- What to Do at the Venetian
- Best Time to Visit the Venetian
Introduction to the Venetian Hotel And Casino Las Vegas
- The Venetian, Las Vegas
- Owner – Vici Properties
- Location – Central Las Vegas Strip
- Theme – Venice / Italy
- Room Rates – High-End ($250-400 a night)
- Resort Fee – $35
- Self Parking Fee – $Free
- Our Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.6/5 Stars
The Venitian Las Vegas is a truly colossal Hotel, Casino, and Resort. It is the second-largest Hotel in the world, with nearly 200,00 square feet of gaming space, making it one of the biggest combined gaming spaces in Las Vegas.
There are two colossal Pool Decks, a Gigantic shopping center, themed around the Grand Canals of Venice, and two monstrous hotel towers. The Rooms are all Suites and the largest standard rooms in Las Vegas, and with over 7000 rooms, it’s the largest in Las Vegas. From the moment you arrive in the opulent Foyer, to wandering down the Grand Gallery heading to the massive Casino, and exploring the meandering streets of the Grand Canal Shoppes, just staying at the Venetian is a real experience and one that is steeped in opulence and luxury.
The Venetian Tower
The Original Part of the Hotel was the Venetian Tower. This 3,036 all-suite tower is styled in a Renaissance Italian architectural theme. It features standard rooms that are 650 square feet and offer two-level living spaces. For reference, a basic room at Caesars Palace would be 425ft and the Bellagio is 500ft so there is a huge amount of extra space in the standard room/suites. The Bed is raised up above the spacious living area, which features a large flat-screen tv (there is also one for the Bed area as well) Multiple seating options, a small dining table, and a desk. The final flourish is the large floor-to-ceiling windows with electronic blinds/curtains.
For basic rooms, the Venetian Tower is Really stunning and one of the highlights of staying at the Venetian is every room is of at least this standard.
The Palazzo Tower
The Pallazzo is the Sister hotel to the Venetian, but in reality, it is more than just a sister hotel and is practically part of the same resort. The Hotel has its own lobby, entrance, and pool deck, but it is all interconnected and operates almost as one. It’s kind of the upmarket section of an already pretty upmarket hotel.
The tower holds another 3000+ plus all-suite rooms and these are even larger and more luxurious than the Venetians. The Tower itself is a bit of a monster, it was the largest building in the city for a good few years (recently piped by the resorts world tower and soon to be the Fontainebleau Tower) at over 642 ft tall. The tower was opened to rival the ever-expanding super casinos that have populated the city and to help keep the Venetian relevant and profitable.
Venizza Tower
There is also the smaller Venizza tower that was opened in 2003 to give a little extra capacity to the main hotel. It’s not much to look at and was built over the main parking lot, is not that tall, and does not offer the best views but the rooms are every bit as good as the Venetian.
The Grand Canal Shoppes
The Grand Canal Shoppes is a colossal Shopping mall built between the Palazzo and the Venitian Towers and link the two buildings without ever having to step outside or on the strip. The design is a replica of the City of Venice, with working canals, rambling shopping streets, various restaurants, and a large replica of St Marks Square complete with outdoor dining areas, all under a flawless, painted blue sky.
This is the kind of place Las Vegas is famous for pulling off. A total fabrication of reality and somewhere that needs to be seen to be appreciated. A tourist attraction in its own right and somewhere most visitors to Vegas want to check out. It’s really handy to have it on site when staying at the Venetian.
Outdoor Spaces
As you arrive at the Venetian you will be greeted by some of the most impressive architecture in Vegas. There is a large outside with architectural features taken from the City. There is a large outdoor portion of the Canals, only Vegas’s are a little less smelly. The Rialto Bridge Crosses the roadways and Canals, while another footbridge allows you to look down on the Gonalas passing underneath. St. Mark’s Campanile towers over the scene while the Lion of Venice keeps watch. It is one of the best settings in Vegas and really helps you realize you have arrived in Venice, Italy!
There are 3 separate pool decks to enjoy and these are also heated so stay open most of the winter.
MSG Sphere
The Newest addition to the Venetian is the MSG Sphere. This brand-new high-tech arena is not exactly inconspicuous and once finished will be even more unmissable. The entire outside of the sphere is the world’s largest and highest resolution LED Screen and will show the events indoors on its exterior along with various displays such as Halloween Pumpkins, snow globes, or anything else the sphere decides it wants to be.
Coming REAL soon!
Venetian Conference Center
The final major element of the resort is the humongous conference center. Again the center is simply huge covering a mammoth 2.25 million square feet.
The Location Venetian Las Vegas
The Location is strangely imperfect. On first appearance, it seems the perfect location, located centrally on the strip right beside everything that a Las Vegas Visitor would want to visit, however when staying there it never really feels like it’s close to anything!
Ok, it’s obviously right across the street from the Mirage and only a short walk doe the strip to the Forum Shops. But anything else requires quite a colossal walk to get to. The Bellagio is only 2 hotels down, and largely what we consider to be the Center of all things Las Vegas. Despite that seemingly short distance, it’s over 1000 meters, a full Kilometer (0.6 miles) to get to the Bellagio and that’s from the nearest strip access. You could easily clock another km up navigating the maze of a Hotel.
Overall while it looks like it’s very central it really is quite out of the way. Not in the same way as the Wynn or Mandalay Bay, but in a way, it’s worse. As it feels closer, you make almost all your trips on foot and can end up walking a huge distance when staying at the resort.
The good news is, there is just about everything you could want, and need, contained within the resort so really there is no need to leave that often.
Venetian Las Vegas History
In 1989 Steve Wynn opened the Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip and basically changed everything. A race was started to build the biggest, the best, and most luxurious hotels in the world right here in the desert. With the Bellaigo scooping the most luxurious award and the MGM Grand being the biggest resort plans were put in place to pip them both with a gigantic and incredibly luxurious Resort.
The world-famous Sands Hotel, home of the Rat Pack, was imploded to make way for the colossal hotel. With over 3000 rooms and a 120,000 ft gaming floor, it was one of the largest casinos in the world, and after the Palazzo opened in 2003 bolstering the size to 4,049 it became not only the largest hotel in Las Vegas but the World (currently second to First Worl Hotel in Malazia). The Descendant theming and All-Suites concept also catapulted it to the top of the Luxury stakes. The huge Suites are 720 square feet rooms are the largest standard accommodation on the strip and offer two levels of living space and gigantic Luxurious bathrooms.
In 2021 the sale of the hotel was announced with the property giant Vici buying up another of the strip’s iconic properties, and the resort operation being taken on by Apollo Global Management.
Owned by the Venetian Resort, The MSG Sphere is one of Las Vegas’s newest and most highly anticipated attractions. A giant spherical Arena surrounded by a giant screen makes it the world’s largest TV screen and one of the most ambitious and intriguing concert venues in the world. The Sphere is due to open in 2023.
Despite being owned by Vici Properties we still see the Venetain as independent and one of the few Strip Properties not owned by the Big Two, Ceasars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts.
What we Love about the Venetian Las Vegas
There really is a lot to like about the Venetian, but here are our favorite reasons to stay here
All-Suite Hotel
The Rooms are simply huge. With even high-end hotel rooms still pretty small and cramped with little room for much besides the bed, it’s great to have all this space even if you book the base rooms.
Decadent and Luxuouriois rooms
The Rooms are also one of the highest class of rooms in Vegas, there really is only the Wynn that can compete with the pure luxury of the Venetian’s fixtures, fittings, and finishes. The rooms are just stunning to behold and a great place to spend some time.
There is so much to see and do in Vegas, that some people do not spend much time in their room, but when it’s this nice, it’s fine just to spend a few hours relaxing with a drink rather than storming around the strip.
Fun and interesting theming throughout.
Just staying at the Venetian is an experience in itself. The Foyer is simply stunning, with marble floors, a domed ceiling covered in Frescas, and ornate fountains, it’s a fantastic place to arrive into. The Grand Galley connects the Reception to the Casino and is very Sistine Chapel-esque. The Casino floor is huge, and with many restaurants and dining options, the Grand Canal Shoppes will be your go-to dining location. Once inside you need never leave, which is handy as it’s not always obvious how to!
Excellent Pool
With three Pool Decks to choose from and one of the best Day clubs at Tao Beach, the Venetian is the perfect place to spend a few hours relaxing by the azure Mediterranean-themed pools.
We also love the fact the pools are heated and we can make use of these in the winter when the warm winter sun is still hot enough to sit outside for a few hours.
Huge Casino
The Casino is a real monster. The Venetian is 120,000 sq ft, putting it in the top 10 Vegas Casinos, but then it has the 105,000 sq ft Pallazo casino on site as well making this arguably the largest Casino in the City. With over 300 Tables and 2000+ Slot Machines, it’s a BIG exciting Casino with a lot of choice!
Endless Dining and Shopping options
With the Grand Canal Shoppes and two different hotels, there are a huge amount of dining and shopping options available in the Resort. Possibly more than any other Resort on the strip. There is a distinct lack of budget options but there is really something for everyone and we love the “al Fresco” dining option in St Mark’s Square where you can dine outside, inside, in perpetual perfect weather under the painted blue skies
Cheaper than you imagine
Ok, neither the Venetian nor the Palazzo is cheap. However, they may not be quite as expensive as you might think. When you consider what you are getting for your money, it’s not such a bad price, and often cheaper than some lesser quality hotels.
Free Parking
Who doesn’t like free parking? The Valet is $35 but self-park is free, but the Venetian is one of the last remaining hotels on the strip to offer this…who knows how long it will last.
What we Don’t Like about the Venitian Las Vegas
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Nothing is perfect and there are a few issues and drawbacks we have found to staying at the Venetian.
Poor Views
Despite really tall towers and huge expansive views, on the whole, the views from The Venetian’s Rooms are not actually the best. The orientation of the tower just doesn’t lead to great views. They are not bad views, especially from the high floors. They just do not seem to have been built to give the greatest views.
The Palazzo is no better and the Strip Views are pretty rank, there are better views available, and considering this is one of the tallest buildings in the city, they really are a letdown. The strip views look out over the very north of the strip and are not the kind of view you expect. The City Views looking out over the back of the resort are pretty spectacular with the mountains in the distance, but it’s not the strip views many dream of!
We also find the Windows are often Dirty!
Imperfect Location
We mentioned this in the location section but just want to reiterate. It looks like you are right in the heart of Vegas, but everything seems a long way off from the Venetian, and doubly so the Palazzo. We never walk quite as much in Vegas as we do when staying at the Venetian.
Very Large Resort
The Resort is colossal. Even as the crow flies the two towers are 1,000ft apart and there is no simple way to get between the two. It’s a long meandering hike through casinos and Canal Themed Shopping Malls. This is really fun the first few times but if you just want to get somewhere it becomes a real boar.
As we discussed the location of the Resort is not perfect, and staying here requires an awful lot of walking regardless, but the gigantic labyrinth maze that lies within only exacerbates this. We can do 5,000 steps just to get some breakfast!
Still Expensive
We explained above that the Resort might not be as expensive as you imagine, but it’s still pretty pricey. We think it’s good value as you get so much for your money, but it’s still a big chunk of change. You need to decide if that’s money well spent and you will make the most of the stunning rooms, or if you could bare something less well appointed and put the extra money to better use.
If you are not planning on spending time in the room and the resort you might be better off going lower-end and saving some cash. We love the extra space and are happy to spend time enjoying the room, but some people really are just hitting the casinos and partying and there is little point in having such luxury going to waste!
Lack of Budget Dining
It might sound odd but we really find it a chore to get something quick and cheap to eat. There are tons of great dining options in the resort but even getting a coffee seemed a challenge. We normally end up just heading out of the resort and hitting up a Starbucks as it felt easier and cheaper than most of the resort options.
Let us know in the comments at the end if you have any more negatives about the resort.
Is It Worth It Staying at the Venetian?
Overall we really love the Venetian. The level of Luxury is so far above most of the competition. There are several hotels that rival the Venetian on Price but most fall down in some way. The Wynn, The Cosmopolitan, and The Bellagio are about the only hotels offering the same level of luxury as the Venetian.
The Bellagio offers the prime position, and a high level of luxury, but the rooms are smaller and often more expensive.
The Wynn is right up there with the Venetian, but price-wise, it’s way above the Venetian and has all the same problems, being so far north on the Strip.
The Cosmopolitan is about the only Hotel that matches up, but it’s a much smaller resort and offers a more modern form of luxury rather than the decedent Italian flare of the Venetian. Honestly, we struggle to decide, but price-wise the Venetian normally comes out lower than the Cosmopolitan, but overall you need to stay in both!
Anything else on the Strip falls down in several ways. The other hotels are just not on the same level. Normally they will be cheaper, but you are getting a whole lot less for your money. The Venetian is definitely worth the extra splash, assuming you value your resort and your room more than having extra money to spend in and around Vegas.
The Venetian Las Vegas Price Guide
| Room Type | Weekday Price | Weekend Price |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury King Suite | $250 | $350 |
| Fountain View (King or 2 Queen) | $320 | $400 |
| Resort Tower King | $280 | $380 |
| Newly Renovated Premier King (King or 2 Queen) | $270 | $370 |
| Stay-Well Resort (King or 2 Queen) | $300 | $400 |
| Stay-Well Fountain View (King or 2 Queen) | $350 | $450 |
| Salone Suite | $500 | $650 |
| Bellagio Suite | $600 | $700 |
| Luxury Suites | $1000+ | $1200+ |
Best Rooms At the Venetian Las Vegas
The highlight of your Stay at the Venetian will be the stunning rooms even the worst rooms are still magnificent and you might just begrudge leaving them even for the wonders Vegas has to offer.
Luxury King Suite
- Venetian Tower
- 650 sqft
- Price $200 – $350
The basic Rooms at both the Venetian and the Palazzo are really stunning places to lay your head. The Rooms offer sunken living areas, a separate sleeping space, two TVs large windows with automatic black-out blinds, and palatial bathrooms adorned in Marble.
These are available at both the Pallazo and Venetian and come in Two Queen Bed Varieties as well, with the Pallazo Rooms being a touch larger at 720 sqft. With such amazing standard rooms available we really see little reason to upgrade to the slightly larger premium options which do not use their space that well and do not really justify the upgrade costs.
Views are also an issue and while we love a good Strip View Room, these are not good Strip views, as we discussed. For us, the best option is the City View. This guarantees you a high floor and some nice views just many not of the strip.
Grand King One Bedroom Suite
- Venetian Tower
- 1,300 sqft
- $500-$800
If you are going to push the boat out look out for the Grand King and Grand King One Bedroom at the Venetian. These are really stunning suites that are not completely unaffordable. They offer quirky layouts, stunning bathrooms, and even wet bars.
These are really nice rooms and you will really struggle to find better on the strip without busting the big bucks out!
Overall you really can’t go wrong with room choice at the Venetian. Even the most basic rooms are really stunning and are one of the top reasons to stay at the Venetian. The hardest choice is choosing between the Venetian and The Palazzo.
Full Guide to the Best Rooms at the Venetian and Palazzo
Choosing Between the Venetian and the Palazzo.
Overall there is not too much to separate the two towers. The rooms are similar even if the palazzo standard rooms are a touch larger. But the Venetian has a better location nearer the center strip. However, it’s that location that also acts as a potential negative. Being such an Obvious draw the Venetina gets a lot of Through traffic.
Thousands of people flock to the Venetian to check out its incredible charm, sights, attractions, and iconic Shopping Centre. Staying in the Venetian can feel like staying in a massive tourist attraction…as that is what it is. This adds a real Buzz and excitement to the place, but it’s not for everyone.
The Palazzo, being further away and on the other side of most of the sights, does not attract the same sorts of crowds. This end of the resort is much calmer and more relaxed and more civilized. If barely being able to get out of your elevators for crowds is a big no-no for you, definitely consider the Palazzo, it just might be worth the extra few thousand steps to get away from the hordes.
You get access to both pool decks regardless of your tower, but we find we stick to the pool associated with the tower we are staying in, simply for ease of access.
The Venetian Pool Deck
- Location – The Venetian Las Vegas, Las Vegas
- Venetian Pool Deck – 4 Pools – One Spa Pool – Water Chairs
- Palazzo Pool Deck – 6 Pools – 4 Spa Pools
- Venezia Pool Deck – 1 Pool – 3 Spa Pools
- Bars and Restaurants – Spritz and Capri Restaraunt and Bar / Truth and Tonic Health Bar
- Theme – Italian Terrace
- Drink Prices – $$$$
Regardless of which tower you stay in you still get access to all of the Venetian Resort pools. Such a large resort is always going to require a pretty large pool area and the Original Venetian deck was fairly small, so when the Palazzo was built they popped in an additional and larger deck to cope with the extra demand.
This means there are two large decks available to all customers. The Venetian has just also had a complete makeover and no oozes reserved style and sophistication while the Palazzo is slightly more natural and well-planted. They both take their cues from Italian architecture and are reminiscent of the Italian lakes or Tuscany rather than Venice itself.
Both Decks have a restaurant and bar, with poolside dining and an extensive, but rather expensive drinks menu. You can choose from a large number of free seats or pay to reserve beds, a Daybed, or one of the Venetians seriously plus Cabanas.
Overall the Decks are a great way to while away a few hours at the Venetian and an absolute must for anyone staying in the resort.
Full info on the Venetian and Palazzo Pool HERE
The Venetian Casino
- Average Table Wager – $15-$50
- Floor Size – 205,000 sqft (Venetian and Palazzo Combined)
- Slot Machines – 2000+
- Games Available – 300+ Tables- Craps, blackjack, roulette, Spanish 21, Let It Ride Stud Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Three Card Poker, Fortune Progressive Pai Gow poker, mini/midi baccarat, Pai Gow tiles, and Imperial Baccarat
The Venetian Casino is one of the biggest in the City at 120,000 sq ft and with over 1200 Slot Machines 150+ Table Games and a 37-table Poker room. The Venetian Casino is enough to compete with any resort in the City. However, the Venetian wanted to do more than Compete so the Palazzo has its own 100,000 sqft Casini with another 900 Slots, 150+ Tables, and a more relaxed and elegant style.
That’s 2000+ Slots, 300+ Table Games, and 200,000 sqft of gaming, which is massive by anyone’s standards. There is just about every imaginable slot machine from old-school penny slots, High-Limit Mahines up to $5000 per spin, and clunky old one-armed bandits to dazzling video-based games with jaw-dropping Progressive Jackpots. Table Games tend to have pretty high minimums with most games at least $15 to play and often $25 in the evenings and weekends.
The Atmosphere at the Venetian is always really lively. There resort is massive and there is a lot of non-resort traffic that ensures the floor is always buzzing. Lots of drinks flowing, lively table games, and noise and buzz. It’s a great place to spend some time. However, we find the large amount of traffic means the floor can get a little grubby in the evening.
The Palazzo on the other hand has a very different vibe. Away from the strip traffic, its feel is more relaxed and refined. Lots of guests just take their time and enjoying the play. It’s very personal which style of casino suits you better but if you are staying at the Venetian, you have both options.
The Loyalty Scheme is also one of the best. Grazie tends to reward regular gamblers really well and send you through some really great offers with much less play than some of the other loyalty schemes.
What to Eat at the Venetian
Fantastic Food and Italian Culture go hand in hand, and Las Vegas has long since thrown off its bad food reputation. So you might expect a high-end Las Vegas Resort themed around Italy to have some pretty special dining options. And guess what?.. you would be dead right!
There is a HUGE line-up of incredible restaurants at the Venetian Resort, with huge names including Thomas Keller, Buddy V, and Wolfgang Puck all hosting restaurants at the resort. There is a huge range of cuisine to choose from, American, Italian, Israeli, Chinese, Japanese, and French, to name a few.
If there is any criticism it’s the Line-up is too vast and confusing and a little hard on the wallet. We really struggle when we just wanted a super cheap quick bite to eat such as breakfast on the go (in which case we tend to just hit the strip in search f something). However this aside and assuming you can actually narrow it down from the huge choice the Venetian and Palazzo has one of the best restaurant line-ups in Las Vegas.
Our full guide on what to eat at the Venetian will help narrow down your search and hopefully bag you the perfect spot for whichever meal you are planning.
What to Do at the Venetian
With such a massive resort area and huge numbers of guests and visitors, the Venetian is the perfect spot for a host of sights, attractions, and things to see and do. Again the Venetian does not disappoint and there are loads of things to see and do.
Gondola Rides
The Grand Canal Shoppes are themed around the Venetian Canals and quite simply if these di not have Gondalos on them they would have been massively failing. So one of the top things to do at the Venetian takes a ride on one of the Singing Gonadalas. Cruise along the indoor Canals or take a trip outside in the sunshine for 10-15 minutes of super fun,
Art And Architecture
There are some really stunning pieces of art and architecture dotted around the resort. Take a tour of some of the finest pieces and hunt out the best replica buildings from the Venice Canals.
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is the queen of tourist traps and while some of these attractions are a bit of a letdown, we love the Vegas Edition. Focusing on all things Las Vegas there are sporting and entertainment greats of the past and present and of course, you can meet the characters from the Hangover!
Shows
Vegas is not Vegas without a few shows. The Venetian has a really excellent Resident Show in Atomic Salloon from Spiegworld. There are also two extra theaters with regular touring acts and there is now the new MSG Shere that is likely to put on some of the biggest names in the world.
Shopping
As we have mentioned the Grand Canal Shoppes is one of the most iconic locations in Vegas and a Must Visit, whether you are just taking in the Canals or fancy dome high-end spending the Grand Canal Shoppes are perfect.
Night Clubs
With both Tao Night and Day Clubs residing in the Resort you can find some of the best club nights and pool parties on the whole strip.
Find out more in our Full Guide on What to See and Do at the Venetian
Best Time to Visit the Venetian
We find the Venetian is a real year-round hotel. Due to the huge indoor spaces and heated pools, you can still really enjoy the resort regardless of what the weather throws at you. If it’s 110°F and the sidewalks are melting, it’s a perfect 70°F in the Shoppes, when the clear Desert air has allowed the December nights to plunge down to below freezing, you can still enjoy a croissant in St Marks Square.
The only time to really avoid is when a big event takes over the Conference center. You can check our Conference Calander here, but you will probably know due to the price hikes. If a certain set of dates is double what it usually is, it’s probably best avoided.
Overall
There really is just so much to love about the Venetian. We never regret our time here and the abject luxury of the whole experience just makes other hotels feel a little less special every time. We love the fact the Hotel is still independent, and while we have no issue with MGM or Ceasars, it’s just nice to stay outside that sphere sometimes.
If you are looking for a really special hotel, and want to spend a few days enjoying the finer things in life the Venetian really is the perfect choice for really spoiling yourselves rotten.
Have Your Say
Let us know your thoughts on staying at the Venetian Las Vegas. Did you find it a little too far out, or was the distance, not an issue? How did you find the rooms and which room did you choose? Were there any issues we haven’t mentioned or was there something in particular you love we haven’t covered? Whatever your thoughts, or if you have any questions just fire away in the comments.