The Venetian in Las Vegas celebrates a quarter century of excellence -Las Vegas Magazine
When The Venetian opened its doors 25 years ago, the Strip was a vastly different landscape. There was a convenience store on the street corner where The Palazzo now stands, and nearby golden-era casinos Desert Inn and Stardust had yet to be demolished. On the cusp of a $1.5 billion reinvestment and project that may be the largest and most expensive resort renovation in history, The Venetian may already look like it’s had a post-pandemic makeover.
The opening of Sphere created a conduit to the venue from The Venetian, and the corridor between The Palazzo’s main entrance and its casino floor has become a pre-concert staging area. Get stuffed on stuffed pitas before catching Dead & Company Dead Forever in fast-casual fashion at Miznon, a Mediterranean street-food concept envisioned by Israeli chef Eyal Shani and restaurateur Shahar Segal. The socially friendly eatery faces its fine dining counterpart HaSalon, where Shani presents an evolving menu in an atmosphere infused with Tel Aviv energy at night.
The Venetian features an “Italia 25” birthday cocktail for the month of May at Bar Luca, Prestige Club Lounge and Sala 118. The latter is located across from the Grand Colonnade in the elegant Venetian Tower lobby, and was designed to evoke the spirit of Venice’s 118 islands. It offers a three-chapter cocktail menu (apertivos, Negronis and classic cocktails) created by Venetian’s director of mixology Andrew Pollard.
For craft cocktails served in a lively environment, Juliet Cocktail Room serves up live music performed by a drummer/pianist duo and late-night DJs in a cozy, plush atmosphere. Live bands provide the soundtrack for karaoke at Rockhouse, a multienvironment venue at Grand Canal Shoppes that includes the smoker-friendly Oak Room Whiskey and Tequila Bar.
Flight Club, a sprawling, 16,000-square-foot venue on the second level of Grand Canal Shoppes, is an answered prayer for denizens of dart playing. Handsome leather banquettes, oak dartboards and a lively carousel bar conjure a British pub atmosphere in the desert, with enough space for all comers.
For a yesterday-and-today Venetian experience, make a reservation at Emeril Lagasse’s Delmonico Steakhouse, which began serving its famed dry-aged T-bone steaks 25 years ago. Then plan on an evening at Voltaire, where producer Michael Gruber hired designer Derek McLane to make a 1,000-seat lavish space for his cabaret-meets-disco Belle de Nuit show. Voltaire guest performers have included Kylie Minogue and Christina Aguilera, with current resident performer Jason Derulo appearing through July.
Some aspects of The Venetian have become iconic, such as the gondola rides, St. Mark’s Square and artist Laura Kimper’s LOVE installation inside the Waterfall Atrium. Tao Asian Bistro continues to thrive after nearly 20 years, and Tao Beach Dayclub set the standard for all pool parties that came in its aftermath.
Yahoo Sportbook’s 46-million-pixel, 1,770-square-foot LED video wall can feature up to 40 events, and there’s no substitute for Canyon Ranch Spa’s Aquavana thermal suite. Top-to-bottom room renovations are the next part of the renewal plan, an ongoing effort that makes The Venetian worthy of revisiting.
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