bellagio fountains las vegas

I don’t know about you but I miss traveling! Australia, Europe, China, or why not Las Vegas? I miss the excitement I feel when I come to a new place. I love hotels and to be completely honest, I’m talking about 5-stars’ luxury resorts that makes me feel like a movie star. I’ve been to a few but dreamt of many more and since the pandemic we can’t really go anywhere. Almost a year has passed since the outbreak and many nations have entered both a second and third wave. It makes you wonder when things will be back to normal again. At least in some parts of the world things start to look a little bit brighter. Australia seems to be one of those places. I personally felt a bit of optimism and happiness last week when I read the Melbourne Crown Casino and Resort is open again, including the Crown Spa. I was there last year and would love to go back. Hopefully next year will be post-pandemic and we will be able to travel again soon. I will for sure be among the first to board the plane.

Until we can, I will take you on a digital journey to five amazing luxury casino resorts around the world. From Las Vegas to Germany and Monaco, from there to China and then back to Vegas again. After all, Las Vegas will forever be the “sin City”.

If you’ve ever been to Vegas, or even if you haven’t, the first thing that comes to mind is opulence – big, dramatic playing rooms with luxurious décor and an affluent atmosphere. This sort of idea about extravagant casinos is, quite naturally, affiliated with Las Vegas – the sin city located in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

The first time I visited a casino outside of Vegas was in Monaco. I totally loved it! The atmosphere is, may I call it “sexy”? Men in tuxedos and women in elegant cocktail dresses. You really feel like the million dollar you hope to win and walk away with. Since my first visit in Monte Carlo I always make sure to have a casino night at a local casino when I travel and here are a few of my favourite, most luxurious and prestigious casinos. Let’s start in Vegas.

1. Bellagio resort and casino, Las Vegas

Starting with the most natural place for a casino resort – Las Vegas. The Bellagio hotel and casino is known as one of the most extravagant and crazy hotels ever built in the world. Constructed in the late 1990s, it was built on the site of the old Dunes hotel and casino, and is operated by MGM Resorts International, with its main tower featuring over 3,000 rooms across 36 floors. Beside the large number of total gaming space, with many different casino games to choose from, including a famous poker room often referred to as “The Office” by many professional poker players, the casino also offers a number of different features such as the highly choreographed Bellagio fountains performances, a fine art gallery, a conservatory and botanical gardens. The complex was also the setting for the 2001 heist movie “Ocean’s eleven” which helped build its grand reputation.

2. The Kurhaus of Baden-Baden Casino, Germany

Our next stop is Germany and the famous Baden-Baden. It’s one of the oldest casinos, and what has been called “the most beautiful casino in the world” by Marlene Dietrich, that is – the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden. Located in the outskirts of the black forest and built in 1820, it is also the smallest casino on our list. But beside its size, it served great importance for gambling-lovers way before Las Vegas even existed. The casino first began to achieve its international fame around mid-1830’s when gambling was forbidden in France, and even inspired Dostoevsky’s short novel “The Gambler”. The resort is built in a neoclassical style, with rooms decorated with large chandeliers that light up all the gold and red furniture, giving a truly aristocratic feeling, and proving that luxury often comes in small packages.

3. Casino de Monte Carlo, Mónaco

The Monte Carlo casino is located in what is probably one of the most recognizable and iconic structures on the planet. Dating back to over 150 years ago, it was constructed by Charles III, prince of Monaco and has barely changed over the course of the last century-and-a-half. But the monumental building is most recognizable due to its constant appearance in movies and television, including three separate James Bond movies, as well as other films. In addition, the site itself, which is ranked by Forbes as the most iconic in the casino world, houses a variety of different games including roulette, blackjack, slot machines etc, and is located just across the road from the extravagant Hotel de Paris.

4. The Venetian, Macao, China

Moving swiftly to what often is called “the Las Vegas of Asia”, Macao is quickly becoming the gambling capital of the world and this casino only solidifies that claim. Opened in 2007, The Venetian Macao is structurally similar to its Las Vegas counterpart, bringing one of the largest buildings in the world by floor area. With almost 3000 suits and a number of exciting attractions and features inspired by the Italian city, such as boat riding on the canals inside, the casino resort offers its visitors a uniquely luxurious experience. The casino itself contains over 870 table games, and more than 3000 gaming machines and slots.

5. Wynn casino resort, Las Vegas

Back in Vegas we end our journey at the Wynn. Being opened only very recently in 2015, the Wynn casino resort has managed to become one of the most expensive hotels ever built, at about $2.7 billion, and is now rated as one of the best in the world. The casino resort is one of the biggest on the planet housing over 4700 rooms and still expanding. Wynn offers its players high end features and carries every gambling game that is known to man. Moreover, the resort itself houses a $45 million shopping center and has more Forbes five-star awards than any other casino resort on the planet.

People that know me find my fascination for casino resorts a bit strange considering I don’t gamble. I do have a tradition of placing one bet at the Roulette table, always on red, but that’s it. I love these places for the atmosphere, for the food and entertainment. For the luxurious feeling, amazing service and food so good you wish you brought a dress a size bigger. What I’m trying to say is that whether you’re a lover of blackjack or simply come for the hotel (and shopping), these resorts have it all. They are even great for families with kids. These resorts understand entertainment and I can guarantee you will get that A+ experience you deserve!

 

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