Fontainebleau Las Vegas is not a “theme” hotel but a continuation of a story that began 70 years ago when the original Fontainebleau Miami Beach opened and transformed a stretch of oceanfront land into a game-changing embodiment of luxury travel. In the beginning, hotelier Ben Novack and architect Morris Lapidus designed it with the intention of making an impact in the luxury travel space that would endure for decades.
Since its debut, guests like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and the Beatles kept it on the map. Film and television productions such as “The Bodyguard,” “The Sopranos,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and others more recently kept it relevant. Therefore, It was just a matter of time before the Fontainebleau Las Vegas came to life. While it officially opened in December 2023 to great fanfare, the $3.7 billion sister property has a lot to live up to given the legacy of its namesake, especially as the original was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
After a two-decade multi-million dollar process, the 67-story luxury property, along with its evocative and expansive pool deck landed positive reviews right out of the gate, thanks in part to Carlos Zapata Studio’s architecture (the firm had been in place from the project’s inception) and David Collins Studio’s interior design which steers clear of theme casino kitsch with an inspired mix of Mid-Century Modern, traditional, and 21st Century contemporary design and rich hues of blue, cream, and brown with subtle traces of gold and well-placed artwork by Swiss-born artist Urs Fischer and other modern artists in the public areas. The aesthetic flows through 3,644 spacious rooms and suites adorned with an artful mix of Mid-Century, traditional, and contemporary furnishings and accents.
Event planners and companies looking seriously at the Fontainebleau as a conference destination will appreciate the management’s adherence to the Green Building Initiative, earning three Green Globes, the resort’s thoughtful design allows guests to move effortlessly among luxury hotel rooms and suites. Even with 150,000 square feet of gaming space, the bells and whistles are toned down, allowing a fun mix of background pop music from the last 70 years to shine through and remind guests there is more to the Fontainebleau Las Vegas experience than gambling. While it houses more than 550,000 square feet of meeting space, it also adjoins the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The resort is also a good bet for conferences, meetings, and retreats with its many on-property diversions. While the resort is equipped with sports betting facilities and sports bars (with elevated pub grub and superb mixology), the Hall of Excellence, designed by Fontainebleau executive Peter Arnell and set to open in 2025, is poised to be a welcome perk for sports-minded business-travel guests as it showcases a curated collection of sports memorabilia and artifacts donated from the collections of Tom Brady and Jim Gray.
A big portion of the main atrium’s second level of the main atrium is not only wellness-driven but also cohesive in terms of how related amenities and retailers including the IGK Salon, exclusive NutriDrip IV Drip Lounge, and an expansive fitness center designed by the Rockwell Group and Jay Wright are arranged. Likewise, the fitness staff and instructors, like their counterparts in the restaurants, bars, VIP lounge, and drivers exude a welcoming vibe that makes one feel energized and well-cared for.
The Lapis Spa, cleverly concealed in its own wing near the wellness cluster, is a two-level sanctuary with both separate-gendered and co-ed areas housing everything one could want in a spa day, even if a treatment is not part of the plan. The pools, saunas, ice rooms, and meditation areas are impeccably maintained. The treatments, meanwhile, are worth every penny. The customizable 90-minute Lapis Facial and Lapis Massage treatments, integrating Comfort Zone and other high-end skincare, are wonderfully executed by practitioners with the same attention to detail and well-informed approach and concern for a guest’s well-being exhibited by the fitness crew. the Las Vegas iteration boasts 44 treatment rooms, a purifying salt cave, a healing infrared sauna, men’s and women’s hydrotherapy lounges, and a co-ed sensory room with communal healing waters.
Nightlife venues are part of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas proposition, including the LIV Las Vegas nightclub, which can be bought out for private parties and events. That said, the resort has an all-star lineup of chic specialty lounges, fine dining, and quality sit-down restaurants from noted chefs and restaurateurs including Masa Ito, Kevin Kim, Evan Funke (Wolf Mother), Alan Yau (the exceptional and evocative Chyna Club) and David Rodolitz. On top of all of these carefully curated restaurants tailor-made for business lunches, dinners, and networking mixers, elevated casual breakfast/lunch spaces are providing a nod to Miami Beach and France, including Le Côte pool bar and grill and La Fontaine, serving up French classics updated with Mediterranean and Spanish influences.
The casino centerpiece bar Bleue, like its Miami Beach sister, is the perfect meeting spot for a night of gambling, shows, or a bit of both. While it seems like a stretch to say almost every bar and lounge on the property serves up widely acclaimed cocktails and zero-proof drinks, tequila/mezcal bar Azul and piano bar Collins deliver on that claim beautifully.
While these lounges benefit from being self-contained and separate from the sprawling casino area, they also radiate creativity and exclusivity. Collins has fantastic originals such as “Hambei and the Plum Tree,” “The Trolley Car” (a flawless take on the enduring sidecar), and inspired mocktails like the “High Priestess.” Although Chyna Club is one of the stand-outs among fine dining restaurants, a cocktail from its award-winning drinks menu is a must for mixology enthusiasts with their delicate flavors and presentations. Even with ambitious menus, fashionable décor, and well-defined themes, they all share uncommonly friendly servers that put one at ease and ensure no order goes awry.
The Promenade Food Court, on the second floor overlooking the casino, is populated with fast-casual restaurants reflecting Las Vegas’s global appeal. The Mid-Century modern backdrop puts the focus on a diverse selection of options with subtle nods to Miami such as El Bagel and the well-received Miami Slice pizza and the American Southwest with Roadside Taco. Capon’s Burgers, developed by culinary wunderkind Josh Capon, is a standout even with a simple selection of diner classics like burgers and fried chicken, thanks to generous portions and excellent hot sauce, truffle, and cheese condiments.
The food and beverage outlets also dovetail into cooking, wine pairing, and mixology activities. They make up the “Signature Series by Fontainebleau,” a full spectrum of interactive and practical classes steered by the resort’s dream team of chefs, mixologists, and food authorities. The calendar is full of classes informed by seasonal ingredients and instruction empowering participants to emerge from the class with a fantastic one-of-a-kind dinner and the skills to impress friends and family at home. It’s not surprising the series has been popular among Las Vegas locals keeping up on culinary trends with regular trips to the Las Vegas Strip. Each class is tailored to the season, guiding guests through experiences across the property, and allowing them to learn and bring new techniques to their own table.
There are also optional perks for those booking the higher-end rooms, including the VIP check-in lounge, which does double duty as the resort’s private living room whenever one wants to take a quick break from the action, get light drinks and snacks, or some trip planning assistance from the astute people on staff. The car service is also a worthy indulgence as the drivers not only provide transportation between the airport and hotel, but also wonderful conversation, an encyclopedic knowledge of the city, and palpable reasons why they love living in Las Vegas full time.
The Fontainebleau Las Vegas truly represents a new, heavenly way to experience “Sin City.” Rather than tapping into specific international destinations (Paris, The Venetian) as the casinos opened during the 1990s did, this resort reveals the future of the city while tastefully paying homage to the Miami original.