As the first new resort to be built on the Strip in a decade, Resorts World Las Vegas is the hottest spot in a city full of them. The $4.3 billion trailblazing resort from Malaysia-based Genting Group has 40 restaurants and bars, a 5.5-acre pool complex that includes the only infinity-edge pool on the Strip and 70,000 square feet of shopping.
There’s even more to come: Eight Lounge, which will carry more than 150 cigars, will debut Nov. 4; Carversteak steakhouse will arrive in the winter; star-studded residencies featuring Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan take to Vegas’ largest and tallest stage will start Dec. 1. For now, there’s still much to get you started on its 88 acres at the north end of Las Vegas Boulevard.
Whether you want some of Vegas’ best Asian food, a cutting-edge spa or a secret bar, here are the top 14 reasons to visit Resorts World Las Vegas:
The Hotels
Tallying 3,500 guest rooms, Resorts World is Hilton’s largest property. Under its roof, you’ll find three of the company’s brands: Las Vegas Hilton, Conrad Las Vegas and Crockfords Las Vegas.
Once the world’s largest hotel, Las Vegas Hilton has a storied history, and this marks the 1,774-room property’s grand return. The 1,496-room Conrad Las Vegas is the biggest Conrad worldwide, and it is distinguished by its contemporary, art-filled interiors and luxury touches like bespoke Frette linens. Part of Hilton’s new LXR brand, the 236 Crockfords accommodations provide the most lavish option, with amenities such as 24-hour butler service.
Awana Spa
While most spas adopt a “quiet, please” policy, socializing is encouraged at this 27,000-square-foot haven that integrates the latest technology. The Foot Spa Lounge is outfitted with TVs so you can catch numerous games while your Strip-worn feet get rubbed. The Fountain of Youth — a space with six vitality pools, a crystal laconium, toasty tepidarium chairs, steam rooms, cool mist showers and a rain walk — plays videos on a wraparound LED screen to transport you to the tops of snow-capped peaks or among waterfalls. It offers the U.S. debut of the art of Aufguss, a European tradition that includes a theatrical sauna performance by a professional dancer (called a sauna meister) who leads you through a 15-minute guided breath and meditation experience using music, lights and aromatherapy.
But don’t worry — when it’s time for the superb HydraFacial, you can retreat from Vegas’ bustle for peace and quiet in your dim treatment room.
Famous Foods Street Eats
Vegas has its own version of Singapore’s hawker centers with this mostly Asian food hall featuring different stalls specializing in a specific cuisine. Some of the stalls actually come from Singapore, like Boon Tong Kee, which uses a Hainanese chicken rice recipe that dates to 1979; Springleaf Prata Place, which turns out flaky roti and frothy teh tarik; and Geylang Claypot Rice, which makes Southeast Asian rice dishes in a traditional claypot. Other stalls to sample include the truffle-rice-stuffed lechon (or “pig”) at Pepita’s Kitchen, the only Filipino restaurant on the Strip, and the Peking duck at FUHU Shack.
End your meal at Sweet Eats. Its array of desserts rotates, but a mainstay is the must-try shave ice, which comes with rose water, rose syrup, grenadine, peanuts, pandan jelly and more.
Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den
There’s no sign at Resorts World for this hidden speakeasy. To find it, go to Famous Foods Street Eats and make your way to Ms. Meow’s Mamak Stall, a small shop hawking Asian snacks and adorned with lucky cats. Let out a meow and the person behind the register at Ms. Meow’s will push in a shelf-lined wall to reveal an entrance to the intimate bar that accommodates 34. The neon tiger art on exposed brick, concrete walls, tufted sofas and strings of lights set a relaxed tone. Open daily at 4 p.m., this is a place to drink tropical cocktails into the wee hours.
Wally’s
Plan to linger over the mouthwatering charcuterie boards at Wally’s (a Beverly Hills and Santa Monica institution) to savor the peppery wagyu beef salami and nutty L’Amuse Gouda. But save room for an indulgent baguette stuffed with brie, truffle honey, truffle butter and shaved truffles on top; delicious caviar; and juicy roasted heritage chicken with albufera sauce and even more shaved truffles. Add a selection of more than 100 wines by the glass and you won’t want to leave this comfort food treasure trove.
Gatsby’s
With live music pumping at Zouk Nightclub and other venues, you might overlook this bar with its gauzy curtains drawn, laid-back crowd and ’90s-era hip-hop. Ask for a matchbook, which has a QR code to unlock a secret menu of whimsical cocktails, like the Champagne bubble bath, a small tub filled with muddled blood orange; aperol; gin; pineapple, monin strawberry and rose syrup; a heavy pour of cava for bubbles, a dusting of edible rose petals and two rubber ducks floating on top. Another option is the Green Light, a nod to The Great Gatsby. The verdant libation veers tropical with Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, Chartreuse, Midori, coconut syrup, and different juices.
Nightlife
Singapore party purveyor Zouk Group made its foray into the U.S. with this 36,000-square-foot Zouk Nightclub. The main room, Zouk, features top DJs like Calvin Harris, Zedd and Tiësto. The venue also houses Capital Bar, which has a mood-setting LED ceiling and a 360-degree bar, and Empire, which can convert into a separate space with its own music and dance floor.
To continue the revelry into the day — this is Vegas, after all — slip into a swimsuit and go to Ayu Dayclub, a Bali-inspired poolside party with white daybeds and chic wooden cabanas.
Genting Palace
If you want authentic Chinese fine dining, seek out this elegant restaurant to savor the popular roasted Peking duck, which is carved tableside; bird’s nest soup; dim sum; and shrimp doused in XO sauce. If you can’t snag a reservation, head to the adjacent lounge. The décor skews bright (patterns and colors delightfully clash) and whimsical (a lamp features a gold monkey wearing a lampshade as a skirt), all better to enjoy dim sum (like lobster black truffle and scallop siu mai) alongside choice cocktails.
Art
The art sprinkled throughout the property is playful and unexpected. In the casino, you’ll find the looks-good-enough-to-eat ceramic doughnuts by Jaeyong Kim. Herb Williams’ Doberman crayon sculpture emblazoned with the Louis Vuitton monogram guards the High Limit Lounge. Over at Famous Foods, Red Hong Yi’s portrait resembles a mosaic, but the artist used 20,000 tea bags dyed with teh tarik, a popular Malaysian milk tea, instead of tiles. (Tip: bring your smartphone to scan the QR codes accompanying the pieces to learn more about them.)
The most eye-catching piece is the 50-foot-tall Globe that sits in The District shopping esplanade. Covered in LED panels, The Globe offers an immersive art experience containing lights and music. Catch a short show every hour on the hour from noon to 1 a.m.
Technology
Resorts World raises the technological bar high. Hilton recently became the first major hospitality company to offer digital key sharing — a guest can assign a digital key to four people using the Hilton Honors app — which was beta tested here. Grubhub has taken over room service duties, making it seamless to order from the resort’s restaurants through the food app and have it delivered to your room or pool cabana.
And there’s more innovations: it’s the first casino in the country to accommodate cashless transactions. It’s also the first in Nevada to use Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. Pop in a credit card before entering the resort’s Fred Segal Market; pick up snacks, drinks, sundries or souvenirs; then simply leave and your credit card will be charged accordingly.
See its biggest technology without stepping into the resort: its west tower façade holds one of the largest video screens in the world at 100,000 square feet.
Starlight on 66
Zip to the top Resorts World for a dimly lit, inviting haunt with herringbone wood floors and plush velvety sofas and armchairs. It’s an alluring setting to sip cocktails like The Crockford’s Set (Beefeater 24 gin, orange lychee jasmine tonic syrup and Fever-Tree club soda). But the main attraction at the 66th-floor lounge is the mesmerizing vista of the illuminated Strip from its floor-to-ceiling windows. Peek through the telescope for a closer look.
FUHU
Sitting next to Zouk Nightclub, this pan-Asian restaurant is designed as a pit stop before a night of drinking and dancing. But FUHU is more than just a pregaming spot. It’s a destination for plates of an addictive raw tuna on a bed of crispy rice with sweet soy, crunchy garlic and spicy mayo; scoops of king crab and truffle fried rice; and rounds of Rice Rice Baby (sake and Ketel One Cucumber and Mint Botanical with a mini mochi garnish). And since it’s from Zouk Group, the company behind its namesake club, the vibe is dark, slick and stylish.
Kusa Nori
This Japanese bistro serves yakitori, teppanyaki and robata meats, but be sure to peruse the menu of sashimi and nigiri, including fresh hamachi, tender otoro and rich uni. Of course, it also features specialty rolls, like the Kusa Nora with domestic wagyu tataki, lobster tempura, asparagus, yuzu emulsion, caviar, crispy garlic and truffle ponzu.
Another dish to try is the seaweed-crusted misoyaki black cod topped with arare (tiny, crunchy cracker balls), edamame, carrots, pearl onions, hajikami (salted, pickled ginger) and mounds of yuzu sake foam. Just be sure to order the delicate and delicious Heavensake junmai daiginjo, too.
VIVA!
Chef Ray Garcia, who helms L.A. favorite Broken Spanish, brings his modern Mexican cuisine to Vegas. The colorful dining room with mixed-media murals feels festive, but so does the terrace under a leafy pergola. Pick a space and nosh on piña asada (fire-roasted pineapple, goat cheese, arugula and spiced pecans), flavorful lamb ribs with tamarind glaze, and glasses of the fruity reposado-tequila-spiked Hibiscus Cooler or satisfying Vivarita with lime salt foam.
