Review: Conrad Las Vegas (Resorts World), one of the Strip’s newest stars

Introduction

Built on the site of the former Stardust Resort and Casino at the northern end of the Las Vegas strip, Resorts World Las Vegas is the newest player to join the game in Sin City, having recently celebrated its first birthday.

You’ll spot the property before the plane lands, or if you’re driving, almost as soon as you reach the city. Standing tall (like most do) but with a bright red exterior (unlike most), Resorts World stands proud with typical Las Vegas showmanship.

At night, Resorts World casts a red hue over the Strip to compete with its fellow casinos.

Home to three Hilton brands within one giant building, with Conrad and Crockfords (part of the ultra-luxe LXR stable) joining Hilton itself, Resorts World gives guests three choices of accommodation – each capable of earning you a swag of Hilton Honors points.

Location & Impressions

Found at 111 W Resorts World Drive, the property has been built in true Las Vegas fashion with virtually everything a guest could ever need found under one roof.

The 59-storey tower features 1,774 hotel rooms under the Hilton brand; another 1,496 under the Conrad flag and for a more boutique environment, 236 ultra-luxe rooms and suites carrying the Crockfords Las Vegas name.

Rideshare cars will drop you off at this door, but pick-up is in another place entirely.

Next door is a relic of the Las Vegas scene – the perpetually-tired Circus Circus, long since past its glory days.

Across Las Vegas Boulevard, you’ll find the Las Vegas Convention Centre and a range of lower-end fast food outlets, convenience stores, pharmacies and discount souvenir stores.

To avoid potentially lengthy queues at traditional check-in and out times, consider using the Hilton app to register for a digital key, or if your credit card is already on file against your booking, drop your keys in the Express box on your way out.

The check-in area for Conrad can get extremely busy at traditional arrival and departure times.

While the busiest parts of the strip are certainly within walking distance, you may wish to choose another mode of transport on warmer days.

That said, ridesharing can be a confusing exercise that will take a few attempts at mastering. Uber and Lyft vehicles are allocated a pick-up area well away from a side entrance (nearest to the ‘Dawg House’ restaurant) when picking up customers, while dropping off at the main hotel entrance - a totally different door.

Room

Las Vegas is known for its oversized hotel rooms and Conrad doesn’t disappoint, with its entry-level category affording guests more than 50 square metres of space. Rooms are available with either one king or two queen beds.

Décor is fresh and modern, with a warm, muted white and cream colour scheme juxtaposed with red decor and furnishings to match the hotel’s striking exterior.

Rooms are spacious with plenty of room to unpack.

Feel free to unpack into a large wardrobe and five deep drawers which leave plenty of room for your personal effects.

There are actually six, but one contains the safe with a lid that opens upwards.

While there's no dedicated desk, the small table and chairs are adequate should you need to work.

Bathrooms are equally spacious with brightly-lit double vanities, plenty of towels, Mojave Ghost amenities and a walk-in shower, providing everything you need... apart from water pressure. The rather lacklustre flow will leave you frustrated if you’re in a hurry.

Along with double vanities, rooms feature plenty of fresh towels.

A standard selection of drinks and snacks feature in the mini-bar but be warned, removing an item from its place starts the clock ticking at 30 seconds before it is charged to your room account.

Curious hands can make for expensive work at Las Vegas hotel minibars.

Placing the item back after this doesn’t remove the charge, so you’ll need to ‘plead the fifth’ as the saying goes and if you can prove the item wasn’t consumed, the hotel may remove the charge.

The in-room television features a range of local and national channels, along with an easy-to-follow guide to connecting your device and accessing your own streaming services.

Work

The common Las Vegas bugbear of resort fees can’t be escaped at Resorts World and will see the hotel add US$45 plus tax ($51 or so) per day to your room bill. In return for this impost, you receive in-room WiFi and a range of small discounts off resort services such as spa and pool products and services.

In-room WiFi is quick and efficient but will prompt you for a new registration and log-in every 24 hours, and while the connection process is reasonably quick, this can still get frustrating after a while.

Everything you need for a comfortable stay is here at Resorts World.

The room is designed more for leisure guests than business travellers, with no dedicated work desk in favour of a more recreationally-minded table and chairs.

But once the work is done, the rest of the resort is yours to enjoy, and there’s no shortage of things to see, do, taste and enjoy.

It's long-term gambling. Buy and sell Bitcoin at these handy crypto-ATMs.

If you’re in town for a convention or some serious networking, the Las Vegas Convention Centre is around five to ten minutes’ walk from the hotel.

To seal your next business deal, a great spot to bring clients back to is the Alle (Alley) Lounge, found on Level 66, with the entrance next to the Conrad concierge desk.

Alle Lounge on Level 66 offers amazing views of the Strip in all its glory.

Reservations are required for a table at Alle Lounge. While there’s no cover charge, there is a minimum US$200 spend.

If investment is your game or if you just find it interesting, Resorts World has dabbled in the world of cryptocurrency, with ATMs dotted around the gaming floor allowing you to buy and sell Bitcoin.

Eat

Between Resorts World itself and The District, an adjoining shopping centre, it’s only a short walk from your room to as many as 40 food and beverage outlets covering all cuisines and dining styles, casual to ultra-fine.

Start your evening at Gatsby's Lounge where you can enjoy a menu of classic cocktails.

If you’re planning a night at the tables, the main gaming floor is encircled by restaurants including Crossroads – the first 100% plant-based outlet on the Las Vegas strip, where you can enjoy fully-sustainable Italian and Mediterranean fare in an intimate setting.

Adjacent to the gaming floor is another rarity for Las Vegas in the Famous Foods street market stalls, designed to replicate the casual yet delicious Asian cultural food scene.

While the street food stalls feature numerous Asian styles, there's also a few sneaky American stalls in there too.

Here you’ll find tastes inspired by China, Japan, India, Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan including dumplings, fried rice, braised beef, flatbreads, yakatori, hand-rolled sushi alongside some local favourites like Nashville fried chicken.

Another popular destination is Wally’s, a combination of a wine bar, gourmet market and restaurant where you can enjoy the Southern California taste alongside a selection of more than 8,000 labels of wine, beer and spirits.

A more casual option, 'The Kitchen' is open for breakfast each day.

In the event you’d prefer not to leave your room to dine (such as the morning after), the hotel also offers room service via its partner GrubHub.

Take your pick from any of the dining outlets across the Resorts World complex, however be prepared to pay a US$7.99 service fee and an 18% tip per order on top of the cost of your meal in the final bill, which will be charged to your room.

With pizza, burgers, steakhouses, hot dogs, Italian, Spanish tapas and much more also not far away, you’ll never go hungry at Resorts World Las Vegas.

Relax

If you’ve been partying hard in Las Vegas and now need to unwind, Resorts World offers numerous opportunities to do so.

Enter Awana Spa and its menu of European-inspired treatments delivered in rounded rooms with curved walls to accentuate a feeling of holistic healing. In true Las Vegas fashion, there’s a show element to the spa with warm, scented steam directed toward guests with rhythmic towel movements.

Immerse yourself in a traditional Roman bath at the Awana Spa.

Headlining the offering is the three-hour ‘Fountain of Youth’ treatment which involves your selection of six vitality pools, a tepidarium (a sauna with heated loungers and beds), vapour-rooms, misting showers and a ‘rain walk’ which Resorts World say will leave you looking and feeling younger.

There are other ways to get your sweat on, namely the fitness centre, which also offers personalised workouts and a stretch & recovery zone.

Then, prior to your next evening out, sharpen up those locks at the ‘Miss Behave’ salon where you can indulge in hair, nail, lash and make-up services.

Your choice of pool may be influenced by the availability (or lack thereof) of a poolside lounger.

Another well-worn path to relaxation in Las Vegas is soaking up some rays at the swimming pool. At Resorts World, there are six to dip your toes into including one with a giant chess set to challenge a friend or fellow pool user.

A highlight of this space is the adults-only infinity pool overlooking the strip. Appropriately, loungers and umbrellas adopt the Resorts World red colour scheme, with day beds, cabanas and bungalows able to be booked by the day to allow you to come and go as you please.

Cabanas and bungalows include dedicated food and beverage service, misting fans, a television, personal safe to store belongings while in the pool and much more. Be mindful though that the pool may not be operational on excessively windy days for safety reasons.

The Verdict

As the newest kid on the strip, to turn the phrase, Resorts World has slotted in nicely and is already drawing global superstars for short residencies including Katy Perry and Enrique Iglesias.

A giant LED sphere in The District shopping centre presents all kinds of entertaining images throughout the day.

The intention of any Las Vegas casino is to leave guests wanting for nothing, and Resorts World does that very well. Whether you’re there to shop, dine, play or stay, you’re sure to find something that takes your fancy.

The writer stayed as a guest of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.