Bellagio, Las Vegas. - Reviewed.
Built in 1998 for a reported cost of $1.6billion it is fair to say this is one hotel which refuses to scrimp on luxury. One of the Las Vegas Strip's most famous locations, it is hard not to fall in love with the elegance of the Bellagio.
Compromising of 3,950 rooms and with three Michelin star restaurants included in its dining options, Bellagio defines modern day class in an otherwise rather fake world on the strip.
I stayed on the 19th floor of the Spa Tower with wonderful views overlooking the famous fountains and the Paris hotel opposite, a view which only improves as the sunsets and the infamous lights of this iconic road illuminate.
The conservatory just off the main lobby provides a gorgeous floral display which undergoes five seasonal changes a year and frequent fresh flower changes - a welcome touch of class far removed from other hotels plastic monstrosities.
The pièce de résistance though is undoubtedly the Fountains of Bellagio, an 8 acre manmade lake and fountain display sitting pride of place outside the hotels main entrance. If 'new' vegas was ever in need of an iconic display to mesmerise visitors, locals and prospective guests alike - the fountains have delivered a free spectacle like no other the city can offer. Costing $40 million to design and build, the fountains dance to a variety of songs and can shoot water from the 1,200 nozzles to heights up to a staggering 460 ft in the air! Highlights include 'Luck be a lady' by Frank Sinatra and the high tempo 'Viva Las Vegas' by Elvis Presley, both of which literally have the power to stop people in their tracks for their duration, an unrivalled feat on one of America's busiest streets.
Las Vegas might not be to everyones taste and indeed can become rather tiresome, but one thing is unquestionable - the quality of its hotels surpasses most the world over, offering experiences many others can only dream of.
No Vegas hotel quite holds the imagination and delivers on its promise more than the Bellagio.
