If you haven’t been, resorts in Vegas can be overwhelming. Everywhere is crowded, everything is grander, and everyone only cares about $$$. Well, the Venetian complex was exactly that.
But to be honest, I had exactly these expectations when I arrived, so nothing came as a surprise. I stayed around Chinese New Year/Valentine’s Day, so they decorated everything around the theme, and they did a good job with that, except it made the already-confusing complex more difficult to navigate. After some hiking in all kinds of directions, I reached the Palazzo front desk. An Ambassador check-in area was available so I took advantage of it. Unfortunately, this was pretty much where the Ambassador treatment ended. Being an InterContinental Alliance resort, the Venetian and the Palazzo was exempted from providing many guaranteed Ambassador benefits, including upgrades (upon availability) and daily water (only at check-in instead). I received neither, but didn’t want to push too much after a long road trip, so I took my keys and went upstairs.
The Venetian and the Palazzo both featured all suites, and the only appreciable difference was that the Palazzo felt slightly newer. My junior suite itself was no different to a standard hotel room apart from the larger size. Everything was up to par with any other InterContinental property, except for the Vegas-standard tap-water-or-nothing situation. Same can be said for the bathroom, and they did not cheap out on amenities.
Bathroom, toilet was hidden behind the door
The casino was typical Vegas, however the air quality was notably better than some of the MGM casinos I visited during the same trip. On a side note, a hooker approached me in the casino while I was busy making donations to a slot machine, and her reaction was pure gold when I told her I was “gay”.
Dining-wise, the complex offered many options – in fact, I took a stroll around the canal and counted no less than 30 dining outlets with cuisines from all around the world on offer, most if not all of which were third-party venues. Entertainment and “fun” options were plentiful as well.
They say “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”, I’d be tempted to say “what happened at the Venetian stays at the Venetian”. Being one of the higher-end resorts on the strip, it’s truly a destination on its own. If you like the bustling nightlife and/or gambling your way to your next mansion, then the Venetian or the Palazzo is the place to be. To me, as a hotel enthusiast who loves exploring, the Palazzo didn’t do it for me – this time. I’m sure my verdict will be very different next time when I’ll, hopefully, no longer be “poor” by the Venetian standard.
RealScore
Service: 7.5
Design and Room Size: 9.0
In-room Amenities: 5
Bathroom Size and Layout: 10
View from (my) Room: 7
Hotel Location: 7
Available Guest Facilities: 10
Food Quality: N/A
Food and Beverage Service: N/A
Executive Lounge Quality: N/A
Final RealScore: 7.78
Final RealRating: A
Hotel is built/opened: 2007
Total number of rooms: 2872
Length of stay: 1 night
Membership level at check-in: Diamond Ambassador
Room type experienced: Standard Studio
Hotel4Real! 
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