Upping the Ante: Las Vegas Readies for a Transformative Year
From restaurant openings to large-scale renovations, Sin City continues to reinvent itself
Words by: Caitlin St John
With major projects underway both on and off the Las Vegas Strip—like the Athletics’ 33,000-seat stadium designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and Brightline West, a 218-mile, all-electric high-speed rail service between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California (both slated for completion in 2028)—Sin City continues to evolve and push the envelope on design.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Las Vegas hosted close to 41.7 million visitors in 2024, a 2.1 percent increase from 2023. Convention attendance also grew by 8,100 year-over-year to nearly 6 million. HD Expo + Conference will add to the mix when it returns to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, May 6-8th, which wrapped up a $100 million remodel in late May 2024.
The Venetian Resort; photo by Michael Bittle
Several other properties are undergoing transformations, with the Venetian Resort leading the pack. An ongoing $1.5 billion redevelopment project is reimagining the 26-year-old destination with new entertainment concepts, culinary offerings, a redesigned Convention Center, and more.
Included in the project is the renovation of all 4,000 suites in the Venetian Towers by global firm WATG. Many of the revamped accommodations, which draw inspiration from the ornate costumes seen at the Carnival of Venice in Italy, are now available for booking.
On the F&B side, the Venetian has bolstered its already robust lineup on Restaurant Row with Bar Mia, an Art Deco-style lounge crafted by Celano Design Studio; Gjelina, the third outpost of the popular farm-to-table restaurant that originated in Venice Beach, California with interiors by Los Angeles firm Bishop Pass; and Sugarcane, which reopened with a new look courtesy of New York-based ICRAVE.
The entrance to the Nomikai speakeasy, designed by Punch Architecture
Meanwhile, four concepts are also slated to open at the Venetian this year. Bazaar Meat by José Andrés will shutter at the Sahara in June and relocate to the Palazzo at the Venetian with a new design from Toronto firm Studio Munge.
Designed by Rockwell Group, the forthcoming Cote Vegas will mark the Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse’s first West Coast location. This spring, Nomikai will debut as an all-day sushi concept and speakeasy from chef Setsuji Mitsui and local firm Punch Architecture.
The Via Via food hall, envisioned by Celano Design Studio, will open mid-2025 with dining options that bring the culinary scenes of New York and Los Angeles to the Strip. The curated collection will include Ivan Ramen, Close Company (a new cocktail bar from the creators of Death & Co), Howlin’ Ray’s, among others.
In the gallery below, we look at nine more projects that are lighting up the city.
Upping the Ante: Las Vegas Readies for a Transformative Year
From restaurant openings to large-scale renovations, Sin City continues to reinvent itself
With major projects underway both on and off the Las Vegas Strip—like the Athletics’ 33,000-seat stadium designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and Brightline West, a 218-mile, all-electric high-speed rail service between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California (both slated for completion in 2028)—Sin City continues to evolve and push the envelope on design.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Las Vegas hosted close to 41.7 million visitors in 2024, a 2.1 percent increase from 2023. Convention attendance also grew by 8,100 year-over-year to nearly 6 million. HD Expo + Conference will add to the mix when it returns to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, May 6-8th, which wrapped up a $100 million remodel in late May 2024.
The Venetian Resort; photo by Michael Bittle
Several other properties are undergoing transformations, with the Venetian Resort leading the pack. An ongoing $1.5 billion redevelopment project is reimagining the 26-year-old destination with new entertainment concepts, culinary offerings, a redesigned Convention Center, and more.
Included in the project is the renovation of all 4,000 suites in the Venetian Towers by global firm WATG. Many of the revamped accommodations, which draw inspiration from the ornate costumes seen at the Carnival of Venice in Italy, are now available for booking.
On the F&B side, the Venetian has bolstered its already robust lineup on Restaurant Row with Bar Mia, an Art Deco-style lounge crafted by Celano Design Studio; Gjelina, the third outpost of the popular farm-to-table restaurant that originated in Venice Beach, California with interiors by Los Angeles firm Bishop Pass; and Sugarcane, which reopened with a new look courtesy of New York-based ICRAVE.
The entrance to the Nomikai speakeasy, designed by Punch Architecture
Meanwhile, four concepts are also slated to open at the Venetian this year. Bazaar Meat by José Andrés will shutter at the Sahara in June and relocate to the Palazzo at the Venetian with a new design from Toronto firm Studio Munge.
Designed by Rockwell Group, the forthcoming Cote Vegas will mark the Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse’s first West Coast location. This spring, Nomikai will debut as an all-day sushi concept and speakeasy from chef Setsuji Mitsui and local firm Punch Architecture.
The Via Via food hall, envisioned by Celano Design Studio, will open mid-2025 with dining options that bring the culinary scenes of New York and Los Angeles to the Strip. The curated collection will include Ivan Ramen, Close Company (a new cocktail bar from the creators of Death & Co), Howlin’ Ray’s, among others.
In the gallery below, we look at nine more projects that are lighting up the city.
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Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino
Caramella Italian Restaurant & Lounge, a Tao Group Hospitality concept, opened at Planet Hollywood in December. Crafted by Los Angeles- and London-based Fettle, the 9,500-square-foot Carmella harkens to 1970s Italy. A velvet-clad vestibule leads to an oval-shaped lounge bar clad in glossy walnut with bronze detailing, while lampshades, wallpaper, and upholstery feature ’70s-style patterns. The dining experience is rounded out by a terrace, accessible through the expansive dining room, overlooking the Strip.
Photo by Adrian Gaut
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
In November, Swingers – the crazy golf club joined the lineup at Mandalay Bay. Designed by Swingers’ in-house team, the venue is defined by an English country house theme and boasts a two-story projection-mapped fascia of a stately home. The three-floor, 40,000-square-foot space, formerly occupied by a nightclub, is Swingers’ largest location to date, spanning four mini golf courses, two 60-foot-long bars, a street food concession, and Carnival, a retro arcade experience.
Photo by Paul Winch-Furness
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
The MGM Grand has revealed plans to renovate all 4,212 guestrooms and suites in its main tower. Led by Gensler, the $300 million remodel—which will add 111 suites for 753 suites ranging from 675 to 2,572 square feet—is slated for completion in December 2025. Revamped accommodations will boast modern, sophisticated design elements that draw on the flair of the disco-era. Additionally, the property welcomed Netflix Bites, a restaurant inspired by the streaming service’s hit shows, in February. Come May, Tao Group Hospitality and DJ Kygo’s Palm Tree Crew will launch Palm Tree Beach Club (shown above), a 60,000-square-foot destination designed by Rockwell Group.
Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
As part of a multiphase transformation, the Flamingo, the oldest continuously operating resort on the Strip, has introduced the $20 million GO Pool complex. Spearheaded by Pacific Custom Pools and MO+A design studio, the 1.5-acre project—including five pools, a 30-seat swim-up bar, 33 VIP cabanas, and more—melds the Flamingo’s iconic midcentury-modern look and retro-deco architecture with a contemporary beach resort aesthetic that features playful pastels and soft, earthy tones.
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
Bourbon Steak from James Beard award-winning chef Michael Mina recently debuted at the Four Seasons. The new restaurant, designed by Dallas-based Nunzio Marc DeSantis Architects, marks Mina’s fifth concept in Las Vegas and his ninth Bourbon Steak outpost. Conceived as a sophisticated, vibrant modern supper club, the space features peacock feather-inspired hues, opulent finishes, ornate lighting, and spray-painted floral murals by local artist Cerissa Lopez. The arrival experience is defined by a grand golden arch with intricate detailing that evokes a sense of timeless elegance.
Photo by JMP Force
Rio Hotel & Casino
The first phase of Dreamscape Companies’ $340 million redevelopment of the Rio, situated a block off the Strip on Flamingo Boulevard, has been completed. Renovations—impacting the hotel’s 1,500 suites, casino floor, meeting and convention space, five acres of poolside amenities, and more—lean into the grit and lushness of Rio De Janeiro to reignite the property’s 1990s heyday. Highlights include Fettle’s refresh of the 65,000-square-foot pool deck, which draws on vibrant, midcentury Brazilian landscapes, and the addition of Luckley Tavern & Grill (shown above), an American restaurant from hospitality company A Perfect Bite with interiors by Los Angeles studio GG-ID.
Photo by Maxime Lemoine
Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
Locally based Clique Hospitality recently unveiled champagne and caviar bar Caspian’s at Caesars Palace. Champagne and caviar are served in a lush, cosmopolitan setting, envisioned by New York firm Celano Design Studio, just off the casino floor, where warm burl and brass wall panels juxtapose intricate gray, white, and black marble flooring. One panel disguises a hidden door that gives away to a speakeasy music lounge, dubbed Siren’s Palace. Here, a large carved golden frame envelopes a stage draped in inky blue velvet.
Photo by Clint Jenkins
Resorts World Las Vegas
A slice of South Beach lands in Vegas with Stubborn Seed, the follow-up to chef Jeremy Ford and Grove Bay Hospitality’s Michelin-starred tasting-menu concept in Miami’s South of Fifth neighborhood. The 4,500-square-foot space, also designed by Celano Design Studio, comprises a bar, lounge area, expansive dining room, and a covered outdoor patio. Like its predecessor, Stubborn Seed Las Vegas flaunts many Art Deco influences. The arrival experience, for instance, is marked by a plaster-finish façade and arched décor elements, while the curved, concrete-topped bar features a red tile bar front and black lacquer and brushed brass metal mesh shelving behind the bar.
Photo by Clint Jenkins
W Las Vegas
A longterm strategic licensing agreement between MGM and Marriott, first announced in 2023, led to conversion of the former Delano Las Vegas into a W Hotels-branded property in December. Situated on the Mandalay Bay campus, the 1,117 all-suite tower will be reimagined by Rockwell Group. When the resort comes to life over the next couple of years, it will boast W’s distinct personality with dynamic programming and elevated service.