Hotels near The Venetian and Grand Canal Shoppes

The Venetian recreates Venice on the Strip, complete with a replica Grand Canal, a St Mark's Campanile and the Rialto Bridge. Inside the Grand Canal Shoppes, gondoliers pole singing gondolas along an indoor waterway beneath a painted sky-blue ceiling that stays in permanent late-afternoon light.

It is the most committed of the Strip's themed resorts, and walking the canals, piazzas and frescoed halls is free even if you skip the gondola ride. The detail is genuinely impressive, and it pairs naturally with the neighbouring Sphere just behind the resort.

Pro Tip: Wandering the canals and piazzas costs nothing, so you can soak up the theming without paying for a gondola unless you want the ride. Combine it with a walk over the footbridge to see the Sphere lit up just behind the resort.