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Nevada
The Experience
A Las Vegas resort without gambling or slot machines sounds like an oxymoron, but that is exactly the idea behind the Four Seasons, a retreat from all of the typical Sin City excesses. Located on the Strip's southern edges, the Four Seasons may be big by Four Seasons standards, but the resort is actually one of the city's few true hotel gems. Perched on the top five floors of the much larger Mandalay Bay resort -- but with its own entrance, check-in, reception, elevators, pool, spa, health club and serenely elegant vibe -- the Four Seasons could not be more different that its 30-story neighbor just a few floors below. Of course the Four Seasons is directly connected to the Mandalay, just in case you feel the need for a late-night rendezvous with the luck of the draw.
The RoomsDecorated with a vaguely Asian-meets-American theme -- a subtle riff off the nearby Mandalay Bay -- rooms include Ralph Lauren furniture, massive four-poster beds and typically luxe Four Seasons marble baths with both soaking tubs and shower stalls. Regardless of their size or category (and even basic rooms are a whopping 500 square feet), all of the rooms at the Four Seasons have floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of the views. In lower-level rooms, that means desert and mountains, perfect for the nature lover. For neon, you'll need to upgrade to the Premier Strip View rooms -- and considering those clear glass walls, it's an incredibly dramatic view.
The ServiceThe Four Seasons is clearly mindful of its unique position in town and, accordingly, takes service to new Vegas levels. Children, for instance, all receive toys and snacks upon arrival, while grown-ups enjoy signature Four Seasons touches such as a 24-hour business center and pool boys spraying cooling mist and pressing chilled cucumber slices on your face as you swelter in the sun. In a town built on excess, the Four Seasons' pampering -- yet restrained -- service is a model of balance and precision.
The HighlightsVery much a full-service resort, the Four Seasons offers every vacation necessity -- thankfully off-limits to the gambling hordes nearby. The outdoor swimming pool comes with discreet cabanas and complete with cabana service. They're free to guests, as are the fitness center and spa access, though the latter's Asian-styled treatments naturally come at a price. There is a pair of restaurants: the indoor/outdoor Mediterranean Verandah, and Charlie Palmer Steak, another of Las Vegas' recent big city foodie imports, with its neo-Spanish interiors. Be sure to make time for afternoon tea at the Verandah Lounge. With its formal service of pastries and sandwiches, it's a dose of Old World propriety amid New World notoriety.
-- David Kaufman
