Vanderpump Hotel Review: What Travel Advisors Need to Know About the New Las Vegas Property

It’s certainly fitting that reality TV personality and entrepreneur Lisa Vanderpump’s latest addition to her hospitality portfolio is a stylish Las Vegas hotel venture. After all, her successful partnership with Caesars Entertainment, previously manifested via three visually striking, atmospheric lounge concepts inside the company’s Strip resorts (Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas and the Flamingo Las Vegas), made the tie-up for the recently-opened Vanderpump Hotel a natural. 

Situated on what is arguably the Las Vegas resort corridor’s most prominent location – the corner of Flamingo Road and the Strip – the 188-room Vanderpump Hotel conveniently sits directly across from Caesars Palace and Horseshoe, next door to the Flamingo, and diagonally from Bellagio, putting the property at an effortlessly walkable crossroads. And the rebrand of the former Cromwell – itself an attractive, boutique hotel – is extensive and impressive in its breadth and scope. After the grand opening in June, TMR had a chance to spend a couple of nights on-property to assess the refresh. 

Inside the Guest Rooms: High-End Aesthetics with Center-Strip Views

Along with longtime creative partner Nick Alain, Vanderpump has once again put her signature “industrial romantic” aesthetic to work at the intimate property, suitably demonstrated in the rooms and suites, which feature a gorgeous, sexy allure with pops of moss green, lilac and gray. Mixed metals highlight the fashionable furniture and soft goods, and a surplus of mirrors and luxe touches add to the glam appeal throughout. 

The single-sink vanity in the standard rooms doesn’t afford much room for storage – a consequence of the property’s older architecture – but the large, tiled shower with bench is a welcome counterbalance. Clothing and shoe storage is handled via a pretty double-door armoire. However, rooms facing Flamingo Road do suffer from late-night noise generated from the nearby Grand Bazaar Shops, but alas, this is Vegas, and the property’s prime location and easy access is an acceptable tradeoff.  

Public Spaces: British Glamour, Restored Decor, and Rooftop Access

The lovely Vanderpump-Alain decor extends to the Insta-worthy hotel reception and check-in area, with floral displays, dramatic lighting and nods to British culture – exemplified by a wall-length display of tea-service china – adorning the space.  

Continuing the British thematic display, a custom-decorated London taxi sits just inside the casino’s Strip entrance, as does a classic red pay phone booth – minus the communications instrument, naturally. The casino’s classic chandeliers, remnants of the property’s previous incarnations (Barbary Coast, Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and the Cromwell) have been lovingly restored with new crystals and custom shades, while The Bar, located center-casino, now features live music nightly. 

The hotel’s 24-hour Fitness Center is larger and better equipped than would be expected at a similar-sized property, while the massive, 65,000-square-foot rooftop resort pool complex, Soleia, retains the attractive look-and-feel of the prior Drai’s Beachclub, while offering the requisite daybed and cabana rentals. Downstairs, Drai’s After Hours continues 25+ years of nightclub operations on Thurs., Fri. and Saturday nights from 1:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. 

Dining and Nightlife: Gigolo Lounge, Daily Brunch at Giada, and Signature Cocktails

Based on Vanderpump’s three other, drop-dead gorgeous cocktail lounges at Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas properties, expectations ran high for the next iteration in the series, and Gigolo doesn’t disappoint. Named – and themed – after Lisa’s prized, late canine companion, aka Giggy, Gigolo is a moody, sexy and atmospheric lounge, with Giggy iconography dominating the design. It’s kitschy and fun, furnished beautifully and comfortably, and a fitting setting for sipping on the now-iconic Pumptini cocktail, a mixture of vodka, Cointreau, grapefruit juice, lime juice and simple syrup, garnished with fresh raspberries. The pink-hued martini’s composition and elegant presentation sums up the property’s – and its proprietor’s – artistic vibe. 

Fans of celebrity chef Giade De Laurentiis’s “Cal-Italian” cuisine can take comfort knowing that the chef’s eponymous restaurant, Giada, remains in its prime, second-floor location with the menu – and spectacular Strip views – intact. The venue’s prior weekend brunch, thankfully, is now being served daily from 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., providing patrons with an extended opportunity to indulge in Giada’s signature lemon-infused pastas, pizzas and pastries. On a recent brunch visit, the fried eggs cacio e pepe were a highlight, as were the lobster hash and luscious lemon-ricotta cookies. Now that Giada is open daily for brunch and dinner, the property’s room service offerings are sourced exclusively from that venue, while the Starbucks outlet in the casino fills in the gaps. 

Key Guest Perks: Complimentary Daily Cocktail Hour and House Car Service

In an atypical twist on traditional Las Vegas hospitality products, Vanderpump Hotel offers two complimentary amenities that are welcome, and frankly, surprising. The property hosts a daily cocktail hour (4:00 – 5:00 p.m.) for hotel guests, when all beverages under $25 are complimentary. And the offer isn’t limited to a single drink, as guests may order one beverage at a time during the hour-long promotion. In addition, a chauffeured House Car is available to hotel guests for free rides within the Strip corridor or to the airport, starting at 10:00 a.m. daily. The service is first-come, first-serve, however, and cannot be booked in advance, but the value proposition – for both the House Car and cocktail hour – is unmatched anywhere else on the Strip. 

It isn’t often that a new, intimate property debuts on the Strip, which makes Lisa Vanderpump’s “jewel box” a unique Las Vegas option to offer clients: a center-Strip, boutique property with striking looks, creative food-and-beverage options, atypical hospitality and easy accessibility, all starting at a price point near $200/night, including resort fee.