Author: Renato Compton

Vegas is known for a great many things, its attitude towards gambling, the level of entertainment that is on offer, the debauchery and mayhem which can be found here, but above all else, Vegas is known for its world famous hotels. The hotels here take on an altogether very different approach to what a hotel should be, and many of these incredible buildings are far more than simply somewhere for you to lay your head. In true Vegas style the hotels here are ostentatious and fun-loving, and here are our top 3.

3 – The Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino

Most hotels in Vegas come with a theme and the Venetian offers this in abundance with its romantic Venetian style design, featuring classic Italian architecture and high levels of detail. The most striking aspect of the hotel is indeed from the outside, with a canal running throughout the outside of the hotel, featuring real gondolas which will take you on a slow ride across the hotel’s water. Inside the hotel gets even better with its huge suites, decked out in classic Roman design and features a sunken living room, and plenty of luxurious touches. This is one of the biggest hotels in the world and inside its walls you will find shopping experiences, a number of restaurants and bars, and of course, casinos.

2 – The Bellagio

The Bellagio offers one of the most decadent hotels which you are likely to find, packed with luxury and ornate design. Much like the Venetian, the star attraction here at the Bellagio is the dancing fountains outside the front doors, which have become an attraction in themselves for many visiting Vegas. The Penthouse and the suites here are insane, offering huge rooms with all manner of service options, but the cheap rooms are still pretty special. On top of the comfortable and luxurious stay which you can expect, the Bellagio offers plenty of shows featuring the top names in entertainment, as well as restaurants, trendy nightclubs and a huge array of amenities to make your stay extra special.

1 – The Mandarin Oriental

The debate as to which is the best hotel in Vegas is one which will lily rage on for eternity, our pick however is the Mandarin Oriental. This Asian inspired hotel is a sleek, sexy and classy hotel which is designed with nothing but elegance in mind. Each room in this hotel offers Asian luxury, with bamboo detail and classy artwork and design throughout. Whichever room you pay for in this hotel will come with one guarantee, a first class hotel experience. There is less razzmatazz in this hotel than in many others in hotel, but the tea room and the spa experience here are very special, and indicative of just how luxurious this hotel really is. The cherry on the cake in the mandarin is the Mandarin bar at the top of the hotel, offering birds-eye views across the city.

Which is your favorite hotel in Vegas? Let us know in the comments below.

Olympic Sculpture Park

Image via Flickr by Elvert Barnes

This is a must-visit for anyone heading to Seattle; this park is home to a number of sculptures from world-renowned artists like Claes Oldenburg and Alexander Calder. Currently, you can see Oldenburg’s work “Typewriter Eraser, Scale X” on display in the park, which is an incredibly unusual giant sculpture of a typewriter eraser. It really is surreal to see something like this, but it makes the park a special place that is unlike any I have been to before. Another cool feature of the park is definitely the beach, which is a great place to hang out in the summer months. Plus, this park has amazing views of Puget Sound, which you won’t find anywhere else.

Visit Olympic National Park

The Olympic National Park is an incredible park that has a huge million acres — much of which is wilderness — and is the place to go for some adventure if you are in Seattle. The park offers endless miles of coastline, forests, unique ecosystems, snow-capped mountains, and some special wildlife to top it off. Aside from this, the park has an incredible history with over 600 archeological sites that span 12,000 years of human history. This really is a place to get out of the city, take a walk, and enjoy the most beautiful nature that you can imagine.

The Space Needle

No visit to Seattle could ever be considered complete without visiting the Space Needle. Riding the elevator 520 feet above the ground is always something interesting to do, and the views from the observation deck are stunning with the unique combination of the surrounding mountains, islands, and water. The Space Needle is also an ideal place to view the sunset. This is best achieved in every season except for summer, when the sun sets around 9 p.m., making it difficult with the Space Needle closing at 8! If you want the best views of the sunset and the glowing lights of Seattle, always check when the sun is setting.

Hop Across the Border

One of the benefits of visiting Seattle is the fact that Canada is very close, and you can take the bus, drive, or take the train to Vancouver. It takes just over 2 hours to drive there, meaning that you could even make a little day trip (or overnight trip, if you fancy). I would highly recommend spending a few days in Canada if possible and then heading back to Seattle of course.

There is so much more in Seattle to explore, take some time off and explore this magical place for yourself!