Venetian vs. Paris Las Vegas: A tale of two European escapes on the Strip

A small section of the sprawling pool complex at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – With no plans to head to Europe anytime soon, I decided to treat myself to a European-style getaway in Las Vegas.

But which European getaway?

I’ve visited Las Vegas perhaps a half-dozen times over the past two decades, staying in a different hotel every time. Yet I had never experienced the Venetian Resort or Paris Las Vegas, two iconic, European-themed properties, both high on my list to try.

I crossed them both off my Vegas bucket list during a recent trip, after finding reasonable rates at each.

Located less than a mile apart on Las Vegas Boulevard, the two resorts opened within months of each other in 1999, helping to transform the modern Strip.

Paris Las Vegas sits just south of Flamingo Road, directly across from the Bellagio and in the heart of the Strip’s busiest corridor.

The Venetian is farther north, along a somewhat quieter stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard. A new Hard Rock Las Vegas is under construction across the boulevard from the Venetian, set to open in late 2027, which will add to the crowds.

Here then, how the two resorts compare:

The Venetian

Built on the site of the former Sands Hotel, the Venetian is enormous, with 7,100 total rooms in the original structure plus the Palazzo Tower, added in 2007. According to most lists, the Venetian is the second largest hotel in the world by room count.

Standard room at Paris Las Vegas.

All of the rooms here are suites, and they’re big – typically ranging between 650 and 750 square feet, significantly larger than standard rooms on the Strip.

There are two large casinos here, a sprawling pool complex, more than 40 restaurants and 100-plus shops in the Grand Canal Shoppes.

The resort is also connected to the Sphere, the high-profile entertainment venue that opened in 2023.

All rooms at the Venetian Resort are suites.

A signature attraction is the gondola ride through the resort’s indoor and outdoor canals.

My husband and I ate several meals at the Venetian, including dinner at Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano, lunch at Sugarcane and breakfast at Bouchon Bakery.

Last year, the Venetian, owned by Vici Properties and operated by Apollo Global Management, joined the World of Hyatt loyalty program.

Paris Las Vegas

With 3,672 rooms, Paris Las Vegas is about half the size of the Venetian – which doesn’t make it small.

Our room here, about 390 square feet, was in the original Bordeaux Tower, modeled after the historic Hotel de Ville in Paris.

Owned by Caesars Entertainment, Paris Las Vegas features a 95,000-square-foot casino, a dozen restaurants and 10 shops, plus a large octagon-shaped pool.

Its defining feature is a half-scale, 540-foot-tall Eiffel Tower replica, with an observation deck and restaurant up top and three legs that extend into the casino floor. The resort also features mini versions of the Arc de Triomphe and Paris Opera House.

Inside the French-themed casino at Paris Las Vegas.

Dining highlights include French bistro fare at Mon Ami Gabi, with a prime view of the Bellagio fountain show. It was probably my favorite meal in town.

A replica of the Eiffel Tower and the Paris Opera House at the Paris Las Vegas resort.

The verdict

Gondola rides are a popular activity at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

Hands down, the Venetian is a more luxurious experience, with some of the nicest hotel rooms I’ve stayed in and some gorgeous public spaces.

The location of Paris, however, may be better, if you like to be in the thick of all the Strip activity.

Inside the elegant Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.

Rates at both hotels vary widely and can be a relative bargain or prohibitively expensive.

A recent check of rates at the Venetian found prices as low as $174 per night to an eye-popping $1,104. Paris rates are typically less, ranging from $79 per night to $524, according to a recent search. I paid about $220 per night at both.

At the sprawling, elaborate Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.

And good news: Those prices now include the resorts’ hefty resort fees, which total as much as $60 per day. A new rule from the Federal Trade Commission, in effect since May 2025, requires hotels and resorts to disclose the total price upfront, including all mandatory resort fees.

The rule, however, does not prohibit the fees, which typically cover amenities that are standard in most hotels, including Wi-Fi, access to the pool and gym, and local phone calls.

One thing it doesn’t cover – and this really irritates me – is a cup of morning coffee. At both resorts, I had to schlepp down to the lobby to retrieve my morning caffeine and then pay $8 per cup for the privilege.

Given that both France and Italy are known for their coffee culture, their Las Vegas counterparts could do better.

Post Related

Post Related