Weekend Getaway: 36 Hours in Vegas

It’s not all casinos, clubs and The Hangover-style debauchery in Vegas. In recent years, Sin City has emerged as a sophisticated destination for discerning eaters, design hounds and culture seekers. From meals made by Michelin-starred chefs to craft cocktails to stylish boutique hotels, here’s how to spend an ideal weekend in Sin City.

FRIDAY

3 p.m.: Check in to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the city’s most design-forward hotel. The sleek lobby feels like stepping into the future, with a seamless iPad check-in process and excellent people-watching. Slip on your bathing suit and revel in the Marquee Dayclub pool party until sunset. Or relax in the Sahra Spa & Hammam, which has canyon-like walls that evoke the desert and hot stone slabs in the steam room.

8 p.m.: Make a reservation at Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, the only eponymous dining salon named after and run by the master chef. The jewel box of a restaurant serves ornate French fare, like sea urchin on fennel potato purée flecked with orange.

11 p.m.: Back at your hotel, stop for a nightcap at The Chandelier, under the sparkling lights of two million beaded crystals. The tri-level space offers different experiences on each floor, including cocktails featuring molecular garnishes made tableside.

SATURDAY

10 a.m.: Go big or go home. Rent a cabana for the day at The Palazzo Las Vegas pool. Your oasis is stocked with water, fruit and the option for a poolside massage.

1 p.m.: Escape the heat and grab a seat at the taverna at CarneVino, Mario Batali’s hit steakhouse at the Palazzo. Cuts are dry-aged for six to eight months and are ordered by the inch. Pastas are foolproof, too.

8 p.m.: Wing Lei, the first Chinese restaurant in the country to be awarded a Michelin star, is located in the Wynn hotel and mashes Chinese flavors with Western techniques. Standouts on the Cantonese-Shanghainese-Sichuan menu include smoked salmon salad with mandarin oranges, pickled shallots and pineapple-yuzu vinaigrette, all arranged into a flower.

11 p.m.: Soar above Sin City with a drink at Alain Ducasse’s Skyfall Lounge, located on the 63rd floor of the Delano. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal 180-degree vistas of Vegas—and every seat offers an unobstructed view of the skyline.

SUNDAY

Noon: Sunday brunch at Andiron is legendary. It kicks off with a plate of house-made doughnuts. Then come caramel custard French toast with pomegranate syrup, almond brittle and whipped cream; fancy grilled cheese sandwiches; and a hash skillet cooked in cast iron over a wood-burning grill. Don’t overlook the dessert table, which is brimming with candy, pastries and other baked goods.

3 p.m.: Before takeoff, have one last drink at Atomic Liquors, Vegas’s oldest bar, named for a time when customers watched atomic blasts from the roof. The Rat Pack and the Smothers Brothers drank here after nightly shows, and Barbra Streisand even had her own seat.

_{Header Photo: Courtesy of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas}

^{CarneVino Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Campbell}