McCarran International Airport (LAS): Approximate driving time is 12 minutes and distance is 4.75 miles.

Driving directions from McCarran International Airport: Exit the airport to Paradise Rd northbound, then turn left on E Tropicana Ave. Turn right on S. Las Vegas Blvd and follow it for about 1.5 miles. The hotel is on the right.

Getting there: The best way to get to the hotel is by taxi ($5–$15; fees subject to change without notice). A private sedan or limousine can also be arranged; contact the hotel concierge for details.

Getting around: Many guests choose to walk to other destinations on the Strip. Taxis are also readily available for travel along the Strip and to other parts of Las Vegas.

Delmonico Steakhouse - Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse's version of a New Orleans-style steakhouse serves meat and seafood accented by sides such as cheese grits, andouille-potato hash, and caramelized sweet potatoes in a contemporary, intimate setting of brown leather chairs, white linen, and vaulted white ceilings. Lunch and dinner.

Valentino - This branch of Piero Selvaggio's widely acclaimed Los Angeles restaurant features contemporary Italian cooking and a 24,000-bottle wine cellar. The menu offers lobster agnoletti, smoked-and-roasted scallops and grilled mallard breast. Dinner only.

P.J.'s Italian Grill - Valentino's casual sibling serves pizza, pasta, and specialties such as lamb chops with minted balsamic vinegar. Lunch and dinner.

Postrio - An outgrowth of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck's San Francisco restaurant, this casual place offers inventive pastas, pizzas, steaks, seafood, and new American classics such as lobster club sandwich. Intimate dining room and terrace seating. Lunch and dinner.

Zefferino Ristorante - Renowned in Genoa, this branch of a family-restaurant features opulent decor, with everything crafted in Venetian style. Bar and café on ground floor, dining room on second floor. Italian cuisine, with seafood specialties. Lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.

Pinot Brasserie - This French/Californian bistro features steak, roasted poultry, seafood, and game. Red leather seating and white linen with French farm-kitchen accents. Two intimate private rooms. Lunch and dinner.

Royal Star - Celebrated Los Angeles restaurateur Kevin Wu's stylish restaurant. Pastel colors, circular booths. Chinese regional specialties such as Six-Hour Spare Ribs and Peking Duck. Lunch and dinner, with dim sum offered at lunch.

Star Canyon - "New Texas" cuisine such as cowboy ribeye with mushroom ragout and coriander-seared tuna salad. Soft lighting, etched glass, and iconic tribute to old cowboy boots spotlighted in wall recesses. Lunch and dinner.

Grand Lux Café - Global-fusion menu of more than 150 items from pot-roast sandwiches to Asian nachos. Baker/coffee shop in front. Open 24 hours.

Canaletto - Linen-service Italian restaurant. Specialties such as whole fish baked in salt crust, pizza, and classics such as osso buco. Lunch and dinner.

Tsunami Asian Grill - Sushi and pan-Asian choices. Walls display haunting images of woman dissolving into waves of Asian imagery. Lunch and dinner.

Taqueria Cañonita - Mexican cooking with flair. Chipotle-flavored pork roasted in banana leaves. Achiote-flavored grilled shrimp. Shareable plates. Mexican tiles and folk art. Lunch and dinner.

Noodle Asia - Fast Asian food including dim sum. Lunch and dinner.

Canyon Ranch Café - Spa cuisine served from early morning to early evening.

Gourmet Food Court - Pizzeria del Enzo (fast-food Italian style), San Gennaro Grill (steak burgers, grilled panini), Rialto Deli (grilled and deli sandwiches), Santa Lucia (coffee and pastries), Krispy Kreme (donuts and gelato).

Tintoretto Bakery

Amenity highlights: Modeled after a formal Venetian garden, a rooftop, five-acre pool terrace includes two huge pools, two 18-person spas, columns, gazebos, massive tile-faced planters, and lemon trees. For-rent pool cabanas come with telephone, television, and stocked refrigerator. World-renowned Canyon Ranch SpaClub offers 65,000 square feet of rejuvenation space spread over two floors. In addition to massage and beauty, body, and facial treatments, the spa provides three fitness gyms with classes, a spinning gym, a weight room, a 40-foot climbing wall, saunas, steam rooms, 12-person spas, quiet lounges, a juice bar, and a spa-cuisine café.

Insider tip: The resort provides a booklet, The Venetian Experience, describing reproductions and pinpointing locations of famous Venetian paintings and sculptures—as well as the Venice-landmark replicas— that are scattered through the resort .