Review: Fontainebleau Las Vegas

Why book?

All the unapologetic midcentury Miami glamor of the Morris Lapidus original is supersized in a massive deco stage set for today.

Set the scene:

The Miami hotel's same decadent futurism, with its boldly curvilinear lines, massive open spaces, glass columns that ascend 42 feet into a mothership of ceilings, and escalators up to a mezzanine view of it all might feel like a shock to the system for those accustomed to the everything-is-embellished aesthetic of Las Vegas. This hotel, with its monolithic bowtie-shaped port cochere, massive oval lobby and central Bleau Bar hung with thousands of crystal bowties—is a refreshing swoosh of midmod glam. However, the nods to Lapidus, by Carlos Zapata Studio and interiors designer David Collins Sudio,, are anything but a throwback; rather, they conjure up the feeling you might have had, say, swanning down the famous “staircase to nowhere” in a space that is thoroughly contemporary. After a star-studded opening gala, most of today’s clientele are here to dine in new-to-market restaurants like Chef Evan Funke’s paean to Roman cuisine, Mother Wolf, and Miami favorite Papi Steak and gawk at art pieces like “Oceans,” a kinetic sculpture of steel bricks that recalls the shape of Fontainebleau’s sister property and undulates to the real-time data of ocean tides from around the world.

The backstory:

Saying that Fontainebleau is the longest awaited of any Las Vegas property is no hyperbole; in fact, the 745-foot-high tower (the tallest hotel in Las Vegas) was topped out in 2008 as Fontainebleau but sat vacant through several ownership changes before Jeffrey Soffer’s Fontainbleau Resorts reclaimed it in 2021. The resort was opened in one of the most star-studded and lavish parties in Las Vegas history (also Soffer’s birthday). Some of the resort’s retail offerings have yet to open (Graff, Gucci), and its Oasis pool deck with six pools and French Riviera-inspired LIV Dayclub will see their first Vegas pool season in 2024.

The rooms:

There are 3,644 rooms in the 67-story Fontainebleau (now the tallest hotel in Las Vegas) in several room categories. The advantage of these rooms, particularly those at the higher levels, are their incredible views of the mountains to the west or the Strip from floor-to-ceiling windows—particularly, obviously, from the highest floors. (You’ll need to choose a room carefully if you have a distinct preference; “Bleau” rooms face the mountains, and “Gold” rooms may have views of the pools, mountains, or Las Vegas Strip. Given the resort’s cavernous public spaces the standard rooms are quite compact. The aesthetic here is a kind of soft, masculine minimalism in shades of blue with some warm pops of coral. Rooms contain some thoughtful touches like personal cooling drawers (refrigerators), a QR-coded cube that lets you order in-room-dining from your phone, and room controls in the headboards. If you’re going for grand, book a Fleur de Lis Suite, some of which are 10,000 square feet, have spectacular views, and perks like wellness rooms and pool tables.

Food and drink:

Just when we thought we had every single dining style in Vegas, Fontainebleau came along and introduced some truly new-to-Vegas experiences. Among the 32 new restaurants and lounges, there are some standouts: truly outstanding Roman pizza and handcut pasta at the Vegas version of Evan Funke’s Hollywood restaurant, Mother Wolf; the witty Washing Potato, with its comfort street food and dim sum; clubby Miami favorite Papi Steak, and hidden gem bars like Nowhere, with its billiards table and living room feel. And for those who know: The Promenade (the second-floor food court), holds Miami Slice, which can go head-to-head with pizza anywhere. On the way in 2024: the first Tequila Casa Dragones tasting room outside Mexico.

The spa:

Las Vegans love a Hong Kong-style foot spa but if you’re on the Strip, you’ll have to get yourself to Spring Mountain Rd. (the city’s Chinatown) to find one. Fontainebleau’s clever Reboot lounge offers everything from a signature foot massage to compression therapy for legs (great for recovering from a long flight). The massive Lapis Spa & Wellness transforms throughout the day to align with guests’ natural circadian rhythms and biological clocks through aromatherapy and lighting. There’s also a penthouse spa for private gatherings.

The service:

Like any new resort, Fontainebleau is finding its sea legs. We found service to be largely enthusiastic, but it takes a while to get to Vegas pro-level concierge service.

For families:

The most family-friendly hotels have a high-low mix so parents can accommodate kid tastes and occasional behavior lapses. Fontainebleau accomplishes this in higher style than most, with a remarkable food court experience that’s not just the usual suspects. Otherwise, this resort isn’t necessarily kid-oriented (in other words, you’ll need to go elsewhere for shark tanks, flamingos, roller coasters, and the like).

Accommodations:

Fontainebleau offers accessible accommodations. However, the layout itself isn’t perfect for wheelchairs. You’ll need to find the elevators to avoid the vertiginous escalators in the main areas, and you’ll walk long distances to get to some venues.