Art Vegas

There’s more to Nevada’s casino-ed crown jewel than meets the eye. —Noa Nichol

stay. The Palms Casino Resort smells as good as it looks (seriously; a yummy signature scent is pumped through the place 24-7). Gorgeous rooms (for something extra “extra,” book an exclu-sive Revolve suite, with private bowling lanes and your own personal basketball court) and, throughout, a collection of art that would make any gallery green with envy, including works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Damien Hirst and Takashi Murakami. https://www.palms.com/

see. There are many more masterpieces to behold in Vegas—most hotels display their collections for public enjoyment. The walls of the Park MGM, for one, are lined with commissioned and curated works that pay tribute to nature through the lens of urban parks and the Nevada desert (you can join a tour every Wednesday at 10 a.m. via the concierge). At the Venetian, a guided art and architecture tour will transport you to Italy, bringing historic sites like St. Mark’s square to life, and the Bellagio’s own gallery of fine art is showing, till April, Japanese art from the Jōmon period to present.

sweat. For a totally off-beat art-viewing experience, sign up for an “art hike” at the Aria Resort and Casino—speed-walk, squat and stair-climb your way through the massive property with the help of a personal trainer-slash-docent, who will tell you how many sit-ups to do while simultaneously pointing out various works of fine art (including pieces by acclaimed painters, sculptors and installation artists) along the way.

stroll. There’s art aplenty to see beyond the hotels, too. Visit the Neon Museum for the famous (and bizarre, but in a good way) Tim Burton exhibit (till April), then head downtown to walk among the outdoor murals that are created during the city’s annual festival. Also, opening this year: an eclectic concept called Area 15, which, from a massive warehouse, promises to provide a mix of live events, immersive activations, art installations, unique shopping experiences and more.

savour. Art can be made to eat, too, and no city knows that better than Vegas. For masterpiece meals, try breakfast at the Bellagio’s Sadelle’s (get a tempting “tower” of fish, bagel, tomato, cucum-ber and capers), brunch at Giada at the Cromwell (dishes are inspired by the TV-star chef’s best-selling cookbooks), lunch at the Venetian’s Sixth + Mill (pizza by the replica Grand Canal, complete with singing gondoliers), dinner at the Cosmopolitan’s Rose Rabbit Lie (the caviar tacos were named the best small plate in the city) and dessert at the Palms’ Scotch 80 Prime (share the Fire & Ice banana split, made tableside with liquid nitrogen, with a pal).