Paris Las Vegas's 20th Anniversary: 10 Things You Have to Do
BY: Andy Seifert |Apr 11, 2019
It’s only been 20 years since Paris Las Vegas opened, and yet the French-themed casino and resort already seems like a timeless, irreplaceable part of the Strip. Its Eiffel Tower replica (roughly half the size of the one in Paris) has quickly earned iconic Las Vegas status, becoming a go-to photo-op spot on par with the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. That’s in addition to its world-class restaurants, its spectacular shows, and its expansive casino floor.
But for its 20th anniversary, Paris Las Vegas has rolled out a few new features that make it well worth a return visit. Read on and we’ll list the top 10 things you have to do—including its special 20th-anniversary offerings—when you visit this Parisian paradise in the desert.
You’ve seen the Eiffel Tower in France all aglow. Now, the one in Vegas can do it just as well: as part of the 20th anniversary celebration, the tower will reward viewers with a brand-new light show every half-hour from sunset to midnight. Click the video above to see a preview of the show, which bathes the landmark in French-inspired blue, white, and red, powered by more than 1,000 lights.
2. Unwind at the All-New Voie Spa & Salon
Inspired by the French countryside, the Voie Spa & Salon has also opened to coincide with Paris Las Vegas’s 20th anniversary. Here, you can take a break from gaming with a Loire Red Wine Antioxidant Mask or an aromatherapy massage infused with sweet orange from Corsica. Every treatment here is designed to envelope your senses to the point where you’re transported to an idyllic French landscape.
3. Relax in a Newly Renovated Guest Room
Once renovations are complete (currently scheduled for May), all 2,900 Paris Las Vegas rooms will have been reimagined in the last three years. These renovations have upgraded bathrooms with marble counters, bigger TVs, and a new pleasing color palette.
On a hot day in Las Vegas, few things are as satisfying as a dip in the Soleil Pool, where you’ll swim at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Sip a frozen cocktail, practice your backstroke in full view of the Arc de Triomphe, or lounge in a poolside cabana (available for reservation online).
5. Catch a Magic Show (in Spanish)
If you speak Spanish, then don’t miss Mexican mentalist Santiago Michel perform Ilusión Mental, the first all-in-Spanish magic show on the Strip. Ilusión Mental blends mental tricks and hypnosis, displaying Michel’s uncanny ability to somehow knowexactlywhat the audience is thinking. You’ll be amazed when you see it live and he does it to you.
6. Try the Famous Beef Wellington at Gordon Ramsay Steak
Before your visit, make sure to reserve a table at Gordon Ramsay Steak, since tables can be booked days ahead of time–and for good reason. Helmed by celebrity British chef Gordon Ramsay, who won Las Vegas Weekly’s 2018 Readers’ Choice award for “Best Vegas Chef,” the steakhouse is known for the Ramsay’s signature beef wellington, handcrafted cocktails, and French-inspired sides.
7. Eat on a Parisian Sidewalk in Le Cafe Ile St. Louis
No matter the weather outside, it’s always a picture-perfect Parisian day at Le Café Ile St. Louis. The cafe boasts a delightful dining area designed to look like a sidewalk scene you might see along the River Seine—charming, bustling, and relaxing all at the same time. Complete the fantasy with sweet and savory crepes, French onion soup, and much more.
8. Hit the Casino Floor
It’s Vegas. If you’re here, you’re probably going gaming, and Paris Las Vegas has one of the coolest casino floors on the Strip, with more than 1,700 slot machines tucked amongst classic French architecture. You also can’t miss the table games, from craps to baccarat to pai-gow poker—there’s a game for you.
Before you go, take one last look at the City of Lights—we’re talking about Las Vegas, of course, which NASA says is one of the brightest spots on Earth. And do it from atop the Paris Las Vegas’s Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck, roughly 460 feet high. There, Ambassadors will help you spot the city’s most-beloved landmarks, and you can take a few photos to prove you were indeed in Nevada and not just in France.
10. Dine & Dance at Martorano’s
Known as the “Godfather of Italian-American Cooking,” chef Steve Martorano brings his eponymous Fort Lauderdale restaurant to the Strip. A night here means a night of macaroni, Philly cheesesteak, and a meatball salad (not a typo) surrounded by TVs showing classic films. If you stay after 9 p.m., the lights dim and the dance party begins, accompanied by more than a dozen disco balls.