Our last trip to Las Vegas was pre-COVID, a lifetime ago. This time it was my husband, our two daughters (ages 8 and 10), and me, introducing the next generation to the Strip. We stayed at the Venetian, and the short version is: the room was fantastic, and checkout was a mess.
Why We Booked a Suite
My husband has a travel philosophy I’ve come around to: always book the biggest room you can afford, especially with early-bird kids. We ended up in roughly 1,500 square feet, with a pool table and a quiet, separate bedroom for us once the girls were asleep. For a family trip, that space made the whole stay work.
Eating Without Leaving the Hotel
Having a range of dining options inside the Venetian itself was a real plus — we didn’t have to leave the property once. Mornings usually meant a stop at Bouchon Bakery for pastries (yes, the line is long, and yes, it’s worth it), and dinners were easy, shareable plates that worked for both us and the girls. Service in the restaurants was genuinely good the entire trip — which made the checkout experience even more of a contrast.
Checkout Day
We were there during a high-volume holiday period, and by checkout it showed. People were sitting on the lobby floor surrounded by luggage, waiting for cars and porters that weren’t coming fast enough. We asked if we could just use a bellman’s cart ourselves and were told no — guests apparently aren’t allowed to touch them. When we pushed back, the explanation we got was, “We are very busy, and we have 7,000 rooms.” I understand the scale, but a hotel that size should be staffed for a holiday weekend it can see coming on the calendar. What should have been a quick handoff turned into an hour and a half of hauling bags, waiting for elevators, and standing in the valet line. That kind of gap between the room and the service is exactly what lost us.
Would We Go Back?
Probably, honestly. We loved the suite enough that the checkout chaos didn’t ruin the trip, just our opinion of the exit process. Next time we’ll either check out at the crack of dawn or ship half our luggage home ahead of us. The Venetian nails the physical product; it just needs the staffing to match it when the city is at capacity.
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