Top Five Vegas Hotels

As I haven't actually stayed in any of these hotels, this top five list constitutes a wish list.

1. Luxor
The idea of staying in a 30-story black glass pyramid just seems really cool to me. The hotel rooms open onto the largest atrium in the world. Because of the slant of the building, instead of escalators, you take inclinators up a 39-degree slope to get to your room.

2. Bellagio
The Bellagio is the paragon of luxury along the Las Vegas strip. Remarkably, the hotel pulls off this delivery of luxury without succumbing to the tackiness found at most other Strip resorts. Try to get a room facing the fountains for half-hourly performances of Vegas' most gorgeous free shows.

3. New York New York
This casino replicates the New York City skyline. But those buildings are not mere ornaments. They actually house the hotel rooms. Book a room here and there's a chance you'll be staring at the Strip from the Las Vegas version of the Chrysler or Empire State Buildings.

4. Venetian
This hotel is a rather well-executed but still tacky recreation of the city of Venice (minus the stench of death). It boasts the largest standard rooms on the Strip at 650 square feet, with marble foyers, sunken living room areas, and private fax machines. Plus, there's a rooftop garden.

5. Paris
The staff at this hotel is much more likely to speak Spanish than French (trust me, on a drunken night once, I tried). But the little Continental touches, along with the half-scale Eiffel Tour and Arc de Triomphe, at least invoke Paris, even if they fall short of replicating it.