The Venetian Hotel - Las Vegas, NV: The Venetian is an all-suite, five-diamond resort located on the famous Las Vegas strip. A theme resort, The Venetian recreates the city of Venice. This resort is a part of InterContinental Alliance Resorts. Hence it is possible to book a suite in this resort through InterContinental.com.

This was our second visit to the Venetian. Located just 4 miles away from McCarran International Airport, The Venetian was actually one of the first properties we had reviewed when we had started Bombastic Life. When we first stayed here we were blown away with their service. However, on this trip we were literally blown away with their lack of service. A classic example of what a few years can do to a place.

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First Impression/Lobby: The Venetian has recreated most of the major landmarks in Venice like the Campanile Tower, Bridge of Sighs, St. Mark's Square, Doge's Palace and the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal is a quarter of a mile long and is lined by around 80 international shops with real gondolas and gondoliers. The lobby was still as stunning as I first remembered it. Ceilings covered with Venetian art, grand pillars and archways were all reminiscent of the finest palaces in Venice.

Reception: We arrived at this resort after a long series of flights from Washington, DC . When we got here we were dismayed at the long line and equally long wait for check in. After about 20 minutes we finally made it to the front of the line. Once there, the check in was quick. However, at no point did the young lady apologize for the long wait or even make us feel welcome. This experience was way different from the first time we stayed here.

The Suite: Though our suite was called a Luxury Suite, it did not have two separate rooms like the suites most hotels have. The living room and bedroom were combined and were not two separate rooms as one would expect a suite to be. It actually felt as if a lot of furniture had been stuffed into a small room. The suite was cramped with a dining table, work desk, coffee table, corner shaped couch, a king size bed and a big credenza.

All modern amenities like a flat screen television, refreshment center, dual-line telephone and wireless high-speed Internet access were available in our suite. The bathroom featured a tub with a separate glass-enclosed shower, a water closet with telephone, a double-sink vanity, a television and bathrobes.

Room Service: Though I wanted to order room service, the resort did not have any menus. Upon asking, I was informed that they had run out of menus. Needless to say, I didn’t order from them. (How a five-star hotel in Las Vegas can run out of room service menus is beyond me.)

Housekeeping: Our request for turndown service went ignored. Also, our request for slippers and a second robe took almost an hour. Again, we were not impressed.

Concierge: We only used the concierge for breakfast recommendations. And even these proved to be next to impossible. Finally they came up with Bouchon which turned out to be a great suggestion after all.

Restaurant: The Venetian offered 21 dining options. Out of these, almost 10 served Italian cuisine. A number of Pan-Asian restaurants were also available. The restaurants were either classified as casual or fine dining. Some of the famous ones are B & B Ristorante, Bouchon, Postrio Bar & Grill, Aquaknox, Delmonico Steakhouse and Valentino.

Pool/Spa/Activities: The Canyon Ranch SpaClub was all of 134,000-square-feet and housed a state-of-the-art fitness center, indoor rock climbing wall and a café. A nutritionist and a personal trainer were available on request. A range of lavish treatments were available. Aquavana at this spa offered a range of water therapies.

The pool deck at this resort was located on the fourth floor and featured three pools, a hot tub, four pavilion beds and a poolside bar. Cabanas were available here for a fee. The Tao Beach and Nightclub, an adult pool area and a casino were the other attractions.

Check-Out: We called the night before to talk to a manager about the various issues we had faced. But she didn’t seem to care so we cut our booking short and stayed at this resort for only one night instead of the two we had initially booked. During check out, we again voiced concerns about our stay. However, the agent didn’t seem to care much. This reinforced our belief that we had made the right decision by leaving early.

Overall Impression: I don’t know why the service at The Venetian has gone down so much. My guess is that either the good staff have all moved to other properties or that the management has decided that they are getting enough business because of their affiliation with the InterContinental. Either way, the hotel has lost its charm. Our rating for this resort is Almost Not Bombastic.

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