The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Character and identity

A David Rockwell-designed tower on the centre Strip with 3,027 rooms, The Cosmopolitan trades on urban edge rather than themed spectacle. Video-art columns animate the lobby, mosaic floors lead to a 100,000-square-foot casino, and The Chandelier, a three-level bar wrapped in 21 miles of crystal beads, anchors the social scene. Restaurants are the headline act: é by José Andrés, Jaleo, Scarpetta, Zuma, STK, Estiatorio Milos, plus Momofuku's Bang Bar inside the Block 16 food hall and the surreal Superfrico with its hidden Ski Lodge. The Sahra Spa & Hammam draws on Moroccan ritual under soaring sandstone walls. Many rooms have open-air terraces, a Strip rarity.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you are really buying here is access to one of the Strip's best food and people-watching scenes, with a room product to match if you pick carefully. Layouts vary widely, so research and request a specific category, ideally one with a terrace. Skip room service, factor in the $45 resort fee, and come for weekends when the social energy peaks.