Editor’s Note: This is an update to an article published in October 2021.
Before the live shows, glitzy neon and a city-that-never-sleeps vibe, Las Vegas was a city founded by ranchers and railroad workers. Even further back, humans have lived in southern Nevada for more than 10,000 years.
Fast forward to more recent history and within the last century you’ll find that the Hoover Dam began construction in 1931, the first casino opened on the outskirts of town in 1941, and visitors began descending upon the city in the 1950s – a whopping 8 million annually by 1954.
Today, Las Vegas welcomes tens of millions of visitors annually, boasts more than 150,000 hotel rooms and has made a name for itself in all aspects of the meeting and event industry: a whopping 47% of corporate meeting and convention attendees said they were more interested in attending events because they were held in Las Vegas.
It’s time to do away with the adage, “What happens in Vegas…” You’ll want everyone to know what you’re up to during your time in the desert.
Why Las Vegas
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Las Vegas is the world’s No. 1 meeting destination – attendance grows by 9% when meetings and events are held in Las Vegas.
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Harry Reid International Airport has more than 1,100 inbound and outbound daily flights, with direct service from more than 150 U.S. and international destinations.
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Las Vegas averages 320 days of sunshine annually.
What’s New in Las Vegas
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The Las Vegas Convention Center has recently completed $600 million in transformative renovations.
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Vegas Unlocked provides show-your-badge-and-save deals across the city, including restaurants, shows, attractions and tours.
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I scream, you scream, we all scream for the new Museum of Ice Cream, opening in 2026 in Las Vegas’ Area15 complete with unlimited ice cream, interactive rooms, onsite games and photo opps galore.
There are plenty of options when it comes to things to see and do in Vegas, as well as places to grab a bite to eat, or host a power lunch or dinner. Here are a few spots to pique your interest and help ensure your clients will make the most of their time in Las Vegas.
SEE
Bottled Blonde
Get a bird’s eye view of Las Vegas and The Strip from the rooftop patio at Bottled Blonde. Part live music venue, part restaurant and nightlife venue, your group will be sure to enjoy themselves with all of Las Vegas at their feet. Private events are more than welcome.
The Mob Museum
Photo: The Mob Museum
Long before New Kids on the Block, Rod Stewart and Kelly Clarkson began their residencies, Las Vegas was a different kind of scene. The Mob Museum looks at the longtime struggle between organized crime and law enforcement, from the Mob’s origin and the 1940s and ‘50s through today. Private events are available, as are group tours.
The Neon Museum
Photo: The Neon Museum Las Vegas
In its heyday Las Vegas was awash in neon, luring travelers into hotels, restaurants, shows and more. As technology advanced so did signage, and iconic neon signs fell to the wayside. Until The Neon Museum opened, that is. Today more than 300 neon signs can be found throughout the two-plus acre campus, including more than 100 in the Boneyard, along with more than 150 pieces of contemporary art by neon artists, more than 5,700 photos and postcards, and nearly 1,000 souvenirs and collectibles. The museum is available for private events.
For more activities and ideas, ask your ALHI GSO about working with Hosts Global Destination Services and Hosts Las Vegas, a Hosts Global Member.
DO
F1 Experience
Photo: Las Vegas Grand Prix, Inc.
Get your group’s motors runnin’ at the F1 Experience at Grand Prix Plaza. Learn about the sport through its history, never-before-seen artifacts and real F1 cars before dividing into teams and competing in timed pit stops and virtually racing in a 4D driving experience. Upgrades for 2026 include a new 4D theater with motion seats and physical effects that will make you feel like you’re in a live race. Groups are welcome and private events can be held in myriad spaces, inside or out.
Universal Horror Unleashed
Scares and haunts are no longer limited to Halloween, what with Universal Horror Unleashed, a horror-themed warehouse that brings frightening movies and your worst nightmares to life year-round. Face your fears in four haunted houses, four immersive entertainment areas with live shows and characters, and feed your darkest craving with four dining options, from cocktails and bites to full meals. Bone-chilling experiences for groups are available.
The Sphere
Part live music venue, part theater, The Sphere took Las Vegas by storm when it first opened in 2023, and there aren’t any signs its popularity is slowing down anytime soon. U2 launched the venue’s live music residencies a few years ago, with the Backstreet Boys, the Eagles and Metallica following suit this year. If films are more your group’s speed, check out “The Wizard of Oz” as you’ve never seen it before – with multi-sensory 4D elements that will make you feel like you’re in the tornado (safely!) and following the yellow brick road alongside Dorothy. Exclusive group experiences and private events are available.
For more activities and ideas, ask your ALHI GSO about working with Hosts Global Destination Services and Hosts Las Vegas, a Hosts Global Member.
EAT
High Steaks Vegas
Photo: Angelo Clinton / High Steaks Vegas
Game meats, incomparable beef ranch cuts and stunning seafood towers are all on the menu at High Steaks Vegas, a classic steakhouse reimagined for the 21st century at Rio Las Vegas. Overseen by Chef James Trees, widely regarded as the city’s most celebrated native chef and recognized as a 2026 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef Southwest, not only are the dishes at High Steaks memorable, so are the 180-degree views of The Strip and the valley below.
Gymkhana
New to Las Vegas is Gymkhana, a two-Michelin-starred Indian restaurant that has opened on the Strip in ARIA Resort & Casino. Here you and your guests will find the spirit of Indian social clubs serving shared plates in a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. The semi-private dining room can accommodate up to 56 guests; full buyouts of the restaurants, accommodating up to 162 guests, are available.
Durango Social Club
Photo: durangosocial.com
The foodies in your group will want to snag reservations at Durango Social Club, a neighborhood spot off The Strip that is “a gathering place built on good food, great company, and creative exchange.” Here acclaimed chefs host residencies, pop-ups and collaborative dinners that tempt the tastebuds and spark conversations. Come hungry and curious and you won’t leave dissatisfied.
In addition to these new spots on Las Vegas’ dining scene, ALHI Members have their own iconic spots, like the recently-renovated Morimoto Las Vegas at MGM Grand; Wolfgang Puck’s Spago at Bellagio Las Vegas; Eataly at Park MGM; Maroon by Kwame Onwuachi at Sahara Las Vegas; and José Andrés’ Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, to name a few.
Another unique option is Lip Smacking Foodie Tours. Donald Contursi arranges elevated foodie tours and experiences throughout the city popular with groups.
For more activities and ideas, ask your ALHI GSO about working with Hosts Global Destination Services and Hosts Las Vegas, a Hosts Global Member.
STAY
More than a dozen ALHI Members are ready to welcome you and your guests to all that Las Vegas has to offer: ARIA Resort & Casino, Bellagio, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, M Resort Spa Casino, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Park MGM, Rio Hotel & Casino, SAHARA Las Vegas, Suncoast Hotel & Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, The Reserve at Park MGM, The Signature at MGM Grand, Vdara Hotel & Spa and W Las Vegas.
ARIA Resort & Casino
Myriad venues lend themselves to memorable events at ARIA Resort & Casino, from all-out pool parties to exclusive board gatherings in an executive lounge – more than 500,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space are readily tailored to suit your needs. Add to that more than 4,000 guest rooms, dining from chefs Michael Mina, Julian Serrano and Jean-George Vongerichte, and an award-winning spa and it’s easy to see why ARIA is a five-star resort.
Bellagio
Your guests will feel like they’ve been transported to Europe and the Mediterranean when you plan your next event at Bellagio. The resort’s nearly 4,000 guest rooms and suites boast views of the resort’s lake, surrounding mountains the bright lights of The Strip. And then, of course, there are the famous dancing fountains. Wow your guests with an event held in The Vault, a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge that caters to high rollers, VIPs, celebrities and jet setters – it’s just one of the 200,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces ready to host you.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas
Make your guests’ rock star dreams come true with an event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, opening in 2027. The new $4- billion-plus resort will boast 3,700 guest rooms and suites, including 600 premier suites with exclusive check-in, valet, spa, pool and restaurants that will complement its world-class dining and entertainment. More than 200,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 90,000 square foot ballroom, are all on one level and just a three-minute walk from Resort Tower guestrooms, making it easy for your guests to navigate.
M Resort Spa Casino
M Resort Spa Casino’s new hotel tower, which opened last year, adds 375 modern guest rooms for a total of 765 rooms and suites with views of The Strip and surrounding mountain landscape. As part of its expansion, M Resort is excited to welcome Chef Emeril Lagasse and his newest restaurant, Meril, opening later this year. This off-the-Strip property features more than 92,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space to accommodate groups of up to 6,000 guests.
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino isn’t just a resort in Las Vegas – it’s one of the world’s leading convention centers with a whopping 2 million square feet of meeting and event space. The Four Diamond resort also boasts 3,220 recently remodeled rooms ranging from 550 to 2,000 square feet, an 11-acre Beach with wave pool and lazy river, and dining in not one but two onsite restaurants from Chef Michael Mina.
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
More than 850,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 380,000-square-foot conference center and 92,000-square-foot pillarless ballroom, await you and your guests at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. When work is done, take a dip in the six-and-a-half-acre pool, indulge in a treatment at the spa, take in a show at the Grand Garden Arena, or simply retreat to one of the hotel’s 4,675 recently-remodeled guest rooms and suites decked out in modern furniture and inspiring art.
Park MGM + The Reserve at Park MGM Las Vegas
MGM Resorts International redefined luxurious hospitality with Park MGM and The Reserve at Park MGM Las Vegas. Together, the smoke-free properties offer 77,000 square feet of innovative space that can transform to accommodate any meeting and event needs. One spot to consider is The Library, a dining venue that houses 25,000 books from David Rockefeller’s private collection. When it comes to accommodations, choose from one of the 2,700 or so guest rooms and suites in Park MGM, or elevate your stay in one of the nearly-300 guest rooms and suites atop Park MGM in The Reserve, the décor of which blends French elegance and New York chic.
Rio Hotel & Casino
It’s all about new at Rio Hotel & Casino, from remodeled rooms to a refreshed pool experience and new restaurants, all with fresh, modern vibes. When it comes to meetings and events, groups from 10 to 5,000 will be made to feel welcome in more than 220,000 square feet of recently renovated space ranging from ballrooms to boardrooms and even a theater. Dining options run from casual to fine dining in more than 20 food and beverage spots found throughout the hotel to appeal to all palates.
SAHARA Las Vegas
There’s even more “new” at the reimagined SAHARA Las Vegas. Step into one of the 1,613 guest rooms and suites found in the resort’s three towers – pop-art-inspired Blanca, sophisticated Marra and contemporary Alexandria – and find state-of-the-art amenities and comfortably elegant furnishings. More than 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space can be transformed to meet every group’s needs, and plenty of dining options are at-the-ready, including those that accommodate vegan and vegetarian diets.
Suncoast Hotel & Casino
At the foot of the Red Rock Mountains sits Suncoast Hotel & Casino, a reimagined property that blends timeless tradition with a new era of hospitality. The hotel features 388 deluxe, 550-square-foot guest rooms and 32 suites ranging from 1,100 to 2,300 square feet, all floor-to-ceiling windows for sweeping views of the natural landscape. Fourteen meeting rooms provide more than 34,000 square feet of event space; a bowling center and movie theater provide after-work fun. Don’t miss Du-par’s, serving up American fare since 1938.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
An icon, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the heart of The Strip offers guests residential-styled living spaces with artful, hand-crafted touches, private terraces and skyline views in 3,033 guest rooms and suites. Collaborate with the onsite team to curate the perfect meeting or event in the hotel’s more than 240,000 square feet of flexible space that accommodates groups from intimate to large-scale. Afterwards, refresh in the desert-inspired Sahra Spa, Salon, & Hammam.
The Signature at MGM Grand
The three all-suite luxury towers at The Signature at MGM Grand will put your guests in the middle of the Las Vegas action, including nightlife, dining and entertainment. Each of the 1,728 suites is its own idyllic retreat, complete with dedicated living space, a full kitchenette, whirlpool spa tub and state-of-the-art technology. Intimate meetings and events are easily accommodated in the hotel’s 3,500 square feet of event space, and the onsite team is ready to coordinate activities ranging from spa outings to tee times.
Vdara Hotel & Spa
An all-suite, non-gaming, dog-friendly property in the heart of Las Vegas is what you and your guests will find at Vdara Hotel & Spa, perfect for smaller groups of 10 to 300. Up to 16,500 square feet of meeting and event space can be transformed to suit your group’s needs, with plenty of options to play after work is done for the day, what with ARIA Resort & Casino and Bellagio just steps away. Each of the hotel’s 1,495 suites features open floor plays, full kitchenettes and views of the city skyline.
W Las Vegas
Modern style meets effortless comfort at W Las Vegas, an all-suite, non-gaming property that’s ready to host your next event. Part of the Mandalay Bay complex, W Las Vegas has its own dedicated meeting spaces spread across four floors, all flexible and distinct to accommodate your meeting and event needs. As far as accommodations, the all-suite property’s 1,117 suites range feature a soothing color palette of whites and neutrals with sleek furnishings and gold accents, and floor-to-ceiling windows for unparalleled views. A VIP welcome and butler service can enhance your guests’ stays.
For more activities and ideas, ask your ALHI GSO about working with Hosts Global Destination Services and Hosts Las Vegas, a Hosts Global Member.