My husband and I like to give each other get away trips for Christmas. This year my gift for him was a long weekend in Las Vegas. If you have read any of our other posts, you know that this is not our first trip to Vegas. It was however, our first trip to the Cromwell. The Cromwell is in the center of the strip on the corner of Flamingo Rd and Las Vegas Boulevard. It is a prime location across from Caesars Palace and the Bellagio. Caesars opened the Cromwell about 4 years ago after a massive renovation. Prior to that the building was the Barberry Coast (1979-2005) and then Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall. It was a spot that we walked by quickly and never went in when we visited Vegas. After four days at the Cromwell, I think the third time may be the charm for this property.
Caesars spent $185 million on the renovation and it shows. The attention to detail is incredible. A lot of work went into remodeling the casino area. It is now 40,000 square feet with two bars, a quick service restaurant, a gift shop and a registration desk along with gaming tables and slot machines. The area still feels dark and the ceilings are low but rather than view that as an obstacle, it seems that the designers decided to use that fact. The furnishings are deep, rich red with dark heavy wood used through out. I felt as though I was in a old English manor house but then saw the quirky modern touches. The carpet in the hallways has quotes written on it in three languages. These same quotes adorn the shower walls. The back of the chair at the vanity and the walls of the elevators look like a woman’s corset. There is coffee table in front of the L-shaped couch that is a checker board with checkers provided. I guess that wanted to be sure you had something to do after all you money for gambling was gone.
The Cromwell is also the home of Giada De Laurentis’ first restaurant and a roof top pool and nightclub called Drais’. We have been to Giada’s and have enjoyed it each time. We did not visit Drais’ but did see some colorfully dressed people leaving the club on our way to breakfast on Saturday morning. I was impressed by their staying power. I was less impressed while we were trying to sleep. It reminded me of having teenagers at home as I heard people heading for their rooms at all hours of the night. I am not sure we will stay at the Cromwell again, but we certainly enjoyed the majority of our time there. For a breakdown of our airfare and hotel costs, please see the chart below.
| $ spent | Points used | Points earned | |
| Airfare | 505.96 | Companion pass | 3331 |
| Hotel | 420.00 | 60,000 | 420 |
| Total | 925.96 | 60,000 | 3751 |