A Luxury Snob’s Fontainebleau Las Vegas Hotel Review

Las Vegas is not a destination short on luxury. But if you’re looking for stunning design, extensive wellness experiences, an exclusive lounge with the best view on the Strip and one of the best meals I’ve ever had, you can’t stay anywhere but the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel. 

Truly the only downside to the hotel is its location on the north end of the Las Vegas strip, which makes it inconvenient to most things other than the Las Vegas convention center. Read on for why this one drawback shouldn’t slow you down, and why this needs to the next place you stay.

History of Fontainebleau

The Fontainbleau Las Vegas is the sister property to Fontainebleau Miami Beach, a cultural icon. The 70-year history of the iconic Fontainebleau brand starts with taking inspiration from lavish French parties and injecting an air of all things fabulous in its original Miami property, which quickly became a backdrop in numerous box office movies.

Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened in 2023, creating the brand’s second luxury resort. Development spared no expense, and the result is an opulent, gorgeous casino and hotel space steeped in timeless elegance.

It is the tallest hotel on the Strip, giving it privileged views that the floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms take full advantage of. Fontainebleau Las Vegas recently received the city’s first and only MICHELIN key, a new distinction for hotels that mirrors the brand’s prestigious star rating system for restaurants.

The Vibe

Let me get it out of the way now: the Fontainebleau has a reputation for being a beautiful, super luxurious hotel, but one that is a bit “dead” with few people in it. My experience on my hosted stay couldn’t have been any different. 

The casino was busy day and night. The gym and spa were busy during my visits. The restaurants were full at night. 20-somethings spilled out of the lobby on weekend nights, coming or going from LIV Nightclub. The VIP lounge was never empty, with groups constantly checking in. The pool was even populated, even in late fall. This hotel is by no means dead.

If you’re looking to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with people watching the Bellagio fountains or taking in the Chihuly glass installations, this isn’t your hotel. But if you’re looking for timeless design, top-notch service, and to not feel overwhelmed by a crush of humanity, this is a great Las Vegas property for you.

Fontainebleau Rooms

Fontainebleau offers a variety of guest rooms, all gorgeous and quite spacious. Entry level guest rooms are 488-650 square feet, pushing into suite territory at many hotels. 

I enjoyed an Executive Suite decorated in blues, greys, silvers and golds. This is one of the better luxury hotel rooms I’ve stayed in, with fresh finishings and a huge amount of space. You start with an entryway that leads to a half bathroom on one side and the bedroom area on the other side. 

The common space includes a wet bar, but the strangest thing I found about the room was that it had no coffee maker. For a luxury suite, I would expect coffee service in the room. It is such a large property that it was inconvenient to have to venture down dozens of floors to access dining when all I wanted was a morning pick me up.

Continuing on, there is a large dining table, desk, and living room with ample seating. A flat-screen TV sits on the wall, but you’re more likely going to be looking out the window onto the lights of the city.

The bedroom features a king bed and dresser, with 2 closets and an open bathroom. Dual sinks sit opposite a spectacular integrated shower / soaking tub experience. The water closet sits apart in its own room, giving you privacy in an otherwise open-concept bathroom and bedroom space.

Perhaps my favorite feature of the Fontainebleau rooms was how insulated the walls were. I’m a light sleeper and in a vibrant nightlife city, I often struggle to sleep well as people come back at all hours. Not at the Fontainebleau. The room was pitch back and super quiet, so however late you plan to sleep, daylight and hallway noise won’t disturb you.

Dining and Drinking at Fontainebleau

Aside from the spa, the world-class dining at Fontainebleau blew me away the most during my stay. I did not expect to love every meal as much as I did. From the outrageous brunch at La Fontaine to the flawless execution at Don’s Prime steakhouse, guests and visitors will not eat badly here.

Check out this world-class collection of restaurants:

• Don’s Prime steakhouse – one of the best meals I’ve had. The steak was cooked to perfection and I am still dreaming about the Japanese sweet potato side dish
• KYU Las Vegas – a wood-fired Asian fusion restaurant where everything was amazing
• Mother Wolf – hand-rolled pasta from Chef Evan Funke
• Miami Slice – I didn’t get a chance to try the pizza here, but other visitors hold it up as reason enough to venture over to Fontainebleau

I’m most excited about coming back to try Cantina Contramar, opening in 2026. It will be an outpost of the original Contramar, one of my favorite restaurants in Mexico City. 

I can’t end this section without talking about the Poodle Room, Fontainebleau’s exclusive, members-only lounge and cigar room. If you don’t frequent Las Vegas enough to warrant a membership but you still want in, book a Fleur de Lis suite and your access is included. 

The entrance to Poodle Room is on the lobby level just past the check in desks on your way to the casino and hotel elevators. If you’re on the list, an attendant will guide you to the private elevators, which whisk you up to the 67th floor. Once there, another attendant waits to show you to your seat while a life-size poodle casts a watchful eye on newcomers.

The Poodle Room is a stunning, spacious bar and lounge with arguably the best view of the entire strip. The cocktails from the bar are some of the best I have ever had. Do not skip a margarita. As a margarita expert who bought a house in Mexico, I speak with authority and this was the best marg I’ve ever had. 

The Poodle Room also contains a multitude of secrets – a cigar lounge tucked away from the main lounge, a restaurant for members only, an intimate outdoor terrace, and a secret all-red party room with private bar that surely has seen some wild happenings.

No phones are allowed in the Poodle Room to protect the privacy and exclusivity of the space (but I did sneak some to share with you). My group was treated to unparalleled service during our visit and it became a highlight of our stay.

Fontainebleau Las Vegas Amenities

Fontainebleau really makes it so you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. From its 150,000 square foot casino to its award-winning spa, there is enough to keep you entertained from morning to night.

Casino

I’m not much of a gambler, but even I could see that the casino is impressive. It is huge, new and fresh, and there were people playing day and night. At the center is the Bleau Bar, sitting beneath a massive crystal chandelier. Each crystal is in the shape of the Fontainebleau bow tie, proving that no detail is overlooked at this resort.

Lapis Spa

The crown jewel of Fontainebleau Las Vegas, in my opinion, is the Lapis Spa. If you’re looking to pair the quality of a Canyon Ranch spa with the vibrant entertainment of Vegas, you will not be disappointed. Lapis Spa won multiple awards in 2024, including world’s best casino hotel spa and Nevada’s best hotel spa. 

I enjoyed a 90 minute Odyssey massage with a supremely talented masseuse who carefully listened to my areas of concern and addressed them all. I felt amazing after, but the real fun was the coed vitality-enhancing spa amenities I used after my massage. Hotel guests can book use of the spa facilities on weekends with or without a treatment.

The lower level of this gorgeous spa is dedicated to the shared wellness space. Whatever treatment you’re interested in trying, it is here. Options include:

• infrared sauna
• herbal inhalation – a warm sauna-like room with an herbal infusion (eucalyptus during my visit)
• salt chamber – a very dry but not too hot room with Himalayan salt air to help with inflammation and respiratory conditions
• hot tub with hydrotherapy
• cold plunge – this really wasn’t so cold. We have the best cold plunge at home and keep it at 45 degrees. This was more like 60 degrees.
• Aufguss sauna – this is your typical dry sauna, but several times a day, performers use towels and technology to move heat and scent through the room in a choreographed dance of sorts
• multi-sensory showers – lights and variable temperatures combine to make showering anything but ordinary
• snow shower – stand under a life-size sno cone machine as it drops freshly shaved ice on your head and neck to cool you off after your heat treatments are done
• steam room – steam rooms are located in the gender-specific spa facilities. There is not a shared steam room.

In addition to all these offerings, each spa locker room has relaxation space with light snacks, infused waters, and tea. You could easily spend most of a day in the spa, and I highly recommend you do. It is easily one of the best spas in Las Vegas.

Note that phones are not allowed in the spa, and the robes do not have pockets, so you won’t see many user-generated photos. I can vouch that the spa is a beautiful in real life as it looks in the marketing photos.

Gym and Wellness

The fitness center at Fontainebleau Las Vegas is state of the art, with cardio machines, weight machines, HIIT equipment, and a large variety of group classes. Individual classes, recovery sessions, and personal training are also available. 

Next door to the fitness center is the salon and an IV drip lounge. Book an IV with any goal from boosting fertility to increasing longevity. Drips can be done in a treatment room at the lounge or in your room as a hotel guest. 

Down the hall rounds out the wellness offerings at Fontainebleau. Finish off your workout with a stop at Cymbiotika, the only dining outpost of the popular supplement brand. The cafe is open from 7-3 daily and the menu offers smoothies, acai bowls, salads and sandwiches, all of which can be customized to include supplements.

Prices are high – think $11 lattes with a liposomal longevity mushroom additive. It’s…interesting. Let’s just say that I sure felt healthy after drinking it. 

Pools

My visit was in late October and I didn’t get a full pool experience, but I can that they are pretty exquisite pools. Oasis Pool is a 6 acre meandering pool that turns into the city’s largest outdoor ice skating rink in winter.

In warmer weather, that means plenty of poolside and in-water loungers for guests. Legacy Pool is smaller and remains open year-round, also with lots of lounge chairs and crisp blue and white umbrellas. These are just a couple of the many pool experiences on offer at Fontainebleau.

There is also an adults-only pool with a bar and several other secluded spots for relaxing in the sun. Food and drinks abound at multiple bars and eateries. Reserve a spot at LIV Beach for a dayclub experience with live DJs and a French Riviera vibe. 

Attendants will check your room key or a confirmed daybed / cabana reservation before allowing access to the pool area, keeping things from getting overcrowded. The cabanas are plentiful and well-appointed. 

Hall of Excellence

If you love sports, set aside an hour and $35 to take a self-guided tour through some of sports history’s most impressive memorabilia. Tom Brady curated the collection, which includes all 7 of his Super Bowl rings in addition to the gear behind iconic sports moments like Muhammad Ali’s Thrilla in Manilla, Tiger Woods’ many championships, Michael Jordan’s shoes, Simone Biles’ leotard, and more Olympic gear than you can count. The collection even shows off Oprah Winfrey’s Oscar. 

Shopping

Fontainebleau is home to number of boutiques from brands I love, including Zimmermann and Bottega Veneta. Drip yourself in diamonds at Cartier, or pick up a new bag at Saint Laurent. While it’s not as large as many shopping areas in Vegas, it’s got a solid selection of luxury and upscale brands.

Would I Recommend Fontainebleau Las Vegas?

Without question, yes, I recommend a stay at the Fontainebleau. I was so impressed by the quality of the service, the “hard product” of the room, and the top-notch dining. The spa was unforgettable and a night at Poodle Room is something to aspire to.

If you’re looking for a luxury stay in Las Vegas, the Fontainebleau is a fresh, impressive option among the other top properties in the area. If you’re still comparing, check out my reviews of the Waldorf Astoria and the Four Seasons, both of which I also loved.